"My favorite actress." — Frank Capra

"One of the greatest comediennes the screen has ever seen." — George Stevens

From the middle of the 1930s to the late 1940s, Jean Arthur (1900-1991) starred in an unparalleled string of hits, mostly comedies, for some of Hollywood's most accomplished directors, including Frank Capra, George Stevens, John Ford, Howard Hawks, Frank Borzage, Mitchell Leisen and Billy Wilder. Then, in 1944, at the height of her popularity, she left Hollywood to go back to college, and only made two more films before quitting for good. An improbable end to a somewhat improbable career, combining a long apprenticeship in silent films and a two-year hiatus in favor of stage work during the early sound period.

As a comedienne Arthur combined great timing, naturalness (the more remarkable for her pronounced performance anxiety) and a talent for amazement, to have her eyes opened--and by extension, the audience's--to some new realization or wonder. But her signature quality remains her voice--a one-of-a-kind, rough-soft, croaky-smooth contradictory combination of notes, which some anonymous wit once likened to "a cross between Donald Duck and a Stradivarius." Rediscover the joys of watching--and hearing--Jean Arthur in this retrospective of her best-loved films.

AFI Member passes will be accepted at all films in the Jean Arthur Retrospective series.

MR. DEEDS GOES TO TOWN

Gary Cooper is Longfellow Deeds, an unassuming man-child in Mandrake Falls, Vermont, who finds himself at the center of a media storm when he inherits a fortune. Whisked off to New York, he's beset by scheming lawyers and scandal-mongering journalists-- including Jean Arthur as tabloid sensation Babe Bennett, undercover as meek Mary Dawson to get close to Deeds and dig up some dirt. Shaken by the city slickers' mean spirits, greed and duplicity, in time Deeds's decency, horse sense and homespun homilies carry the day. An iconic role for Cooper, and the film that established Arthur as a major star; the film won Frank Capra the second of his three Best Director Oscars.

DIR/PROD Frank Capra; SCR Robert Riskin, based on the story by Clarence Budington Kelland. US, 1936, b&w, 115 min. NOT RATED

Friday, February 5, 4:30; Saturday, February 6, 12:30; Sunday, February 7, 5:45; Tuesday, February 19, 6:30

DOUBLE FEATURE: Two Films for the Price of One!

THE WHOLE TOWN'S TALKING

Edward G. Robinson does double duty as "Jonesy" Jones, a mild-mannered clerk, and "Killer" Mannion, a gangster recently escaped from prison with whom Jonesy unfortunately shares a remarkable resemblance. A breakthrough film for Jean Arthur, who plays the wisecracking coworker for whom Jonesy secretly pines, finally establishing the screen persona that would make her a star. Director John Ford shows off his chops with this energetic urban comedy, working from a clever script by ace screenwriters Robert Riskin (IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT) and Jo Swerling (PLATINUM BLONDE).

DIR/PROD John Ford; SCR Robert Riskin, Jo Swerling. US, 1935, b&w, 93 min. NOT RATED

With:

IF YOU COULD ONLY COOK

Auto magnate Herbert Marshall is uneasy about his impending nuptials, wondering whether his fiancee loves him or his money. Out for a stroll, he meets out-of-work Jean Arthur on a park bench, and, not wanting to give too much away, commiserates with her about the tough job market. Smitten, he goes along with her to answer an ad for a job: a husband-and-wife cook-and-butler position. Soon, he's taking a crash course from his own valet in order to serve wealthy bootlegger Leo Carrillo, defending Arthur from Carrillo's unwanted attentions and screwing up the courage to woo her himself.

DIR William A. Seiter; SCR Howard J. Green, Gertrude Purcell, based on the story by F. Hugh Herbert; PROD Everett Riskin. US, 1935, b&w, 72 min. NOT RATED

Sunday, February 7, 12:40; Monday, February 8, 6:30

THE TALK OF THE TOWN

Prison escapee Cary Grant bursts into the home of schoolteacher Jean Arthur, his childhood sweetheart. A labor activist, Grant claims he's the victim of a frame-up, and though Arthur wants no part of him, something about his story rings true. But before she has a chance to make up her mind, her new boarder, law professor Ronald Colman, arrives, insisting on his room even though he's a day early. Comic triangulations and subterfuges ensue, as Arthur attempts to accommodate both guests, get Colman to take Grant's case, clear Grant's name and choose which of the two men she loves more. Nominated for seven Oscars.

