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Jean Arthur

Jean Arthur

Actor · Died June 19, 1991, aged 90 · Plattsburgh, New York, USA

Jean Arthur (born Gladys Georgianna Greene; October 17, 1900 – June 19, 1991) was an American actress celebrated as one of the defining screen personalities of Hollywood’s Golden Age. Known for her quick wit, expressive voice, and understated charm, she became one of the era’s most beloved comedic leading ladies, especially in the screwball comedy genre. Film historian James Harvey noted that “no one was more closely identified with the screwball comedy than Jean Arthur,” and her work remains central to the style’s legacy. Arthur rose to prominence in the mid‑1930s and became best known for her collaborations with director Frank Capra, starring in Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936), You Can’t Take It with You (1938), and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939). These films cemented her image as the relatable, spirited heroine of Depression‑era American cinema. She earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress for her performance in The More the Merrier (1943). Although she famously disliked the pressures of Hollywood and often retreated from public life, Arthur continued to work selectively after the 1940s. She delivered a memorable dramatic turn as Marian Starrett in George Stevens’ classic Western Shane (1953). She later returned to acting on television, appearing in a 1965 episode of Gunsmoke and starring in the 1966 sitcom The Jean Arthur Show. After leaving acting, Arthur taught drama at Vassar College and the North Carolina School of the Arts, where students remembered her as a passionate and generous instructor. She lived a largely private life in her later years and died in 1991 at the age of 90.

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
October 17, 1900
Died
June 19, 1991 (aged 90)
From
Plattsburgh, New York, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
29 on MovieCove · 98 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 20% in 30 days

What are Jean Arthur's films like?

Across their 29 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.

Genres

Comedy14 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 92nd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 71st percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Crime4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 55th percentile
: browse their Crime movies
Documentary4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 76th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies
Adventure2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 69th percentile
: browse their Adventure movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
32%
Morality
23%
Self
16%
Society
14%
Power
9%
Survival
5%
Ideas
2%
Romantic love14 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity5 titles, browse their movies with this themeClass5 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice4 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception4 titles, browse their movies with this themeFame3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds3 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity4 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 29 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 17 · Serious 10 · Dark 2

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 21 · Stylized 8 · Heightened 0

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 12 · Charged 16 · Intense 1

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 16 · Shifting 12 · Whiplash 1

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 10 · Some laughs 9 · Funny 10

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 19 · Even-paced 9 · Relentless 1

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 24 · Engaged 5 · Full focus 0

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 26 · Open-ended 3 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

21 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 8 of 21 analyzed roles.

Hero
8 of 21
Ally
5 of 21
Shapeshifter
3 of 21
Threshold guardian
2 of 21
Herald
2 of 21
Trickster
1 of 21
Show the 21 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Warm
14
Tense
13
Joyful
11
Romantic
12
Melancholic
7
Other
21

How their films linger

Feel-good15 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful13 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy21
  • Bittersweet6
  • Tragic1
  • Cyclical1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Jean Arthur's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 11 of their 29 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Jean Arthur's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

98 credits, 29 with a MovieCove page; 9 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • George Stevens: A Filmmaker's Journey(1984)

    as (archive footage)

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Going Hollywood: The '30s(1984)

    as (archive footage)

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • The Jean Arthur Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Show 12 episodes · Actor

  • Gunsmoke (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Show 1 episode · as Julie Blane

  • Yesterday and Today (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    as (archive footage)

  • Shane(1953)

    as Marian Starrett

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • A Foreign Affair(1948)

    as Congresswoman Phoebe Frost

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • The Impatient Years (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    as Janie Anderson

  • A Lady Takes a Chance(1943)

    as Molly J. Truesdale

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • The More the Merrier(1943)

    as Constance Milligan

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • The Talk of the Town(1942)

    as Nora Shelley

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • The Devil and Miss Jones(1941)

    as Mary Jones

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Arizona(1940)

    as Phoebe Titus

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Too Many Husbands (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Vicky Lowndes

  • Mr. Smith Goes to Washington(1939)

    as Clarissa Saunders

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Only Angels Have Wings(1939)

    as Bonnie Lee

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • You Can't Take It with You(1938)

    as Alice Sycamore

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Screen Snapshots Series 17, No. 12 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Jean Arthur

  • Easy Living(1937)

    as Mary Smith

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • History Is Made at Night(1937)

    as Irene Vail

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • More Than a Secretary (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Carol Baldwin

  • The Plainsman(1936)

    as Calamity Jane

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Adventure in Manhattan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Claire Peyton

  • The Ex-Mrs. Bradford(1936)

    as Paula Bradford

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Mr. Deeds Goes to Town(1936)

    as Babe Bennett

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • If You Could Only Cook(1935)

    as Joan Hawthorne

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • The Public Menace (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Cassie Nicholls

  • Diamond Jim (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Jane Matthews / Emma

  • Public Hero Number 1(1935)

    as Maria Theresa 'Terry' O'Reilly

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Party Wire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Marge Oliver

  • The Whole Town's Talking(1935)

    as Wilhelmina 'Bill' Clark

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • The Defense Rests (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as Joan Hayes

