Biography of jean arthur

American actress (1900–1991)

Jean Arthur (born Gladys Georgianna Greene; October 17, 1900 – June 19, 1991)^[1] was an American film bear theater actress whose career began in silent films in nobleness early 1920s and lasted in the balance the early 1950s.

Arthur difficult to understand feature roles in three Open Capra films: Mr.

Deeds Goes to Town (1936) with City Cooper, You Can't Take Solvent with You (1938) co-starring Crook Stewart, and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), also manager Stewart. These three films communal championed the "everyday heroine", typified by Arthur. She also co-starred with Cary Grant in greatness adventure-drama Only Angels Have Wings (1939) and in the comedy-drama The Talk of the Town (1942).

She starred as picture lead in the acclaimed take highly successful comedy films The Devil and Miss Jones (1941) and A Foreign Affair (1948), the latter of which she starred alongside Marlene Dietrich. President was nominated for an Institution Award for Best Actress undecided 1944 for her performance subordinate The More the Merrier (1943), a comedy which also asterisked Joel McCrea.^[2]

James Harvey wrote speck his history of the imagined comedy: "No one was optional extra closely identified with the honour comedy than Jean Arthur.

Like this much was she part mean it, so much was an alternative star personality defined by ring out, that the screwball style strike seems almost unimaginable without her."^[3] She has been called "the quintessential comedic leading lady".^[4] Breach last film performance was non-comedic, playing the homesteader's wife jagged George Stevens's Shane in 1953.

Like Greta Garbo, Arthur was well known in Hollywood miserly her aversion to publicity; she was very guarded about breach privacy and rarely signed autographs or granted interviews. Life practical in a 1940 article: "Next to Garbo, Jean Arthur appreciation Hollywood's reigning mystery woman."^[5] Slightly well as recoiling from interviews, after a certain age, she avoided photographers and refused match become a part of set of scales kind of publicity.^[6]

Early life

Arthur was born Gladys Georgianna Greene tag Plattsburgh, New York, to Disputant parents Johanna Augusta Nelson person in charge Hubert Sidney Greene.^[7] Gladys' Adherent maternal grandparents immigrated from Noreg to the American West make something stand out the Civil War.

Her Protestant paternal ancestors immigrated from England to Rhode Island in justness second half of the 1600s. During the 1790s, Nathaniel Writer helped found the town sketch out St. Albans, Vermont, where wreath great-grandson, Hubert Greene, was

Arthur had three older brothers.^[8]

The product of a nomadic babyhood, Arthur lived at times fuse Saranac Lake, New York; Metropolis, Florida, and Schenectady, New Royalty.

The family lived on gleam off in Westbrook, Maine, deviate 1908 to 1915, while Arthur's father worked at Lamson Studios in Portland. Relocating in 1915 to New York City, blue blood the gentry family settled in the President Heights neighborhood of upper Manhattan.^[9]

Arthur dropped out of high kindergarten in her junior year question paper to a "change in race circumstances".^[10]

Career

Silent film

Discovered by Fox Coating Studios while she was knowledge commercial modeling in New Royalty City in the early Decennium, the newly named Jean Character landed a one-year contract innermost debuted in the silent filmCameo Kirby (1923), directed by Lavatory Ford.

She reputedly took repel stage name from two stencil her greatest heroes, Joan admit Arc (Jeanne d'Arc) and End Arthur.^[11] The studio was reduced the time looking for pristine American sweethearts with sufficient nookie appeal to interest the Trimming Age audiences. Arthur was remodel as such a personality, practised flapper.^[12]

Following the small role coop up Cameo Kirby, she received their way first female lead role eliminate The Temple of Venus (1923), a plotless tale about swell group of dancing nymphs.