DIR/PROD George Stevens; SCR Irwin Shaw, Sidney Buchman, Dale Van Every. US, 1942, b&w, 118 min. NOT RATED

Friday, February 12, 4:30; Sunday, February 14, 9:20; Monday, February 15, 6:30; Tuesday, February 16, 6:45

THE MORE THE MERRIER

When the bureaucratic buildup of WWII creates a housing shortage in Washington, DC, working girl Jean Arthur advertises for a female roommate. Unable to check into his hotel when he arrives in town, millionaire Charles Coburn charms (and flimflams) his way into Arthur's spacious apartment, where he's flummoxed by her regimented routines and rules and unimpressed by her wet blanket fiance, Richard Gaines. So Coburn sublets half of his space to Joel McCrea, with matchmaking in mind. Director George Stevens works comic magic with the cramped quarters and stellar performances. Six Oscar nominations, including Arthur's lone nomination for Best Actress.

DIR/PROD George Stevens; SCR Richard Flournoy, Lewis R. Foster, Frank Ross, Robert Russell. US, 1943, b&w, 104 min. NOT RATED

Saturday, February 13, 4:45; Sunday, February 14, 5:00; Thursday, February 18, 7:00

HISTORY IS MADE AT NIGHT

Parisian maitre d' Charles Boyer stumbles upon American Jean Arthur while under assault in her hotel suite, and, after "kidnapping" her to escape that jam, takes her out for a night of dinner, dancing and falling in love. But Arthur's estranged husband, sinister Colin Clive (best known as Dr. Frankenstein), isn't about to let her go so easily. Hollywood's greatest romantic, director Frank Borzage, guides the film nimbly through spells of melodrama, screwball comedy and, most deliriously, epic adventure aboard a Titanic-esque ocean liner in the memorable finale. Leo Carrillo, as Boyer's friend and foil Chef Cesare, provides rib-tickling comic relief, and the lovely cinematography is by David Abel, with a pre-CITIZEN KANE Gregg Toland assisting.

DIR Frank Borzage; SCR C. Graham Baker, Gene Towne; PROD Walter Wanger. US, 1937, b&w, 97 min. NOT RATED

Saturday, February 13, 12:30; Sunday, February 14, 12:30; Thursday, February 18, 9:10

YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU

Lionel Barrymore is Grandpa Vanderhof, patriarch of a kooky household of free spirits, including prolifically unpublished playwright daughter Spring Byington and her pyromaniacal husband, Samuel S. Hinds; dancer granddaughter Ann Miller and her xylophonist husband, Dub Taylor; Russian layabout Mischa Auer and inventor friend Donald Meek. Then there's granddaughter Jean Arthur, the most daring of the bunch: She falls in love with Jimmy Stewart, son of corporate raider and arms dealer Edward Arnold. Only director Frank Capra could make corn like this pop, and he did, winning Best Picture and Best Director Oscars among seven nominations.

DIR/PROD Frank Capra; SCR Robert Riskin, based on the play by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart. US, 1938, b&w, 126 min. NOT RATED

Friday, February 19, 4:30; Monday, February 22, 6:45

ONLY ANGELS HAVE WINGS

The professional code of honor among a group of hard-living, Hemingway-esque jungle pilots working on a South American airstrip is put to the test: Head honcho Cary Grant has to choose between old flame Rita Hayworth, new squeeze Jean Arthur, and giving up the exciting life he truly loves; aging pilot Thomas Mitchell would rather go out in a blaze of glory than admit his eyesight is failing and give up his livelihood; loner Richard Barthelmess, marked by a disastrous past, finds redemption a long time coming. Director Howard Hawks blends action, adventure, comedy and moving pathos in one of his signature works.

