Jean Arthur, Irene Dunne, Jean Harlow, and Carole Lombard rarely, if ever, gave a poor screen performance and all had legions of fans. One of them was nominated five times for an Oscar; another was nominated once; and the other two may have eventually won Oscars had they not suffered untimely deaths.
Jean Arthur (1900-1991), the Comedienne
Arthur began her acting career in silent movies playing western heroines or ingénues in social dramas and comedies. Her first “talkie” was The Canary Murder Case (1929). It was this film that first revealed her distinctive husky and scratchy voice to audiences.
The actress followed this film with a series of fine performances in movies ranging from straight comedy such as Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1935) to westerns like The Plainsman (1936) to drama such as Only Angels Have Wings (1939) to Frank Capra’s political critique, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (also 1939). Arthur’s forte, however, was screwball comedy.
Among her memorable works in this genre were You Can’t take It With You (1938), The Talk of the Town (1942), and the humorous look at life in wartime Washington, DC, The More the Merrier (1943). It was this last movie that garnered Arthur her only Oscar nomination. She lost out to Jennifer Jones.
Jean Arthur’s last movie role was as the homesteader’s wife who is both attracted to, and appalled by, the mysterious gunfighter-stranger in Shane (1953). She would appear briefly on television in the 1960s and later taught drama at Vassar.
The Versatile Irene Dunne (1898-1990)
No Hollywood actress of her time, except possibly, Barbara Stanwyck, was as multitalented as Irene Dunne. This versatility can be seen in the five types of movies for which she was nominated as best actress: Cimarron (1931 - western); Theodora Goes Wild (1936 - screwball comedy); The Awful Truth (1937 - romantic comedy); Love Affair (1938 - romantic drama); and I Remember Mama (1948 - family drama). The last movie, arguably, features her best performance.
In addition, Dunne, who had a strong musical background and started her career in stage musicals, displayed a beautiful singing voice in many of her films. These include all her Oscar-nominated roles (except for Cimarron) as well as in the musicals Roberta (1935) and Showboat (1936).
The actress made her last movie in 1952 and, except for occasional television appearances, devoted the majority of her “retirement” time to civic and charitable causes. Despite a successful Hollywood career, Irene Dunne never even received a lifetime or honorary Oscar.
Jean Harlow (1911-1937), First Hollywood Sex Symbol
Harlow came to Hollywood as a runaway teenager in the late 1920s and was soon given bit parts, mainly as “eye candy,” in comedy silent shorts and early “talkies.” Her big break came in the epic World War I film, Hell’s Angels (1930). This film was followed quickly with her role as one of James Cagney’s lady friends in The Public Enemy (1931).
Featured parts in Platinum Blonde (1931), Red-Headed Woman (1932), Bombshell (1933), and as Wallace Beery’s brassy, trophy wife in Dinner at Eight (1933) quickly made Harlow Hollywood’s first true “sex symbol,” a title that she would later hate, working hard to be more than that.
Harlow, gave strong dramatic performances, co-starring with Clark Gable, in Red Dust (1932), Hold Your Man (1933), and China Seas (1935). She was also memorable in two 1936 movies, playing the misunderstood secretary in the comedy-drama Wife vs. Secretary, and as the fiancée of Spencer Tracy in the screwball comedy, Libeled Lady.
In 1937, while filming was being completed on Saratoga, the young actress was hospitalized for uremic poisoning, and died a short time later. Like her successor, Marilyn Monroe, there was more to Jean Harlow’s acting than sensuous looks and mannerisms.
The Ill-fated Carole Lombard ( 1908-1942)
Lombard began her movie career appearing in bit parts in the 1920s. Given bigger roles in early talkies, such as 1932’s A Man of Her Own (co-starring future husband Clark Gable), the young actress proved to be a capable dramatic actress. However, it was the screwball comedy Twentieth Century (1934), with John Barrymore, that made her a top Hollywood star.
Carole followed Twentieth Century with a string of successful comedies: Hands Across the Table (1935); the following year with My Man Godfrey (her only Oscar nominated role); Nothing Sacred (1937); and Mr. and Mrs. Smith (1941). Interspersed were good dramatic performances as In Name Only (1939) and Vigil in the Night (1940).
In 1942, shortly after completing the World War II satire To Be or Not to Be, Carole Lombard died in an airplane crash while returning from hosting a war bond rally in her native Indiana. The American Film Institute ranks her 23rd on its list of the greatest American female screen legends.
John K. Davis - John is a retired teacher/librarian and has also been doing freelance writing since the late 1970s. Over this period of time, he has had ...
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