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Biography
Harlean Carpentier, who was later to become Jean Harlow, was born
in Kansas City, Missouri on March 3, 1911. She was the daughter of
a successful dentist and his wife. In 1927, at the age of 16, Jean
ran away from home and married a young business man named Charles
McGrew who was 23. The couple pulled up stakes and moved to Los
Angeles, California not long after they were wedded and it was
there Jean found work as an extra in films. In 1928, Jean had a bit
part in the film MORAN OF THE MARINES. From that point on she would
try to find casting calls whenever she could. In 1929, Jean had bit
parts in no less than eleven movies. She played everything from a
passing woman on the street to a winged ballerina. The marriage she
had with McGrew turned out to be a disaster, so she divorced him.
The union lasted barely two years. The divorce enabled Jean to put
more of her efforts into finding roles in the film world. While
Jean was having trouble finding roles in feature movies, she had
more luck in film shorts. She had a fairly prominent role in Hal
Roach's film short, DOUBLE WHOOPEE in 1928, with the famed Laurel
and Hardy comedy team. Jean's big break came in 1930, when Howard
Hughes was involved in a remake of his World War I epic, HELL'S
ANGELS. It was the appearance of Jean that helped the movie to
become a big smash. Not long after the film's debut, Hughes sold
her contract to MGM, for $60, 000, where her career took off to
unprecedented heights. In 1931, Jean's appearance in PLATINUM
BLONDE solidified her role as America's new sex symbol. 1932 saw
Jean paired with Clark Gable for the filming of RED DUST. It would
be the second of six films with the dashing Mr. Gable the first
being THE SECRET SIX in 1931. During the filming which took 44 days
to complete at a cost of $408, 000, word came that Jean's new
husband, Paul Bern, had committed suicide. The death of Bern
threatened production. Louis B. Mayer had even contacted Tallulah
Bankhead to replace Jean if she were unable to continue. However,
it proved to be unnecessary. The film was released late in 1932 and
immediately became a hit. She was becoming a superstar. In DINNER
AT EIGHT (1933) Jean was at her comedic best as the wife of a
business tycoon (Wallace Beery) trying to take over another man's
failing business played by Lionel Barrymore. Later that year Jean
portrayed Lola Burns in Victor Fleming's hit BOMBSHELL. It was a
Hollywood parody loosely based on Jean's real life experience,
right down to her greedy stepfather. Later in '33 Jean married Hal
Rossen in a union that would only last eight months. In 1935, Jean
was again teamed with Clark Gable for the production of CHINA SEAS.
The other two were WIFE VS SECRETARY (1936) and SARATOGA (1937). It
was her films with Gable that created her lasting legacy in the
film world. Unfortunately, during the filming of SARATOGA, Jean was
hospitalized for uremic poisoning. On June 7, 1937, Jean died from
the disease. She was only 26. The film had to be finished by long
angle shots using a double. Gable said he felt like he was in the
arms of a ghost during the final touches of the film. Because of
the death of Jean, the film was a hit. Record numbers of fans
poured into America's movie theater's to see the film. Other sex
symbols/blonde bombshells have followed, but it is Jean Harlow who
all are measured up to and that includes, yes, even Marilyn Monroe.
Biography courtesy of the Internet Movie Database (www.imdb.com).
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Jean Harlow
