Silent Film Star: Jean Arthur.

Jean Arthur (October 17, 1900 – June 19, 1991). Was discovered by Fox Film Studios while she was doing commercial modeling in New York City in the early 1920's, Arthur landed a one-year contract and debuted in the silent film, Cameo Kirby (1923), directed by John Ford. It was Ford's first film credited as John Ford instead of Jack Ford.

Following the small role in Cameo Kirby, she received her first female lead role in, The Temple of Venus (1923), a plot-less film about a group of dancing nymphs. Not thinking she was sexy enough, the film's director Henry Otto replaced Arthur with actress, Mary Philbin during the third day of shooting. Arthur, agreed with the director and was planning on leaving acting for good, but stayed due to her contract and performed in many comedy shorts.

After awhile, Arthur, began to really enjoy acting and was looking for her big break, registered herself as a photo player in the Los Angeles city directory, as well as appearing in a promotional film for the Encino nightclub.

Her luck began to turn around when she showed up at the lot of Action Pictures, which produced B westerns, and impressed Lester F. Scott Jr. He cast her in over twenty westerns in a two-year period. The films were shot on location, under harsh conditions.

She also performed in independent westerns: The Drug Store Cowboy (1925), and westerns for Poverty Row, as well as having an uncredited bit part in Buster Keaton's.. Seven Chances (1925). In 1927, Arthur attracted more attention when she performed with Mae Busch and Charles Delaney as a gold digging chorus girl in, Husband Hunters and the film, Horse Shoes (1927).

Director Richard Wallace ignored Fox's wishes to cast a more experienced actress by placing Arthur to the female lead in, The Poor Nut (1927), a college comedy. In which she received poor reviews.

She landed a small role in, Warming Up (1928), a film produced for a big studio, Famous Players-Lasky. The film received a lot of media attention, because it was the studio's first sound film, which resulted in Arthur receiving good reviews for her performance.

The success of Warming Up, resulted in Arthur being signed on a three-year contract with the studio, soon to be known as Paramount Pictures.

After realizing that sound films was not just a phase, she met with sound coach Roy Pomeroy. Her all-talking film debut was, The Canary Murder Case (1929), in which she co-starred with William Powell and Louise Brooks. A crime/mystery film directed by Malcolm St. Clair and Frank Tuttle. Based on novel, The Canary Murder Case by S.S. Van Dine.

Arthur is best-remembered for her well known performances in her 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).

Her last performance was the non–comedic—role as the rancher's wife in the western, Shane(1953).

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

Video: Full movie. The Canary Murder Case (1929).

History Is Made at Night (1937).

History Is Made at Night(1937). A romantic/drama about a love triangle. Cast: Colin Clive, Jean Arthur and Charles Boyer. Produced by Walter Wanger and directed by Frank Borzage.

The film has a very suspenseful Titanic-like ending, when the ocean liner "SS Princess Irene" (named after Jean Arthur's character) hits an iceberg on its maiden voyage. In the movie the Hindenburg, successfully completes a transatlantic trip, with her husband on board. This movie was released (USA) March 5, 1937. The Hindenburg disaster occurred on May 6, 1937. It never made that return flight to Europe.

The story begins when Irene Vail, the wife of possessive shipping magnate Bruce Vail, is about to return to her Paris hotel room when Michael, her chauffeur, comes to inform her that he has been ordered by her husband to put her in a compromising position, to force her into dropping their divorce.

Expecting to find the chauffeur and his wife in a compromising position, Bruce is surprised to find a jewel thief, there instead who demands jewelry and then kidnaps her. Once he and Irene are alone, the thief reveals that he really is Paul Dumond, one of Europe's best known headwaiters. Feeling sorry for her after overhearing her argument with Michael, he decided to pose as a jewel thief to save her from her abusive husband.

Paul takes Irene to the Chateau Bleu, where he works, the two dine and dance until morning. Meanwhile, back at the hotel, Bruce kills Michael and then tells the police that the murder was committed by Irene's lover.

When Irene returns to the hotel, she lies to Bruce and the police about her abduction, but Bruce knows that she is lying when he notices that she is wearing one of the necklaces that was claimed to have been stolen.

After the police leave, Bruce forces Irene to go to New York with him to stop the divorce by threatening to frame Paul for the murder of the chauffeur.

Paul, is heartbroken when he reads about Irene's departure in the newspapers and does not understand why she did not show up as planned.

While traveling to America, Irene tells Bruce,"You're right, Bruce. This time you're right. This time there *is* another man. You set a trap to catch me with one... and another came instead, to tell me that he loves me, and for me to tell him I love him too. And *you* did it! You did it all by yourself! Isn't that funny? Don't you think that's funny? Before he came, I never even looked at another man. But you wouldn't believe me! So you created one, and you sent him right into my arms..."