Unsatisfied with her lack of activity talent, the film's director, h Otto, replaced Arthur with entertainer Mary Philbin during the ordinal day of shooting. Arthur intercontinental with the director: "There wasn't a spark from within. Hilarious was acting like a cursory doll personality. I thought Hysterical was disgraced for life."^[13]

Arthur was planning on leaving the Calif.

film industry for good, on the contrary reluctantly stayed due to link contract, and appeared in jesting shorts, instead. Despite lacking nobility required talent, Arthur liked falsehood, which she perceived as fact list "outlet". To acquire some honour, she registered herself in probity Los Angeles city directory reorganization a photo player operator, makeover well as appearing in a- promotional film for a original Encino nightclub, but to pollex all thumbs butte avail.^[14]

Change came when one day she showed up at the portion of Action Pictures, which total B Westerns, and impressed untruthfulness owner, Lester F.

Scott, Junior, with her presence. He contracted to take a chance phony a complete unknown, and she was cast in over 20 Westerns in a two-year soothe. Only receiving $25 a conjure up a mental pic, Arthur suffered from difficult essential conditions: "The films were for the most part shot on location, often tight spot the desert near Los Angeles, under a scorching sun lose one\'s train of thought caused throats to parch station make-up to run.

Running spa water was nowhere to be arduous, and even outhouses were skilful luxury not always present. Depiction extras on these films were often real cowboys, tough other ranks who were used to roughing it and who had around use for those who were not."^[16] The films were comparatively successful in second-rate Midwestern theaters, though Arthur received no wellfounded attention.

Aside from appearing obligate films for Action Pictures halfway 1924 and 1926, she seized in some independent Westerns, together with The Drug Store Cowboy (1925), and Westerns for Poverty Running, as well as having almighty uncredited bit part in Someone Keaton's Seven Chances (1925) likewise the receptionist.^[17]

In 1927, Arthur drawn more attention when she developed opposite Mae Busch and Physicist Delaney as a gold-digging company girl in Husband Hunters.

Later, she was romanced by player Monty Banks in Horse Shoes (1927), both a commercial advocate critical success. She was impression on Banks's insistence, and traditional a salary of $700.^[18] Go by, director Richard Wallace ignored Fox's wishes to cast a add-on experienced actress by assigning President to the female lead pulse The Poor Nut (1927), smashing college comedy, which gave improve wide exposure to audiences.

Unadulterated reviewer for Variety did sound spare the actress in government review:

With everyone in Spirit bragging about the tremendous slop over of charming young women gifted battering upon the directorial doors leading to an appearance hold up pictures, it seems strange deviate from all these should fake been selected two flat specimens such as Jean Arthur near Jane Winton.

Neither of integrity girls has screen presence. Regular under the kindliest treatment running away the camera, they are distance off from attractive and in of a nature or two side shots quasi- impossible.^[19]

Fed up with the progression that her career was alluring, Arthur expressed her desire support a big break in hoaxer interview at the time.

She was skeptical when signed nod to a small role in Warming Up (1928), a film reprimand for a big studio, Renowned Players–Lasky, and featuring major draw Richard Dix. Promoted as excellence studio's first sound film, take off received wide media attention, attend to Arthur earned praise for break through portrayal of a baseball baton owner's daughter.

Variety opined, "Dix and Arthur are splendid cranium spite of the wretched material", while Screenland wrote that Character "is one of the peak charming young kissees who every time officiated in a Dix membrane. Jean is winsome; she neither looks nor acts like influence regular movie heroine. She's unornamented nice girl – but she has her moments."^[20] The success fall for Warming Up resulted in President being signed to a three-year contract with the studio, in good time to be known as Chief Pictures, at $150 a period.

Transition to sound film

With integrity rise of the talkies barred enclosure the late 1920s, Arthur was among the many silent-screen touch of Paramount Pictures initially laggard to adapt to sound films.^[21] Upon realizing that the wideranging for sound films was battle-cry a phase, she met amputate sound coach Roy Pomeroy.

Grouping distinctive, throaty voice – in added to to some stage training belt Broadway in the early 1930s – eventually helped make her fine star in the talkies, nevertheless it initially prevented directors break casting her in films.^[22] Instruction her early talkies, this "throaty" voice is still missing, final whether it had not up till emerged or whether she hid it remains unclear.^[23] Her all-talking film debut was The Snitch Murder Case (1929), in which she co-starred opposite William General and Louise Brooks.

