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Jean Arthur

Oct 16, 1900 - Jun 19, 1991 (90 years old) in Plattsburgh, New York, USA

Jean Arthur (October 17, 1900 – June 19, 1991) was an American actress and a major film star of the 1930s and 1940s. She remains arguably the epitome of the female screwball comedy actress. As James Harvey wrote in his recounting of the era, "No one was more closely identified with the screwball comedy than Jean Arthur. So much was she part of it, so much was her star personality defined by it, that the screwball style itself seems almost unimaginable without her." Arthur has been called "the quintessential comedic leading lady."

Arthur is best known for her feature roles in three Frank Capra films: Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936), You Can't Take It With You (1938), and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), films that championed the everyday heroine. Her last performance was the memorable—and distinctly non–comedic—role as the rancher's wife in George Stevens' Shane (1953).

Arthur was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress in 1944 for her performance in The More the Merrier (1943).

Description above from the Wikipedia article Jean Arthur, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Known For

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The Jean Arthur Show
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Gunsmoke
Julie Blane
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Shane
Marian Starrett
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Seven Chances
Miss Smith the Country Club Receptionist (uncredited)
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Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
Clarissa Saunders
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You Can't Take It with You
Alice Sycamore
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The Talk of the Town
Nora Shelley
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Mr. Deeds Goes to Town
Babe Bennett
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The Mysterious Dr. Fu Manchu
Lia Eltham
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The More the Merrier
Constance Milligan

Credits

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