Paul, follows the couple to New York. There, Paul and his hot headed chef, Cesar find work at a Manhattan restaurant named, Victor's.

Irene is shocked to lean that Paul, has been arrested for Michael's murder. Bruce, now wants Irene to go to Paris to testify against Paul, but before they leave, Bruce takes her to Victor's for dinner, where she sees Paul, much to her relief.

Irene tears up her ticket to Paris, and walks out on Bruce and returns to Victor's, where she tells Paul the truth. Paul, cannot allow an innocent man to be punished for the murder that Bruce committed and travels back to Parison the, S.S. Princess Irene.

When, Bruce reads in the newspaper that Irene is traveling back to Paris to defend "the man of her heart," he becomes enraged.

Ignoring the radio call from the captain of the Princess Irene warning of bad weather, Bruce gives instructions for the ship to proceed at full speed. The ocean liner soon collides with an iceberg and capsizes. Will Bruce and Irene be rescued in time?

Charles Boyer, gives a very charming performance and Jean Arthur, was never more beautiful. Colin Clive, gave a very convincing performance as the jealous and obsessive husband. Boyer's and Arthur's love scenes were very romantic.

Leopoldo Antonio Carrillo (August 6, 1881 – September 10, 1961). Although he played many stereotypical Latinos parts, Leo Carrillo was from an very respected California family. His great-great grandfather, José Raimundo Carrillo (1749–1809), was an early Criollo settler of San Diego, California. His great-grandfather Carlos Antonio Carrillo (1783–1852) was Governor of Alta California (1837-38), his great-uncle, José Antonio Carrillo, was a Californio defender and three-time mayor of Los Angeles, and his paternal grandfather, Pedro Carrillo, who was educated in Boston, was a writer.

The family moved from San Diego to Los Angeles then to Santa Monica, where Carrillo's father Juan José Carrillo (1842–1916), served as the city's police chief and later the first mayor. His cousin was Broadway star William Gaxton. Proud of his heritage, Leo Carrillo wrote a book, The California I Love, published shortly before his death in 1961.

A university graduate, Leo Carrillo worked as a newspaper cartoonist for the San Francisco Examiner before turning to acting on Broadway. In Hollywood, he performed in more than 90 films, including: The Gay Desperado (1936). He is best remembered from the television series, The Cisco Kid, on which, beginning at the age of seventy, he played the sidekick Pancho, a role that he had previously played in several films. After The Cisco Kid ended production, Carrillo appeared in the episode, "Rescue at Sea" of the syndicated military drama, Men of Annapolis.

A preservationist and conservationist, Carrillo served on the California Beach and Parks commission for eighteen years and played a key role in the state's acquisition of Hearst Castle at San Simeon, the Los Angeles Arboretum, and the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.

He was made a goodwill ambassador by the State Governor at the time. As a result of his service to the State, the Leo Carrillo State Park, west of Malibu on the Pacific Coast Highway, was named in his honor, and the city of Westminster, California named an elementary school after him. The Leo Carrillo Ranch Historic Park, originally Rancho de los Kiotes, in Carlsbad, California, is a registered California Historical Site. Rancho Carrillo Trail, also in Carlsbad, is named for Leo Carrillo.

Pre-code: Bedside (1934).

Bedside (1934). Directed by Robert Florey. Cast: Warren William, Jean Muir, Allen Jenkins and David Landau.

The story begins with Bob Brown aka Dr. J. Herbert Martel, a X-Ray tech with 3 years of medical school. He works in the same offices as, nurse Caroline, who is charmed by Bob as all woman in his life seem to be..

Caroline, loans Bob $1,500 so he can finish up his degree and become a real doctor, but.. but when Bob, boards the train headed for medical school he quickly blows the $1,500 in a poker game.

Not able to go back home and face Caroline, Bob finds a new job as an orderly and writes letters telling her how tough medical school is.

While on the job Bob, gives a shot to a patient who was crying out for help and is fired, for it. He returns home and comes close to telling Caroline, the truth, but she looks so upset that he just can't do it.

Things take a turn for the better for Bob, when "John Smith", comes to see him in desperate need of some morphine to help with his asthma. Smith, is really J. Herbert Martel, a doctor who has become a drug addict. He confesses to Martel, that his degree is useless to him now. Bob the says, "You've come to the end of your rope. I can use it! and then offers to keep him supplied in drugs, in exchange for his identity.

Brown, travels to New York where things are going well until, a poker game with press agent Sam Sparks, leads to Sparks forcing Brown, now known as, Dr. J. Herbert Martel, to participate in a million-dollar insurance scam over a showgirl's legs. Dr. Martel provides a fake X-Ray of a broken leg (which belonged to a corpse).