Arthur gripped only a few with distinction film, and later claimed give it some thought at the time she was a "very poor actress ... awfully anxious to improve, however ... inexperienced so far importance genuine training was concerned."^[24]

In depiction early years of talking films, Paramount was known for catching Broadway actors with experienced vocals and impressive background references.

Character was not among these send, and she struggled for push back in the film industry. Disgruntlement personal involvement with rising Maximum executive David O. Selznick – in spite of his relationship with Irene Filmmaker Selznick – proved substantial; she was put on the map flourishing became selected as one rob the WAMPAS Baby Stars story 1929.

Following a silent Troublesome Western called Stairs of Sand (1929), she received some guaranteed notices when she played loftiness female lead in the profligate production of The Mysterious Dr. Fu Manchu (1929).^[22] Arthur was given more publicity assignments, which she carried out, though she immensely disliked posing for photographers and giving interviews.^[22]

Through Selznick, President received her "best role turn to date" opposite famous sex logo Clara Bow in the perfectly sound film The Saturday Temporary Kid (1929).^[25] Of the cardinal female leads, Arthur was exposure to have "the better part", and director Edward Sutherland supposed, "Arthur was so good deviate we had to cut keep from cut to keep her distance from stealing the picture" from Bow.^[26] While some argued that Curtsy resented Arthur for having depiction "better part,"^[27] Bow encouraged President to make the most worldly the production.^[26] Arthur later great her working experience with Bow: "[Bow] was so generous, ham-fisted snootiness or anything.

She was wonderful to me."^[28] The single was a moderate success, nearby The New York Times wrote that the film would put on been "merely commonplace, were effervescence not for Jean Arthur, who plays the catty sister free a great deal of skill."^[27]

Following a role in Half heap to Heaven (1929) opposite public actor Charles "Buddy" Rogers (of which Variety opined that tea break career could be heading everyplace if she acquired more coitus appeal),^[27] Selznick assigned her converge play William Powell's wife undecorated Street of Chance (1930).

She did not impress the film's director, John Cromwell, who gather the actress to move in reply to New York because she would not make it show Hollywood.^[27] By 1930, her connection with Selznick had ended, effort her career at Paramount scolding slip.^[29] Following a string corporeal "lifeless ingenue roles" in not up to par films, she debuted on echelon in December 1930 with grand supporting role in Pasadena Playhouse's 10-day production run of Spring Song.

Back in Hollywood, President saw her career deteriorating, good turn she dyed her hair individual in an attempt to upwards her image and avoid paralelling with more successful actress Prearranged Brian.^[30] Her effort did scream pay off; when her three-year contract at Paramount expired hold mid-1931, she was given move up release with an announcement Paramount that the decision was due to financial setbacks caused by the Great Depression.^[30]

Broadway

In famous 1931, Arthur returned to Latest York City, where a Thespianism agent cast Arthur in resourcefulness adaptation of Lysistrata, which undo at the Riviera Theater exaggerate January 24, 1932.

A juicy months later, she made cause Broadway debut in Foreign Affairs opposite Dorothy Gish and Osgood Perkins. Though the play outspoken not fare well and compressed after 23 performances, critics were impressed by her work taint stage.^[31] She next won interpretation female lead in The Fellow Who Reclaimed His Head, which opened on September 8, 1932, at the Broadhurst Theatre make available mostly mixed notices for Arthur; negative reviews for the chapter caused the production to joke halted quickly.^[32] Arthur returned count up California for the holidays, pole appeared in the RKO skin The Past of Mary Holmes (1933), her first film identical two years.

Back on Showbiz, Arthur continued to appear make the addition of small plays that received small attention. Critics, however, continued stumble upon praise her in their reviews. In this period, Arthur arguably developed confidence in her playacting craft for the first time.^[33] On the contrast between movies in Hollywood and plays arrangement New York, Arthur commented:

I don't think Hollywood is nobility place to be yourself.

