Jean Harlow
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
Self (archive footage)
Beer and Blood: Enemies of the Public
Daisy Stevens, aka Mildred Beaumont
The Beast of the City
Helen
Hell's Angels
Gladys Benton
Libeled Lady
Ann Schuyler
Platinum Blonde
Anne Courtland
The Secret Six
Lola Burns
Bombshell
Crystal Wetherby
Personal Property
Vantine Jefferson
Red Dust
Carol Clayton
Saratoga
Helen 'Whitey' Wilson
Wife vs. Secretary
Kitty Packard
Dinner at Eight
The Further Perils of Laurel and Hardy
Gwen Allen
The Public Enemy
Woman in cab (as Harlean Carpenter)
Liberty
Swanky blonde
Double Whoopee
Mrs. Kennedy
Bacon Grabbers
Suzy
Suzy
Mona Leslie
Reckless
Dolly 'China Doll' Portland
China Seas
Gwen Allen in The Public Enemy (archive footage)
Los Angeles Plays Itself
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage
Ruby Adams
Hold Your Man
Self (archive footage)
Marilyn Monroe, La Célébrité à tout prix
Lillian 'Lil' / 'Red' Andrews Legendre
Red-Headed Woman
Hattie
Riffraff
Eadie
The Girl from Missouri
Self (archive footage)
Hollywood: The Dream Factory
Various Roles (archive footage)
Thou Shalt Not: Sex, Sin and Censorship in Pre-Code Hollywood
Party Guest
New York Nights
Hazel
The Saturday Night Kid
Self (archive footage)
Harlow: The Blonde Bombshell
Rose Mason
Iron Man
Self (archive footage)
Girl 27
Self (archive footage)
Howard Hughes: His Women and His Movies
Self (from The Saturday Night Kid [1929]) (archive footage)
Clara Bow: Discovering the It Girl
Chorus Girl
Close Harmony
Self (archive footage)
Betty Boop: Queen of the Cartoons
Self (archive footage)
Marilyn Monroe: Beyond the Legend
Cassie Barnes
Three Wise Girls
Self (archive footage)
Screen Snapshots (Series 22, No. 10)
Self (archive footage)
Screen Snapshots (Series 25, No. 1): 25th Anniversary
Goldie
Goldie
Self (archive footage)
Checking Out: Grand Hotel
Self (archive footage)
42nd Street: From Book to Screen to Stage
Self (archive footage)
Paris Hilton, Inc.
Self (archive footage)
Discovering Jean Harlow
(archive footage)
Going Hollywood: The '30s
Self (archive footage)
Sports on the Silver Screen
'Dinner at Eight' (archive footage) (uncredited)
Hollywood: The Selznick Years
(archive footage)
Hollywood's Hidden Secrets
Blonde on Rooftop Bench at Junior's Second Party
Why Be Good?
(archive footage)
That's Entertainment!
Blonde at Paradise Club
Scarface
Ruby in 'Hold Your Man' (archive footage)
The Big Parade of Comedy
(archive footage)
That's Entertainment! III
Self
Voice of Hollywood (Series 2, No. 3)
Woman in Opera Box
The Love Parade
Self (archive footage)
Judy Garland: By Myself
Self (archive footage)
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
Self (archive footage)
Complicated Women
(archive footage)
That's Entertainment, Part II
Self (archive footage)
The Spencer Tracy Legacy: A Tribute by Katharine Hepburn
Self (archive footage)
The Good, The Bad, and the Beautiful
Self (archive footage)
Why Be Good?: Sexuality & Censorship in Early Cinema
Self (archive footage)
James Stewart: A Wonderful Life
archive footage
The Golden Age of Comedy
Why Is a Plumber?
Patient
The Unkissed Man
Extra (uncredited)
Moran of the Marines
Spectator
Masquerade
Bathing Beauty (uncredited)
Chasing Husbands
Extra (uncredited)
Fugitives
Blonde Night Club Patron
Weak But Willing
Jeanie Weenie - in Photo
Beau Hunks
Thundering Toupees
Extra
Honor Bound
Extra
This Thing Called Love
Self (archive footage)
Platinum Bombshell
self
The Love Story of Jean Harlow and William Powell
Death Scenes
(archive footage)
Death In Hollywood
Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Known Credits
82
Gender
Female
Birthday
1911-03-03
Place of Birth
Kansas City, Missouri, USA
Also Known As
Harlean Harlow Carpenter