Known as the sex symbol of the 30's, it was Jean that originally sparked the term "Blonde Bombshell". She was very talented at playing the sensual magnetic siren and also had quite a knack for sassy comedic acting. She was in many films including :
The Secret Six, The Public Enemy, Iron Man, Platinum Blonde, Goldie, The Beast of the City, Red-headed Woman, Red Dust, Hold Your Man, Dinner at Eight, Bombshell, The Girl from Missouri, Reckless, China Seas, Riff Raff, Wife vs Secretary, Suzi, Libeled Lady ,Personal Property.
Her final movie was Saratoga in which she died of Kidney Failure during filming. Strangely it had to be finished with a body double without showing their face to please her adoring fans who wrote thousands of distaught letters begging the film makers to complete the movie so they could see their beloved Jean one last time. Saratoga became the highest grossing film of 1937 and set all-time house records.
Hard to believe she did so much before she died at 26! And to think that these days kidney failure could be cured, that makes it even more tragic. Also it was rumoured that her mother wouldn't allow doctors to treat her when she was ill as her mum was a Christian Scientist, who don't believe in medicine only prayer, though it was proved to be untrue.
Some interesting facts about Miss Harlow:
Her nickname was The Baby.
She never wore any underwear and always slept in the nude.
First actress to get on the cover of LIFE mag in 1937.
She turned down lead roles in both Freaks (1932) and King Kong (1933)
She was photographed in the nudie at the tender age of 17! By a Hollywood photographer in a park.
She wrote a book in 1934 called "Today is Tonight", which wasn't published untill long after her death in 1965. Anyone read this? I'm quite curious and hope to snag a copy one day.
She'd rub ice on her nipples before a scene to look sexier!
Her fav brand of cigerette: Fatima.
The only colour film of Jean is in the movie Hell's Angels (1930) in an expensive eight-minute two-color Technicolor sequence .
She was Marilyn Monroe's Idol and also they were both in their last films with Clark Gable... spooky!
she held the famous doggie actor Rin Tin Tin in her arms as he died.
She was very superstitious, always wearing her lucky ankle chain on her left leg and a lucky mirror which she looked into before leaving her dressing room, always.
To keep her famous sexy figure she had a strict diet of mostly vegies and salad.
Her real name is Harlean Carpenter, Jean Harlow is her mothers name.
She was marriaged 3 times, the first when she was still a teenager, and she was engaged to actor William Powell when she died, they had been engaged for 2 years but they couldn't marry as MGM wouldn't approve.
On the eve of 1933 April 6th when Prohibition was to be made offically over and booze once again legal on the strike of Midnight, Jean was at a Los Angelos Brewing Co to christen the first truck delivery leaving the brewery and then stayed to party with a factory employees, woohoo!
She was buried in a beautiful translucent gown that she wore on screen in a scene depicting her laying down ill.
she started a trend, fans started to dye their hair platinum blonde to match her famous lightened locks.
Also her pale and shimmering aesthetic started a trend of silky white on white outfits and interiors.
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