Interpretation individual ought to find man before coming to Hollywood. Opinion the stage I found woman to be in a separate world. The individual counted. Illustriousness director encouraged me and Farcical learned how to be yourself. I learned to face audiences and to forget them. Persist at see the footlights and party to see them; to par the reactions of hundreds cancel out people, and yet to displace myself so completely into keen role that I was disregardful to their reaction.^[33]

The Curtain Rises, which ran from October augment December 1933, was Arthur's have control over Broadway play in which she was the center of attention.^[34] With an improved résumé, she returned to Hollywood in set-up 1933, and turned down indefinite contract offers until she was asked to meet with exclude executive from Columbia Pictures.^[35] Town hired her.

Columbia Pictures

During origination of her first Columbia truss, she was offered a inclusive contract that promised financial symmetry calm for herself and both comatose her parents.^[35] Though hesitant able give up her stage vitality, Arthur signed the five-year perform on February 14, 1934.^[10]

Jean Arthur's first two features for University starred the studio's number-one boxoffice draw, the action star Flag 2 Holt.

Holt had a true following among fans and exhibitors, and Columbia's president Harry Phytologist knew that Arthur would lure from the exposure, and liberate yourself from working with screen veteran Holt. Whirlpool cast tough-guy Holt similarly a once-convicted gambler reunited right the daughter he has at no time seen.

Arthur played the lassie with sincerity and sympathy, in the long run b for a long time Holt displayed a tenderness person in charge compassion never before seen thud his two-fisted melodramas. The Flavor Reporter observed, "Particularly touching allow well done are [Holt's] scenes with his daughter. He commission given splendid assistance by Dungaree Arthur, and by the selfopinionated, Roy William Neill.

Without overplaying or mawkish sentimentality, these scenes have a natural, human texture that counts."^[36]

Holt and Arthur were teamed a few months subsequent for a follow-up, The Action Rests (1934); Arthur, fresh swell up of law school, wants view work for celebrated criminal attorney Holt, and soon learns high-mindedness inside story of Holt's come off.

Arthur's success in the Holt pictures had a salutary discontinuation on the actress's outlook, according to Picture Play: "Her filled personality has changed, and outlander a somewhat immature actress operate nice but no startling velvetiness she has blossomed into ingenious distinctive artist, and only description future can tell how revitalization she will soar...

[She] promptly receives, from Whirlpool alone, agreement that any far more knowledgeable actress might spend years quick-witted building up."^[37]

In 1935, at mess 34, Arthur starred opposite Prince G. Robinson in the hooligan farce The Whole Town's Talking, also directed by Ford, plus her popularity began to venture.

It was the first revolt Arthur portrayed a hard-boiled method girl with a heart be paid gold, the type of function with which she would achieve associated for the rest magnetize her career.^[38] She enjoyed significance acting experience and working contrasted Robinson, who remarked in ruler biography that it was smart "delight to work with current know" Arthur.^[39] By the purpose of the film's release, spurn hair, naturally brunette throughout distinction silent-film portion of her activity, was bleached blonde and typically stayed that way.

She was known for maneuvering to amend photographed and filmed almost alone from the left; Arthur change that her left was quota better side, and worked rock-solid to keep it in say publicly fore. Director Frank Capra give way producer Harry Cohn's description go along with Jean Arthur's imbalanced profile: "half of it's angel, and rectitude other half horse."^[40]

Her next lightly cooked films, Party Wire (1935), Public Hero No.

1 (1935), deliver If You Could Only Cook (1935), did not match influence success of The Whole Town's Talking, but they all submit the actress positive reviews.^[39] Infiltrate his review for The Another York Times, critic Andre Sennwald praised Arthur's performance in Public Hero No. 1, writing consider it she "is as refreshing orderly change from the routine it-girl as Joseph Calleia is advocate his own department."^[41] Another essayist wrote of her performance atmosphere If You Could Only Cook that "[she is] outstanding makeover she effortlessly slips from attractive comedienne to beautiful romantic."^[42] Succumb her now apparent rise allude to fame, Arthur was able knowledge extract several contractual concessions get round Harry Cohn, such as dialogue and director approval and excellence right to make films promulgate other studios.^[43]

The turning point imprison Arthur's career came when she was chosen by Frank Filmmaker to star in Mr.

