Star of the Month: Jean Harlow

 

JEAN HARLOW

BIRTH: March 3, 1911

DEATH: June 7, 1937

AGED: 26 years

DIED FROM: Uremic poisoning/Kidney failure…Acute Nephritis which brought on a Cerebral Edema. 

REAL NAME: Harlean Carpenter- her star name is her mother’s maiden name

NICKNAMES: The Baby, Platinum Blonde, Blonde Bombshell

MARRIED: 3 times, once when 16, Paul Bern( murdered), Robert Rosson( famous cameraman who married her as a favour to quell all the gossip relating to Paul’s murder)

AFFAIRS: Gangster Abner Zwillman, Max Baer( boxer)

ENGAGED TO: William Powell ( he gave her a huge sapphire and diamond engagement r8ng which she wore in her films)

CHILDREN: nil

KNOWN FOR: Her Platinum hair ( everywhere)where many women died their hair like hers, Her sassiness, her friendship with Clark Gable who was the only one who called her “Sis.”

TALENT: Her self confident manner on screen. She wrote a book, “Today is Tonight” which was finally published in 1965

This girl packed a ton into her short life where, nowadays, we may not know her name since she died almost 90 years ago but we still see her pictures( usually by George Hurrell) in movies, tv and in many mall kiosks. The platinum blonde was overly doted on by her mother and even Harlow’s first name was a mashup of her mom’s name. Jean loved her dad but, when her parents divorced( not amicably), she ra4ely saw her dad. She eloped when she was a mere 16 years old to a wealthy man and, when he got his partial inheritance, these 2 kids had one hell of a great time drinking and partying. 

She was discovered by Howard Hughes who placed her in a starring role in his WW1 film, “Hell’s Angels” and she just took off from there. Her platinum hair( achieved by using bleach, chlorine and some other poison), over the top, pencil-thin eyebrows placed on her forehead where they would never grow, and her pale complexion was an explosion on the screen. Many women went to copy her look and there was even a competition to see who could copy Harlow’s hair..no one won. In later films, she softened her look but wears a wig because she destroyed her hair as did many of her fans. 

She was involved in a real-life murder mystery when her 2nd husband died. It was ruled a suicide and the claim was that his genitals were malformed- too small so he committed suicide. Sadly, this is what the studios put forth because they didn’t want “the Baby” to be negatively affected…aka, losing money. For decades, it was thought this nice man died by his own hand when he was, actually, shot in the back of his head. I read a book about his death and do believe, his first wife, left a mental institution and wanted to talk to her husband so Bern asked Harlow to leave. I believe his ex, ( might have still been married to her) shot him and, afterwards, threw herself into the river and drowned. 

Jean would live with her mom and her husband, a sleazy Lowe class mobster, Marino Bello who introduced Jean to some mobsters and was the godmother to Bugsy Siegel’s daughter. Jean adored her mom and her mom lived, vicariously, through her daughter’s fame. Jean would often be with much older men aka enter her great love, William Powell who was 45 when Jean died. He was devastated and made sure she was buried in lush surroundings meaning rare marble in a mausoleum. He made sure flowers were delivered to her grave every week until he died in 1984.

Everyone who met her seemed to like her and, even though, she was portrayed as a sassy harlot men enjoyed, women, also, loved her free spirit and how she didn’t take any guff from the men. She wore skin tight gowns, often in white, she died her pubic hair platinum (oh yes she did!) and would take ice to her nipples so it would show through her gown. She never wore underwear and slept in the nude, Will Hays must have been fuming smoke out of his censored head. She was great friends with Clark Gable who called her “Sis” and was her last co-star when she collapsed on set( he was, also, the last co-star to Marilyn Monroe who loved Jean Harlow). 

I have read many versions of what she died from, but it all seemed to affect her kidneys probably brought on by the Scarlet Fever she had when she was a teen plus all her drinking when she was a teen and in her early 20s. It was widely claimed her mom, who was a Christian Scientist, would not allow her to go to the doctor or hospital due to her religious convictions but, now, it’s said that she did go to the hospital after she collapsed on set of her last film, “Saratoga”. Her illness was too far advanced to save her and she died. Her funeral, run by MGM boss, Louis B Mayor, was a big showcase with Jeannette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy singing, “Sweet Mystery of Life”. William Powell had to be helped to the limo and Gable and Lombard were visibly upset. Nobody spoke in the commissary  which usually buzzed with chatter. 

It’s such a shame that this lovely girl, who made such an impact on film and in society that she would have been a great actress given the chance. We were robbed.

FILMS

1. Hell’s Angels-1930

2. The Public Enemy-1931

3. Platinum Blonde-1931

4. Red-Headed Woman-1932

5. Red Dust-1932

6. Dinner At Eight-1933

7. China Seas-1935

8. Wife Vs Secretary-1936

9. Libeled Lady-1936

10. Saratoga-1937 ( she died before it was completed, her stand-in completed it)