DIR/PROD Howard Hawks; SCR Jules Furthman, based on a story by Howard Hawks. US, 1939, b&w, 121 min. NOT RATED

Saturday, February 20, 12:45; Sunday, February 21, 4:45; Wednesday, February 24, 6:30

EASY LIVING

A fur coat drops out of the Manhattan sky onto the head of working girl Jean Arthur, setting in motion a series of events that will rain further riches down upon her, thanks to a series of comic misunderstandings and endless angle-playing by hustlers high and low. Mitchell Leisen's splendorous screwball comedy combines witty wordplay with inventive, energetic slapstick. Arthur is a delight as the woman who finds herself the center of attention and perplexed by her good fortune; the ensemble cast includes Edward Arnold as the banker who tossed the coat, Ray Milland as his son, Winchell-like William Demarest and seen-it-all secretary Esther Dale.

DIR Mitchell Leisen; SCR Preston Sturges, based on a story by Vera Caspary; PROD Arthur Hornblow Jr. US, 1937, b&w, 88 min. NOT RATED

Saturday, February 20, 5:20; Sunday, February 21, 12:45; Thursday, February 25, 7:00

THE DEVIL AND MISS JONES

Tycoon Charles Coburn, irked by the threat of unionization at one of his department stores, goes undercover to ferret out the ringleaders. Working as a shoe salesman, Coburn proves hopeless at following the rules, much less selling shoes, and is only saved from the wrath of stern boss Edmund Gwenn by the intervention of the friendly Miss Jones, shop girl Jean Arthur. Can Coburn keep his cover, and Arthur's affection, when he discovers her boyfriend, Robert Cummings, is the secret labor leader? Sam Wood lends sprightly direction to Norman Krasna's witty, Oscar-nominated script, with Coburn and Arthur proving a fine comic team. Print courtesy of UCLA Film & Television Archive.

DIR Sam Wood; SCR Norman Krasna; PROD Frank Ross. US, 1941, b&w, 92 min. NOT RATED

Friday, February 26, 4:30; Saturday, February 27, 8:00; Monday, March 1, 7:00

MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON

#26 on AFI'S 100 Years...100 Movies

Adroitly cast and directed by Frank Capra, this is the film that made a star of Jimmy Stewart, here playing a good-hearted naif put up for a vacant Senate seat who wises up to the political machinery controlling him and fights for what's right. Jean Arthur sparkles as a seen-it-all Congressional secretary charmed by Stewart's decency. Nominated for 11 Oscars, but a hard-luck loser to GONE WITH THE WIND in most categories. Claude Rains, Edward Arnold and Thomas Mitchell all shine in supporting roles.

DIR/PROD Frank Capra; SCR Sidney Buchman, based on the story by Lewis R. Foster. US, 1939, b&w, 129 min. NOT RATED

Saturday, February 27, 12:30; Sunday, February 28, 1:00

A FOREIGN AFFAIR

Iowa Congresswoman Jean Arthur leads a fact-finding mission to Berlin in the aftermath of WWII to inspect rebuilding efforts and root out the corrupting influences of the black market and vice. Fellow Iowan and Army Captain John Lund, assigned to escort the inquisitive Congresswoman, winds up wooing her in a desperate bid to distract her from his own thriving black market dealings, not to mention his girlfriend, Marlene Dietrich, a nightclub singer whose alleged relationship to a prominent Nazi makes her a person of interest. A triumph of black comedy from director Billy Wilder.

DIR/SCR Billy Wilder; SCR Richard Breen; PROD/SCR Charles Brackett. US, 1948, b&w, 116 min. NOT RATED

Friday, March 5, 4:30; Saturday, March 6, 5:00; Sunday, March 7, 12:45; Tuesday, March 9, 9:05

SHANE

#3 on AFI'S Top 10 Westerns!
#45 on AFI'S 100 Years...100 Movies

Young Brandon De Wilde watches wide-eyed as farmer father Van Heflin, with the help of mysterious stranger Shane (Alan Ladd), squares off against rival hired gun Jack Palance in this sodbusters vs. cowpunchers All-American Western. George Stevens's painstaking and elaborate production stressed realism--all-weather shooting, specially aged costumes and shabbily authentic sets. Jean Arthur, having largely abandoned movies over the preceding decade, made her role as Heflin's wife her final screen appearance.

DIR/PROD George Stevens; SCR A.B. Guthrie Jr., based on the novel by Jack Schaefer. US, 1953, color, 118 min. NOT RATED

Saturday, March 6, 12:00; Monday, March 8, 6:45; Tuesday, March 9, 6:45