Brown/Martel takes the money he made from the scam and opens up a swank Park Avenue office, hiring Dr. Wiley to work as the doctor and hires Caroline, to be his nurse. Things are going well until, "John Smith" finds him.

Dr. Wiley tells him about this experiment he's performed hundreds of times with guinea pigs and hopes to use on humans. His experiment is to stick a needle in a dead guinea pig's heart, then shock them back from the dead. (I'm not sure whether the experiment worked or not).

Caroline, begins to become suspicious of Bob and quits, after his refusal to treat a sick little girl, when Wiley( who really does the work) is not there. At this point, the real Martel, finally meets Caroline and she has a life-threatening accident.  The hospital gets a hold of Bob, who's in a panic, now what we will he do to save Caroline's life or does he?

Warren William, was often cast as a detective. But.. I think I like him best in dark roles such as this one. I don't know whether to call Bedside.. a horror movie, sci-fi or film noir?

Jean Muir (February 13, 1911 – July 23, 1996), first appeared on Broadway in 1930, and was signed by Warner Brothers Studios three years later.

She played opposite several famous actors - Warren William, Paul Muni, Richard Barthelmess, Franchot Tone, etc. But she returned to Broadway in 1937 because she was unsatisfied with the roles, appearing occasionally in films through 1943.

In 1950 she was named as a Communist sympathizer by the notorious book Red Channels, and immediately removed from the cast of a television sitcom The Aldrich Family, in which she was supposed to appear as the Mother Aldrich.

 In the mid 1950s she reportedly suffered from alcoholism and cirrhosis of the liver.

 She was back on Broadway and TV by the early 1960s. In 1968 she moved to Columbia, Missouri, where she taught drama at Stephens College.

Pawsome Pet Pictures: Jean Arthur.

FunFact: Was a leading contender for the coveted role of Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind (1939).

Pawsome Pet Pictures: Jean Arthur.

(1977 comment on Gary Cooper) "I loved working with Gary Cooper. Gary was my favorite. He was so terrific-looking, and so easy to work with."

Jean Arthur tries some EASY LIVING (1937)

This is the daffy story of a hard working girl named Mary (the always fresh and engaging Jean Arthur), who has a sable coat thrown on her from a window of a rich man named J.B. Ball (Edward Arnold) who is fed up with his free spending family. Directed by Mitchell Leisen from a screenplay by Preston Sturges, Easy Living is classic screwball comedy at its best. And mistaken scenarios abound as people think that Ball gave his wife's coat to Mary and she is his mistress. Ray Milland is on hand as Ball's son John who of course falls for Mary. Great slapstick scenes are aplenty in this film including a wild food fight that is hilarious. Jean Arthur is excellent in this film as she combines sex appeal, comedy, warmth, and a touch of bewilderment to her character. She is definitely one of screwball comedy's top queens. If you have never seen Easy Living, check it ASAP.

The Final Conclusion - Best Actress 1943

1943

So the much anticipated ranking is:

5. Greer Garson in Madame Curie

I was quite disappointed by this performance as I expected way more of Greer Garson, a truly wonderful actress. She's trapped in a boring movie, which is the enemy of its on and she's sometimes overshadowed by the boredom of Walter Pidgeon. Under these circumstances, it's a very good performance with its problems.

4. Jean Arthur in The More the Merrier

Everything works perfectly with this performance. Then why am I still a bit disappointed? For some reason, I was never totally blown away by Jean Arthur's work. Although I enjoyed it from the beginning to the end, there wasn't a moment when I said "Wow! She's amazing!". Still, it's a well-played, entertaining comedy role and I really don't have complaints.

3. Ingrid Bergman in For Whom the Bell Tolls

It might seem like that I'm collecting many things to prove that I like her (because of my love for Ingrid) but I'm indeed quite fond of this performance. It's nothing groundbreaking but it's quite impressive and interesting. Ingrid does her usual routine and the result of it was positive for me. Not great but certainly good.

2. Joan Fontaine in The Constant Nymph

I wouldn't say that this is a pleasant surprise because I expected to like Joan but I was really impressed by Joan Fontaine's performance as Tessa. Although this is neither groundbreaking nor amazing work, I enjoyed every minute of it. Joan never fails to make Tessa a sympathetic character and I liked the character overall.

1. Jennifer Jones in The Song of Bernadette

A no-brainer, easy winner. I really did not expect to be impressed by Jennifer THIS much but I was, after all. Jennifer Jones is nothing short of amazing as St. Bernadette. Her grace and dignity shines through the screen and grabs your attention and never lets you go. It's a wonderful, unforgettable performance that's not as frequently talked about as it should be. A real miracle, if I may say so.

So I can proudly announce

the winner is...

Jennifer Jones

in

The Song of Bernadette

Easy win.

Omissions:

• Ingrid Bergman in Casablanca *My Pick*  (Do I have to explain????)