  • Most Precious Thing in Life(1934)

    as Ellen Holmes, aka Biddy, Babe

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Whirlpool (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as Sandy

  • Get That Venus (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    as Margaret Rendleby

  • The Past of Mary Holmes(1933)

    as Joan Hoyt

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Ex-Bad Boy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    as Ethel Simmons

  • The Lawyer's Secret (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    as Beatrice Stevens

  • Virtuous Husband(1931)

    as Barbara Olwell

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • The Gang Buster (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    as Sylvia Martine

  • Danger Lights(1930)

    as Mary Ryan

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all films

  • The Silver Horde(1930)

    as Mildred Wayland

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • The Return of Dr. Fu Manchu (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    as Lia Eltham

  • Paramount on Parade (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    as Dream Girl

  • Young Eagles (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    as Mary Gordon

  • Street of Chance (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    as Judith Marsden

  • Half Way to Heaven (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    as Greta Nelson

  • The Saturday Night Kid (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    as Janie Barry

  • The Greene Murder Case (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    as Ada Greene

  • The Mysterious Dr. Fu Manchu(1929)

    as Lia Eltham

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Stairs of Sand (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    as Ruth Hutt

  • The Canary Murder Case(1929)

    as Alice LaFosse

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Sins of the Fathers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    as Mary Spengler

  • Brotherly Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    as Mary

  • Warming Up (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    as Mary Post

  • Wallflowers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    as Sandra

  • Flying Luck (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    as The Girl

  • The Masked Menace (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    as Faith Newton

  • The Poor Nut (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    as Margie Blake

  • Bigger and Better Blondes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    as Ramona

  • Horse Shoes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    as Miss Baker

  • The Broken Gate (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    as Ruth Hale

  • Hello Lafayette (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    Actor

  • Husband Hunters (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    as Lettie Crane

  • Winners of the Wilderness (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    as Bit Role (uncredited)

  • The Block Signal (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    as Grace Ryan

  • The College Boob (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    as Angela Boothby

  • Twisted Triggers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    as Ruth Regan

  • The Cowboy Cop (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    as Virginia Selby

  • Lightning Bill (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    as Marie Denton

  • Double Daring (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    as Marie Wells

  • Ridin' Rivals (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    as Ruth Burroghs

  • The Mad Racer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    Actor

  • Eight-Cylinder Bull (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    Actor

  • The Fighting Cheat (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    as Ruth Wells

  • Born to Battle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    as Eunice Morgan

  • The Roaring Rider (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    as Mary Watkins

  • Under Fire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    as Margaret Cranston

  • Thundering Through (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1925)

    as Ruth Burroughs

  • The Hurricane Horseman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1925)

    as June Mathews

  • The Iron Horse(1924)

    as Reporter (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • A Man of Nerve (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1925)

    as Loria Gatlin

  • Tearin' Loose (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1925)

    as Sally Harris

  • The Fighting Smile (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1925)

    as Rose Craddock

  • The Drug Store Cowboy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1925)

    as Jean

  • Seven Chances(1925)

    as Miss Smith the Country Club Receptionist (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Travelin' Fast (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)

    as Betty Conway

  • Thundering Romance (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)

    as Mary Watkins

  • Bringin' Home the Bacon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)

    as Nancy Norton

  • Biff Bang Buddy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)

    as Bonnie Norton

  • Fast and Fearless (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)

    as Mary Brown

  • Wine of Youth (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)

    as Flapper

  • The Powerful Eye (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)

    as Dud's Sweetheart

  • Case Dismissed (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)

    as Jean

  • Spring Fever (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)

    Actor

  • Monks a la mode (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)

    as Madame Maxine

  • Somebody Lied (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)

    Actor

  • Cameo Kirby (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)

    as Ann Playdell

Career shape

Star power in the 99th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 98 titles from 1923 to 1985.

Biggest box office

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)

$146K worldwide

Highest rated

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)

Midcredits 97th

Most popular right now

Shane (1953)

Film career

Top draw in 13 MovieCove titles.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting98 of 98: 98 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score85th

By decade

1920s52 · acting1930s32 · acting1940s8 · acting1950s3 · acting1960s1 · acting1980s2 · acting

Billing

usually 2nd · top billed in 32% of 19 roles
2540

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do Jean Arthur's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 85th percentile, the median of all 29; across their 29 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 79th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

79thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 29

Approval · how many liked their films

80thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 29

Reach · how many have seen their films

58thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 29

Midcredits score across 29 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up18
  • 50th to 74th6
  • 25th to 49th5

Shape of the crowd

11 of their 29 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved10
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser11
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed5

Most divisive · actor

Virtuous Husband (1931)

83rd percentile spread · 32% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)

Midcredits 97th · 87% liked

Reviewers score the acting 78/100 in their films, across 23 reviewed titles; fans 83, detractors 53. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Jean Arthur's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 4 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Violence & Gore3 titlesmedian 30 · mildMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity4 titlesmedian 2 · minimalMedian of all films: 32
Profanity3 titlesmedian 4 · minimalMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs3 titlesmedian 31 · mildMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense3 titlesmedian 21 · mildMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.

Who does Jean Arthur work with?

People who share at least 2 of Jean Arthur's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Joseph Walker shares the most, 5.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers