Jean Harlow
Acting
- Born:
- 1911-03-03
- Died:
- 1937-06-07
- Place of birth:
- Kansas City, Missouri, USA
Biography
Jean Harlow (born Harlean Harlow Carpenter; March 3, 1911 – June 7, 1937) was an American actress. Known for her portrayal of "bad girl" characters, she was the leading sex symbol of the early 1930s and one of the defining figures of the pre-Code era of American cinema. Often nicknamed the "Blonde Bombshell" and the "Platinum Blonde", Harlow was popular for her "Laughing Vamp" screen persona. Though her screen persona changed dramatically during her career, one constant was her sense of humor. She was given superior movie roles to show off her looks and nascent comedic talent. Harlow was in the film industry for only nine years, but she became one of the biggest stars in the US, whose image in the public eye has endured. Harlow was consistently voted one of the strongest box office draws in the United States from 1933 onward, often surpassing that of MGM's top leading ladies, such as Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford and Norma Shearer. Her movies also continued to make huge profits at the box office even during the middle of the Depression. In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked Harlow No. 22 on its greatest female screen legends of classical Hollywood cinema list.
Known For
Filmography
The Love Story of Jean Harlow and William Powell
Becoming Marilyn
Jay Sebring… Cutting to the Truth
Discovering Jean Harlow
Thou Shalt Not: Sex, Sin and Censorship in Pre-Code Hollywood
Why Be Good?: Sexuality & Censorship in Early Cinema
42nd Street: From Book to Screen to Stage
Beer and Blood: Enemies of the Public
Judy Garland: By Myself
Checking Out: Grand Hotel
Complicated Women
Beyond Tara: The Extraordinary Life of Hattie McDaniel
Howard Hughes: His Women and His Movies
Clara Bow: Discovering the "It" Girl
Sports on the Silver Screen
Jean Harlow: Platinum Bombshell
The Good, The Bad, and the Beautiful
Legends in Light: The Photography of George Hurrell
Betty Boop: Queen of the Cartoons
The Casting Couch
That's Entertainment! III
Intimate Portrait
Death In Hollywood
Two Tragic Blondes - Marilyn Monroe And Jean Harlow
Death Scenes
Hollywood Scandals and Tragedies
James Stewart: A Wonderful Life
Marilyn Monroe: Beyond the Legend
The Spencer Tracy Legacy: A Tribute by Katharine Hepburn
Marilyn Monroe
Going Hollywood: The '30s
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage
That's Entertainment, Part II
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
That's Entertainment!
Hollywood: The Dream Factory
The Further Perils of Laurel and Hardy
The Big Parade of Comedy
Hollywood: The Selznick Years
The Golden Age of Comedy
MGM Parade
Screen Snapshots (Series 25, No. 1): 25th Anniversary
Screen Snapshots (Series 22, No. 10)
Saratoga
Personal Property
Libeled Lady
Suzy
Wife vs. Secretary
Riffraff
China Seas
Reckless
The Girl from Missouri
Dinner at Eight
Bombshell
Hold Your Man
Hollywood on Parade No. A-12
Red Dust
Red-Headed Woman
Scarface
The Beast of the City
Three Wise Girls
Voice of Hollywood (Series 2, No. 3)
Beau Hunks
Platinum Blonde
Goldie
Iron Man
The Public Enemy
The Secret Six
Hell's Angels
New York Nights
Weak But Willing
This Thing Called Love
The Love Parade
The Saturday Night Kid
Bacon Grabbers
Masquerade
Thundering Toupees
Double Whoopee
The Unkissed Man
Close Harmony
Why Is a Plumber?
Why Be Good?
Fugitives
Liberty
Chasing Husbands
Moran of the Marines
Honor Bound