Edward Arnold shows Jean Arthur some “Easy Living”

Easy Living (1937) is an American screwball comedy film directed by Mitchell Leisen and starring Jean Arthur, Edward Arnold, and Ray Milland. The screenplay was written by Preston Sturges from a story by Vera Caspary (Laura). The supporting cast includes William Demarest, Franklin Pangborn, Luis Alberni, and Robert Greig.

On her way to work, Mary Smith (Arthur) is hit with a sable coat while riding in a double-decker bus. The coat was thrown off of the New York City penthouse by J.B. Ball (Arnold) during an argument with his wife. Little does Mary know how that sable coat will change her life, especially after she meets J.B. Ball Jr. (Milland), not knowing who he is.

Edward Arnold, Jean Arthur, and Ray Milland

Mitchell Leisen (1898 – 1972) was an American director who was one of Paramount Pictures most successful directors during the 1930s and 1940s. He directed Olivia de Havilland to her first Best Actress Oscar in To Each His Own (1946). He also directed Ginger Rogers in Lady in the Dark (1944), as wekk as the Christmas classic Remember the Night  (1940) starring Barbara Stanwyck and Fred MacMurray. Leisen’s last big movie success was the comedy The Mating Season (1951) starring Gene Tierney, John Lund, and Thelma Ritter in an Oscar-nominated performance.

Jean Arthur (1900 – 1991) was an American stage and film actress whose career spanned three decades. Arthur got her start in silent films but became a major star with the advent of sound. Her unique speaking voice made her a natural for comedy. She came to prominence with major roles in a series of films directed by Frank Capra: Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936), You Can’t Take it With You (1938), and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939). Other popular films Arthur starred in included Only Angels Have Wings (1939), The Talk of the Town (1942), The More the Merrier (1943). For her work in The More the Merrier, she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress, her only Academy Award nomination. Arthur’s last film role was in the western classic Shane (1953). After retiring from acting, she taught drama at Vassar College where one of her students was Meryl Streep.

Edward Arnold (1890 – 1956) was an American film and stage actor. Arnold started acting on the legitimate stage before finding work in film in 1916. He returned to the stage in 1919 and didn’t appear in film again until Okay America! (1932). In the early years of his film career, he played leading man roles but as he got older, he appeared in character roles and was never without work. He often worked on more than one picture at once. Some popular films that Arnold starred in include The Toast of New York (1937), You Can’t Take it With You (1938), Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), and Meet John Doe (1941).

Ray Milland (1907 – 1986) was a Welsh-American movie star and film director. He won a Best Actor Oscar for portraying an alcoholic writer in Billy Wilder’s The Lost Weekend (1945). Milland played bit parts at M-G-M and Paramount. While at Paramount, he was loaned to Universal to for a lead in the Deanna Durbin movie Three Smart Girls (1936). The success of the film led to him being cast in leading roles. He became one of Paramount’s biggest stars, remaining there for almost 20 years. Other films starring Milland include The Major and the Minor (1942), Reap the Wild Wind (1942) where he had top billing over John Wayne, the horror classic The Uninvited (1944), The Big Clock (1948), and Dial M for Murder (1954). Later in his career, he starred as Ryan O’Neal’s father in Love Story (1970).

 

Jean Arthur at the automat.

Easy Living trivia

• The furs and jewelry used in the film were real. Guards were posted during the shooting to ensure that none of the valuables were stolen.
• The $58,000 sable coat in 1937, would cost more than $1.18M today.
• This was the first film that Preston Sturges worked on at Paramount.
• Jean Arthur was almost seven years older than Ray Milland.

 

Click here to watch this film on YouTube.

 

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Discussion questions

1. What did you think of the character of J. B. Ball played by Edward Arnold?
2. Was Jean Arthur believable as a working-class young woman caught up in a scandal?
3. Were Ray Milland and Jean Arthur believable as a couple?
4. What did you think of the automat scene?
5. Did you have a favorite scene, piece of dialogue, or character actor?
6. How would you rank this screwball comedy? Is it in your top ten?