People named Jean Arthur

Jean Arthur Born October 17, 1900 in Plattsburgh, New York, USA Died June 19, 1991 in Carmel, California, USA (heart failure) Birth Name Gladys Georgianna Greene Height 5' 3" (1.6 m) This marvelous screen comedienne's best asset was only muffled during her seven years' stint in silent films. That asset? It was, of course, her squeaky, frog-like voice, which silent-era cinema audiences had simply no way of perceiving, much less appreciating. Jean Arthur, born Gladys Georgianna Greene in upstate New York, 20 miles south of the Canadian border, has had her year of birth cited variously as 1900, 1905 and 1908. Her place of birth has often been cited as New York City! (Herein we shall rely for those particulars on Miss Arthur's obituary as given in the authoritative and reliable New York Times. The date and place indicated above shall be deemed correct.) Following her screen debut in a bit part in John Ford's Cameo Kirby (1923), she spent several years playing unremarkable roles as ingénue or leading lady in comedy shorts and cheapie westerns. With the arrival of sound she was able to appear in films whose quality was but slightly improved over that of her past silents. She had to contend, for example, with the consummately evil likes of Dr. Fu Manchu (played by future "Charlie Chan" Warner Oland). Her career bloomed with her appearance in Ford's The Whole Town's Talking (1935), in which she played opposite Edward G. Robinson, the latter in a dual role as a notorious gangster and his lookalike, a befuddled, well-meaning clerk. Here is where her wholesomeness and flair for farcical comedy began making themselves plain. The turning point in her career came when she was chosen by Frank Capra to star with Gary Cooper in the classic social comedy Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936). Here she rescues the hero - thus herself becoming heroine! - from rapacious human vultures who are scheming to separate him from his wealth. In Capra's masterpiece Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), she again rescues a besieged hero (James Stewart), protecting him from a band of manipulative and cynical politicians and their cronies and again she ends up as a heroine of sorts. For her performance in George Stevens' The More the Merrier (1943), in which she starred with Joel McCrea and Charles Coburn, she received a Best Actress Academy Award nomination, but the award went to Jennifer Jones in The Song of Bernadette (1943) (Coburn, incidentally, won for Best Supporting Actor). Her career began waning toward the end of the 1940s. She starred with Marlene Dietrich and John Lund in Billy Wilder's fluff about post-World War II Berlin, A Foreign Affair (1948). Thereafter, the actress would return to the screen but once, again for George Stevens but not in comedy. She starred with Alan Ladd and Van Heflin in Stevens' western Shane (1953), playing the wife of a besieged settler (Heflin) who accepts help from a nomadic gunman (Ladd) in the settler's effort to protect his farm. It was her silver-screen swansong. She would provide one more opportunity for a mass audience to appreciate her craft. In 1966 she starred as a witty and sophisticated lawyer, Patricia Marshall, a widow, in the TV series The Jean Arthur Show (1966). Her time was apparently past, however; the show ran for only 11 weeks. - IMDb Mini Biography By: Bill Takacs Spouse (2) Frank Ross (11 June 1932 - 14 March 1949) ( divorced) Julian Aster Ancker (1928 - 1928) ( annulled) Trade Mark (5) A distinctive voice: sometimes high-pitched, sometimes husky Light blonde hair Distinctive unconventional looks Always played willful, uncompromising women. She was often cast as independent "career women" when many actress were restricted to playing housewives, damsel in distress or femme fatales Ashes scattered off of Point Lobos, California, USA. Wore her natural brunette hair color throughout the silent film portion of her career, then began bleaching her hair blonde shortly after she started making talkies. Department of Strange Coincidences: Jean Arthur's former spouse, producer Frank Ross, next married the actress Joan Caulfield. On the very day following Caulfield's death on 18 June 1991, Arthur died. Marriage to Julian Anker was annulled after 1 day. After retiring from films she taught drama at Vassar and North Carolina School of the Arts from the late 1960s to 1973. Was a leading contender for the coveted role of Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind (1939). As her star began to decline, she was replaced by Rita Hayworth as Columbia Pictures' top female star. Coincidentally, the two stars share the same birthday (October 17). Turned down the role of the lady missionary in Lost Horizon (1973), the unsuccessful musical remake of the 1937 classic of the same name. Director George Stevens famously called her "one of the greatest comediennes the screen has ever seen" while Frank Capra credited her as "my favorite actress". On the completion of her Columbia contract in 1944, she reportedly ran through the studio's streets, shouting "I'm free, I'm free!". As a result of being in the doghouse with studio boss Harry Cohn, her fee for starring in The Talk of the Town (1942) was only $50,000 while her male co-stars (Ronald Colman, Cary Grant) received upwards of $100,000 each. Biography in: "Who's Who in Comedy" by Ronald L. Smith. pg. 30-31. New York: Facts on File, 1992. ISBN 0816023387 Biography in: "American National Biography". Supplement 1, pp. 15-16. New York: Oxford University Press, 2002. Allegedly took her stage name from two of her greatest heroes: Joan of Arc (Jeanne d'Arc) and King Arthur.

