HAPPY EASTER . . . FROM JEAN ARTHUR.

Just wanted to take this opportunity to wish you all a Happy Easter. Remember the colour of the chocolate bunny is meant to represent to colour of the cross upon which our Lord was. . . .well, Happy Easter anyway.

And ain't that Jean Arthur the tops?!?!?!? Don't you just love her. Since she was notoriously publicity shy, one wonders when (and HOW) she was talked into posing for this little piece of fluff. Here's a trivia question: who said (and in what movie) "I'm hard to get. All you have to do is ask". Well, most people would say Lauren Bacall but they'd be wrong; cuz before her Jean Arthur said it to Cary Grant in "Only Angels Have Wings". And (if I may say so) she gave it a more heartfelt, powerful reading than Betty Bacall's tough-as-nails approach. Director Howard Hawks was known for recycling good bits of business in his later films and this line was reused in a few of his movies.

"Only Angels Have Wings" has turned out to be one of my favourite movies which is a total surprise to me since I never had ANY interest in seeing it. Sure, it had Cary Grant, Jean Arthur, Rita Hayworth, Thomas Mitchell etc. but . . . a movie about airplane flyers?!?!?!?! Nope, not interested. Until, of course, I was forced into buying it in a Cary Grant DVD box set which included other movies I REALLY wanted. So, once I watched them I figured hey what the hell I own it anyway so I might as well watch the damn thing. And let me tell you it was tremendous. The entire cast was excellent and the direction is top notch; I actually found myself riveted during some scenes. Who knew?!?

But back to Jean Arthur. What a terrific dame. Frank Capra (NOT the Weevil) said she was his favourite actress and I can see why. She was never anything but excellent (of course, so was Cary Grant but we'll save him for ANOTHER blog). She certainly could act but, besides that, she had one of the best voices ever. That voice is hard to describe; it's almost squeaky and husky at the same time. She was also one of the most down-to-earth, natural, unmannered actresses in Hollywood; and she was equally adept at serious roles or comedy. Jean Arthur had an acting style which didn't seem to be a "style" at all; it seemed effortless and laid-back. I'd even go so far as to describe her as a sort-of female Dean Martin; you know, breezy and unpretentious with a little bit of mischief once in a while. Her little Easter photo up there gave me the perfect opportunity to talk about her. And now I have. Now go watch a Jean Arthur movie!