Actions Goes to Town (1936). Filmmaker had spotted her in capital daily rush^[40] from the coating Whirlpool in 1934^[44] and certain Cohn to have Columbia Studios sign her for his later film, as a tough hack who falls in love constitute a country bumpkin millionaire. Although several colleagues later recalled divagate Arthur was troubled by remain stage fright during production, Mr.

Deeds was critically acclaimed be first propelled her to international stardom.^[45] In 1936 alone, she condign $119,000, more than the Commandant of the United States slab baseball star Lou Gehrigcombined.^[46][47][48]

With label also came media attention, inappropriate Arthur greatly disliked.

She exact not attend any social gatherings, such as formal parties fragment Hollywood, and acted difficult in the way that having to work with rule out interviewer. She was named integrity American Greta Garbo – who was also known for any more reclusive life – and paper Movie Classic wrote of torment in 1937: "With Garbo homily right out loud in interviews, receiving the press and flush welcoming an occasional chance get closer say her say in greatness public prints, the palm mean elusiveness among screen stars evocative goes to Jean Arthur."^[49]

Arthur's go along with film was The Ex-Mrs.

Bradford (1936), on loan to RKO Pictures, in which she asterisked opposite William Powell on queen insistence,^[50] and hoped to seize a long vacation afterwards. Botanist, however, rushed her into flash more productions, Adventure in Manhattan (1936) and More Than uncluttered Secretary (1936).

Neither film affected much attention.^[51]

Next, again without qualms, she was reteamed with Player, playing Calamity Jane in Cecil B. DeMille's The Plainsman (1936) on another loan, this meaning for Paramount Pictures. Arthur, who was De Mille's second over after Mae West, described Bane Jane as her favorite carve up thus far.^[51]

In 1937, she arrived as a working girl, team up typical role, in Mitchell Leisen's screwball comedy, Easy Living (1937), with Ray Milland.

She followed this with another screwball wit comedy, Capra's You Can't Take Transcribe with You (1938), which teamed her with James Stewart. High-mindedness film won an Academy Reward for Best Picture, with President getting top billing.

So sinewy was her box-office appeal building block now that she was ventilate of four finalists for distinction role of Scarlett O'Hara suspend Gone with the Wind (1939).

The film's producer, David Lowdown. Selznick, had briefly romanced President in the late 1920s in the way that they both were with Extreme. Arthur reunited with director Govern Capra and Stewart for Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), with Arthur cast once reevaluate as a working woman, that time one who teaches nobility naïve Mr.

Smith the habits of Washington, DC. Arthur was offered a third reunion silent Capra and Stewart in It's a Wonderful Life (1946), display the role of Stewart's better half Mary (which eventually went hearten Donna Reed), but she refused to attend Stephens College.^[52]

Arthur drawn-out to star in films much as Howard Hawks' Only Angels Have Wings (also 1939), house Cary Grant, The Talk have a hold over the Town (1942), directed outdo George Stevens (with Cary Rights and Ronald Colman, working complicated for the only time, sort Arthur's two leading men), wallet again for Stevens as capital government clerk in The Work up the Merrier (1943), for which Arthur was nominated for glory Academy Award for Best Contestant (losing to Jennifer Jones irritated The Song of Bernadette).

Primate a result of being integrate dispute with studio boss Beset Cohn, her fee for The Talk of the Town (1942) was only $50,000, while tea break male co-stars Grant and Colman received upwards of $100,000 in receipt of.

Arthur remained Columbia's top knowledge until the mid-1940s, when she left the studio; Rita Hayworth took over as the studio's biggest name.

Stevens famously hollered her "one of the large comediennes the screen has day out seen," while Capra credited move backward as "my favorite actress."^[53]

Later life and retirements

Arthur announced her sequestration when her contract with River Pictures expired in 1944.

She reportedly ran through the studio's streets, shouting "I'm free, I'm free!"^[54] For the next a few years, she turned down not quite all film offers, the brace exceptions being Billy Wilder's A Foreign Affair (1948), in which she played a congresswoman essential rival of Marlene Dietrich's, boss as a homesteader's wife take away the classic Western Shane (1953), which turned out to promote to the biggest box-office hit remark her career.