Jean Y Arthur of Wichita County, TX was born circa 1960. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Jean Y. (Wilson) Arthur.

Jean Arthur of TX was born circa 1942. Jean Arthur was married to Donald L. Arthur on February 19, 1976 in Harris County, TX. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Jean (Tierney) Arthur.

Jean Arthur of TX was born circa 1943. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Jean (Hargis) Arthur.

Jean Arthur of TX was born circa 1945. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Jean (Franklin) Arthur.

Jean Arthur of TX was born circa 1944. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Jean (Van) Arthur.

Jean Arthur was born on July 7, 1952, and died at age 48 years old on May 28, 2001. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Jean Arthur.

Jean M Arthur of North Hollywood, Los Angeles County, CA was born on March 11, 1917, and died at age 94 years old on April 16, 2011.

Jean Arthur was born on October 22, 1926, and died at age 43 years old in July 1970. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Jean Arthur.

Jean Lorraine Johans Arthur of Eden Prairie, Hennepin County, Minnesota was born on July 25, 1920, and died at age 88 years old on October 14, 2008.

Jean S Arthur of Englewood, Arapahoe County, CO was born on October 25, 1930, and died at age 74 years old on April 9, 2005.

Jean M Arthur of Saint Petersburg, Pinellas County, FL was born on January 31, 1921, and died at age 68 years old on April 8, 1989.

Jean M Arthur of Oceanside, San Diego County, CA was born on December 26, 1935, and died at age 70 years old on May 17, 2006.

Jean Arthur of Warren, Macomb County, MI was born on April 26, 1921, and died at age 86 years old on November 14, 2007.

Jean B Arthur of Frankfort, Will County, IL was born on January 14, 1915, and died at age 89 years old on June 21, 2004.

Jean Arthur of Madison, Morgan County, Georgia was born on December 3, 1931, and died at age 50 years old in April 1982.

Jean B Arthur of Amherst, Amherst County, VA was born on January 11, 1925, and died at age 80 years old on March 1, 2005.

Jean Arthur of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, PA was born on October 26, 1891, and died at age 84 years old in March 1976.

Jean B Arthur of Secaucus, Hudson County, NJ was born on August 4, 1928, and died at age 68 years old on June 6, 1997.

Jean Elizabeth Arthur of Ocala, Marion County, FL was born on April 9, 1934, and died at age 76 years old on July 22, 2010.

Jean Arthur-Velez of New Paltz, Ulster County, NY was born on October 5, 1933, and died at age 69 years old on December 12, 2002.

Jean M Arthur was born on May 1, 1905, and died at age 87 years old in November 1992. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Jean M Arthur.

Jean Arthur of Lewes, Sussex County, DE was born on January 14, 1888, and died at age 78 years old in December 1966.

Jean W Arthur was born on September 2, 1892, and died at age 105 years old on September 15, 1997.

Jean R Arthur of Denver, Denver County, CO was born on December 5, 1928, and died at age 82 years old on February 26, 2011.