A Month of Jean Arthur

 And that's a wrap on a month of Jean Arthur!

via anitapallenberg

When I saw that Jean Arthur was going to be the TCM Star of the Month in January, back when I was dreaming up some New Year's Resolutions, I made the goal to watch new-to-me films every month with the hope that a lot of Jean's silent films would be on the schedule. Alas!

Because I've seen nearly all of her screwball comedies, I've seen Shane, I've seen some of the melodramas, but I've only seen one of her silent films, and I can't even remember its name right now. I'll edit the title in if I can think of it. I want to say William Powell was in it? Anyway! That meant a month of Pre-Code dramas that really made me appreciate how talented Jean was. 

That she could turn a silent film career into a talking career, and that she could go on to become one of the icons of screwball comedy was no small feat. I've heard a lot of comedic stars say how hard comedy is, it's difficult to be funny, but if you can master it, like Jean Arthur did, is there anything you can't do? 

In the films I watched: Public Hero No. 1, Arizona, The Silver Horde, and Danger Lights, she's easily the best part. You root for her even when the films aren't that great (and by gosh by golly some of these were boring). You appreciate what she could do and it makes you love what's to come even more. 

I really wish there'd been more silent films this month. Maybe next time her turn comes around? If that's not too much to ask? 

Until then, here are my thoughts on the new-to-me Jean Arthur films I watched in January!

Public Hero No. 1 (1935)

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This was my favourite of the films I watched this movie. It's a taut, engaging criminal thriller that's inspired by the Dillinger manhunt. Jean plays the criminal's sister and Chester Morris is the undercover agent trying to bring him in. They fall in love but fall apart because they have competing interests when it comes to finding Jean's brother. 

Even though you're supposed to be rooting for Chester Morris and the law, you can't help but feel for Jean, who just wants to help her brother no matter the cost. I'd recommend this to anyone looking for a different side of Jean, she's fantastic. 

Arizona (1940)

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I've seen enough sprawling westerns to last a lifetime, so I'm sorry to say that if this hadn't been on the schedule or if there'd been more Jean Arthur films featured that I hadn't seen, I would've sacrificed this one. (And The Silver Horde, and Danger Lights, but we'll get to those ones...)

I did enjoy the gender bent of Arizona, where Jean's running the show and turning the Arizona territory into a habitable, law-abiding place. She strings along William Holden's character and falls in love but never turns into a starry-eyed love interest for the sake of what she wants to achieve for Tucson. Jean's got enough charm and charisma that you fully believe she could become a town leader in this time period. 

The Silver Horde (1930)

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Honestly, Joel McCrea is such a black hole of expression and personality (acting-wise! I don't know anything about him personally, he could have been a saint off-screen but this doesn't change my opinion of his acting style) that this could have been lauded as the greatest film of 1930 (it wasn't) and I still wouldn't like it (in fact, I think I hated it).

At least The More the Merrier had a great plot, a greater role for Jean Arthur, and a character that made sense for Joel McCrea, and Charles Coburn, to boot! 

Danger Lights (1930)

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There are so many great movies out there that feature trains and railroads, and this isn't one of them. Honestly... thank God Jean Arthur was put in films that showcased her comedic talents because she was wasted in this boring movie.

The Impatient Years (1944)

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I didn't realize until I was more than an hour into this that I'd already seen it (I consulted my movie diary, there wasn't a line or a scene that sparked a déja vu). Turns out I watched this all the way back in October 2021?! I have zero memory of it, and in fact, I didn't even comment on it, but re-reading my monthly recap post back, that was a pretty big month for finding hidden gems!

So consider this a bonus entry. I think The Impatient Years is a fine film in Jean's filmography but there are stronger screwball comedies, of course. But you still get all of Jean's fine acting, the way she can convey so much with just a tilt of her head, and the undeniable chemistry she manages to have with almost all of her leading men. 

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February's Star of the Month: Bugs Bunny, for the first week of February, followed by 31 Days of Oscar through March 15. As a child of the '80s and '90s, I've of course seen all of the Bugs Bunny shorts featured, but I'm ignoring my rule and I'm just going to rewatch them all and comment on them.