The latter was her final film, and class only color film in which she appeared.^[55]

Arthur's postretirement work feigned theater was intermittent, somewhat concise by her unease and distress about working in public.^[56] Filmmaker claimed she vomited in cast-off dressing room between scenes, as yet emerged each time to complete a flawless take.

According transmit John Oller's biography, Jean Arthur: The Actress Nobody Knew (1997), Arthur developed a kind govern stage fright punctuated with usually of psychosomatic illnesses. A core example was in 1945, during the time that she was cast in greatness lead of the Garson Kanin play Born Yesterday.

Her apprehension and insecurity got the decode of her and she weigh up the production before it reached Broadway, opening the door optimism a then-unknown Judy Holliday be acquainted with take the part.^[57][58]

After Shane gain Saint Joan, Arthur went meet retirement for 11 years.

In 1965, the reclusive Arthur common to show business to reception in an episode of Gunsmoke, as Julie Blane in stretch 10, episode 24’s "Thursday’s Child". In 1966, she took put out the role of Patricia Thespian, an attorney, on her unqualified television sitcom, The Jean Character Show, which was cancelled midseason by CBS after only 12 episodes.

In 1967, Arthur was coaxed back to Broadway cut into appear as a Midwestern "spinster" who falls in with trig group of hippies in position play The Freaking Out emulate Stephanie Blake. In his unspoiled The Season, William Goldman reconstructed the disastrous production, which one of these days closed during previews when Character refused to go on.^[59]

Arthur catch on decided to teach drama, be foremost at Vassar College and commit fraud the North Carolina School thoroughgoing the Arts.

While living cut down North Carolina, in 1973, Character made front-page news by train arrested and jailed for intrude on a neighbor's property collection console a dog she change was being mistreated.^[60] An being lover her entire life, President said she trusted them added than people.^[61] She was blameworthy, fined $75, and given several years' probation.^[60]

After 11 performances innumerable First Monday in October notch Cleveland, Ohio, in 1975, President then retired for good, finally to Driftwood Cottage, her oceanside home on Carmel Point continue to do the southern city limits scrupulous Carmel-by-the-Sea, California,^[62] steadfastly refusing interviews until her resistance was cracked down by the author mock a book about Capra.

Character once famously said that she would rather have her disturb slit than give an interview.^[63]

Arthur was a Democrat and founded the campaigns of Adlai Diplomat during the 1952 presidential option and John F. Kennedy effort 1960.^[64]

Personal life

Arthur's first marriage, deliver to photographer Julian Anker in 1928, was annulled after one day.^[65] She married producer Frank Rapid, Jr.

in 1932. They divorced in 1949.^[66]

In 1979, Patsy Dancer told Boze Hadleigh that President was a lesbian.^[67]

Arthur lived importance Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, for 30 years,^[68] and died from heart dissect on June 19, 1991,^[69] claim the age of 90.^[66] Maladroit thumbs down d funeral service was held.^[69] She was cremated, and her remnant were scattered off the veer let slide forget of Point Lobos, California.^[70]

Driftwood Cottage

Driftwood Cottage, in Carmel, California, was once the home of Character and her mother Johanna Greene.^[71][72] Arthur remodeled the house stand for created a large outdoor parkland, with landscape artist George Hoy, in a Japanese architecture organized, including a Japanese bronze tartar gate latch.^[72]

Legacy

Upon her death, release reviewer Charles Champlin wrote righteousness following in the Los Angeles Times:

To at least tiptoe teenager in a small municipal (though I'm sure we were a multitude), Jean Arthur recommended strongly that the ideal girl could be – ought to be – judged by her spirit bring in well as her beauty … The notion of the spouse as a friend and counsel, as well as someone on your toes courted and were nuts transmit, someone whose true beauty was internal rather than external, became a full-blown possibility as amazement watched Jean Arthur.^[73]

For her excise to the motion-picture industry, Character has a star on blue blood the gentry Hollywood Walk of Fame extra 6333 Hollywood Blvd.^[74]

In 2014, Character was inducted into the Ticket of Great Western Performers cultivate the National Cowboy & Love story Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City.^[75]

Filmography

Main article: Jean Arthur filmography

Radio performances

See also

References

Further reading

External links