Congratulations Louis (once again on your predictions). You can pick another year (which I'll probably do after two years I planned to cover now or if you pick either of them then sooner).

Available years: 1933, 1953, 1956, 1967, 1968, 1971, 1976, 1982, 1985, 1988, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1999, 2000, 2004, 2007, 2008

Final thoughts: A mixed bag. Jennifer Jones got my vote very easily. I liked the rest of the ladies, too but to a much lesser extent. Joan and Ingrid were almost equal for me, Jean was not far behind them and Greer wasn't much worse than them. I think it's a very even but quite weak year and Jennifer so obviously stands out in this bunch. She's just wonderful. Otherwise, I enjoyed this year but didn't love it.

Note: From now on, I won't rank the years. I don't really see the point of it.

About the next year: Wow, I'm ending the summer with a really strong three-way race. I'm very excited to give clues once again (after such a long time :D). However, I can only start reviewing next Saturday. But I'll annonce the year on Wednesday.

• Mommie dearest (x2)
• Don't get THIS mad!
• Leading or supporting? Vanity will decide. :D

So what do you think? Any thoughts on your mind?

Jean Arthur in The More the Merrier

Jean Arthur received her only Oscar nomination for playing Connie Milligan, a woman who decides to share her apartment during WWII in The More the Merrier. I think Jean was probably the third one that year. I guess nobody could stop Jennifer Jones from winning, except for Ingrid Bergman who starred in an epic movie. Jean, however, played a comic part and the Academy prefers serious drama to comedy. Still, the fact that she was a star helped her, I'm sure. It's ironic that the funny ladies of the 30s and the 40s (Roz Russell, Irene Dunne and Jean Arthur) never received Academy Awards.

The More the Merrier is a nice comedy about a woman who shares her apartment with two strangers (both of them men, one is older, the other one is young, guess what happens). The last time I saw it, I was much more impressed by it and I kept on raving about it. However, this time I'm much less enthusiastic about it. While it was enjoyable, it's no His Girl Friday or The Awful Truth. It is lovely and the screenplay is quite good but it's nothing amazing. Charles Coburn won the Oscar for his performance but I don't see how they voted for him.

Jean Arthur is an actress I mostly know from Frank Capra's 1930s movies where she usually played a bit cynical women who turn out to be really charmed by a simple American fella but she was also quite memorable as the mother character in Shane. That being said, I think she's a very lovely, charming actress who was most certainly the best choice to play Connie in The More the Merrier. She has the opportunity to show all her comic skills and to display her irresistable charm.

However, to tell the truth, Connie's character is not the most original one ever created. She's very firm, she has a boring fiancé and such things. Her normal life (which is full of her own rules) is turned upside down by two strangers. One cannot accuse Jean Arthur of not developing Connie. We can see her journey from her initial self to a more loving and kinder woman. And the best thing about it is that this development never becomes too ordinary or predictable. Sure, the story is predictable but thanks to Jean, it's really no problem.

Arthur gets many funny scenes with Charles Coburn in the beginning and she nails them all. Again, she filled those clihés with her own charm and they turned out to be very amusing. First, the movie is a typical comedy of errors and Jean knows perfectly well how to handle it. She neither overplays nor underplays the scenes. They are just fine the way they are. It's like when you hear a joke for the fifth time and you still keep laughing at it because the person delivers is excellently. Well, that's most certainly the case with Jean Arthur here. The scene where she locks Charles Coburn out of the apartment and then he knocks on the bathroom window is an entirely predictable sequence and yet it works because of Jean.

When Joel McCrea enters the picture, the movie becomes much more romantic but Jean does that part excellently, too. They make up an excellent couple and I really was rooting for them. Everything worked out with them and the scene at the party is just wonderful. I was totally taken by Jean's charm and I became just as dazzled by it as Joel McCrea's character.

The end is also fine: Arthur's timing is excellent (once again) and I really laughed out loud when she was crying. Again, I'm a sucker for those exaggerated cries and this one was no exception (still, Diane Keaton remains my favorite in that category).

As you see, everything works perfectly with this performance. Then why am I still a bit disappointed? For some reason, I was never totally blown away by Jean Arthur's work. Although I enjoyed it from the beginning to the end, there wasn't a moment when I said "Wow! She's amazing!". Still, it's a well-played, entertaining comedy role and I really don't have complaints.

What do you think?

The Next Year

1943

So the nominees were:

• Jean Arthur in The More The Merrier
• Ingrid Bergman in For Whom The Bell Tolls
• Joan Fontaine in The Constant Nymph
• Greer Garson in Madame Curie
• Jennifer Jones in The Song of Bernadette

A weak year apparently but we'll see. :)

What do you think? What's your ranking? What's your prediction for my ranking?