Jean Arthur was very much like Garbo in that she was not a big participant in the hoopla of celebrity, mostly publicity shy and wasn’t a big signer of autographs.  The difference between Garbo and Jean Arthur, is that I DID get a response from the latter.  Here’s the scoop on Jean Arthur and a few of her cronies.

At the time that I wrote to Jean Arthur, the only reason I did so is because I had this nice pre-print autograph 5x7 photo and some other nice pix, as shown here.  (P.S. That pre-printed 5x7 is often sold as “authentic” on eBay – or even acknowledged as a pre-print, commands $50 or more).  Anyhoo … I write to Miss Jean Arthur, not having any clue who she really is and not having seen any of her movies at that time.  I just knew she was a star from the Golden Age of Hollywood.  I sent a letter, photos and an SASE with a return receipt, signature requested.  That’s how I got the purple pen autograph on the green postal receipt.  As you can see, I got a beautiful handwritten letter from her caretaker saying that Jean could not sign my photos and was 100 years old!  How she signed the return receipt is a mystery because that IS her signature. 

Bonus: I was able to snap up this vintage signed 8x10 of Jean from an eBay seller that just didn’t know what he had!  It was a bargain, since her authentically signed items are rare and can sell for over $500.

It wasn’t until years after writing her that I saw my first Jean Arthur picture, “A Foreign Affair”, primarily because I was on a Marlene Dietrich kick.  Jean was marvelous in this picture, holding her own against Dietrich, by playing a subdued, sexually repressed but curious congresswoman.  Marlene is constantly jibing Jean’s character with lines like “What have you got in your hair … shoelaces?”, “That’s a lovely dress, but haven’t you gotten it on backwards?” and querying about Jean and John Lund “You hold hands?”.  I’m paraphrasing a bit, but the lines are hilarious, Marlene is always magnificent in her delivery, but Jean Arthur’s reactions are priceless and sometimes scene-stealing.  I’ve loved Jean ever since seeing that movie.

Check out this great video review and essay on the film - BeKindRewind is always so good with quality clips and overviews of films:

And while we’re on “A Foreign Affair”, I’ll share my two autographs of co-star John Lund – the guy Jean Arthur and Marlene Dietrich were “fighting over”.  Um. Ok.  He was serviceable in the role, and sometimes charming, but the ladies stole the film.  To me, John Lund was the almost-star mild leading man or cast member that was overshined by his co-stars.  Example: “Perils of Pauline” with Betty Hutton; she WIPED him off the screen (but she did that with a lot of people.  Living John Lund relatives don’t come for me.  He was “nice” on screen, and it’s “nice” that I have these two vintage small photo and postcard signed by him.

As for Marlene … whew … I’ve got A LOT to say and show about her separately.  Oh the autographs she would send me!!!

On to “Shane”.  This was a big movie for both Jean Arthur and Alan Ladd.  (It was Jean’s final film and her only one in color.)  Now, I like Alan Ladd a lot - primarily for co-starring with Veronica Lake and their fantastic chemistry.  Veronica is on my most-wanted autograph list.  Ladd however was a generous signer and readily available at a good price for Golden Age collectors.  As you can see, I’ve got some nice shots of him here.  None specifically from a Lake-Ladd film (I don’t think) but a couple of them are close to that film noir look that I like so much.  But here’s the thing with Alan Ladd – apparently, he was a prima-donna-el-serioso.  There are so many biographies or stories about his on-set tantrums, demands and antics.  I think it was Loretta Young who said something like “anytime Alan was dissatisfied with something, filming would stop, and they’d have to call in his wife/manager”.  I don’t know how I feel about Ladd’s behavior.  Here’s a pint-sized guy holding up shooting for whatever reason (bad lighting, smaller or further dressing room than the leading lady or some other perceived slight) that calls his WIFE to come and fix the problem.  Part of me is like WTF gurrrrl, another part of me giggles at his fussiness and still another part says “good for him – that’s what she’s getting paid for” HA!

“She” by the way was Sue Carol.  Although Sue was later primarily known as Alan Ladd’s wife and a talent manager, she was on MY radar since I was a teenager for being a silent star covered in one of Richard Lamparski’s books.   A WAMPAS baby star from 1928, she was in some movies that I’ve never seen.  But I was always fascinated by silent stars, primarily their fantastic fan photos.  So ultimately, I got one signed by Sue Carol.  It’s a fun one because it’s signed Sue Carol Ladd.  He relied on her to do his dirty work and she relied on him to lend some star sheen.  “It takes two to make a thing go right.”

BUT …what I really want to know of the Sue Carol story is how she got along with her daughter-in-law???  Sue Carol was alive during the marriage AND divorce of her son to Cheryl Ladd.  I need deets.  What was that mother-in-law relationship like???  Cheryl, please contact me.  (More on Cheryl separately.  My uncle had a connection to her when she was still Cheryl Jean Stoppelmoor and I got an autograph (through him) of Cheryl BEFORE she became a big star. Sorry.  As Gregg would say: “Lord, I was born a ramblin’ man”

Jean Arthur closeout:  I need to watch more of her movies, and I so badly want to see/find her 1966 eponymous TV series – the last thing she did before her peace out in Carmel.

Wikipedia – thank you for this: “As well as recoiling from interviews, after a certain age, she avoided photographers and refused to become a part of any kind of publicity.”  Recoiling is certainly a vivid descriptor!

You better respect.