Jean Harlow

Personal Info

Known For

Acting

Known Credits

79

Gender

Female

Birthday

1911-03-03

Day of death

1937-06-07 (26 years old)

Place of Birth

Kansas City, Missouri, USA

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

  • Intimate Portrait

    Intimate Portrait

  • Reckless

    Reckless

  • Iron Man

    Iron Man

  • Riffraff

    Riffraff

  • Bombshell

    Bombshell

  • Liberty

    Liberty

  • Goldie

    Goldie

  • Libeled Lady

    Libeled Lady

  • Betty Boop: Queen of the Cartoons

    Betty Boop: Queen of the Cartoons

  • Hell's Angels

    Hell's Angels

  • Bacon Grabbers

    Bacon Grabbers

  • Jean Harlow: Platinum Bombshell

    Jean Harlow: Platinum Bombshell

  • MGM Parade

    MGM Parade

  • Double Whoopee

    Double Whoopee

  • That's Entertainment! III

    That's Entertainment! III

  • Scarface

    Scarface

  • Masquerade

    Masquerade

  • Suzy

    Suzy

  • New York Nights

    New York Nights

  • Red-Headed Woman

    Red-Headed Woman

  • Judy Garland: By Myself

    Judy Garland: By Myself

  • That's Entertainment!

    That's Entertainment!

  • Beau Hunks

    Beau Hunks

  • James Stewart: A Wonderful Life

    James Stewart: A Wonderful Life

  • Los Angeles Plays Itself

    Los Angeles Plays Itself

  • Close Harmony

    Close Harmony

  • Honor Bound

    Honor Bound

  • Clara Bow: Discovering the It Girl

    Clara Bow: Discovering the It Girl

  • Chasing Husbands

    Chasing Husbands

  • The Unkissed Man

    The Unkissed Man

  • The Public Enemy

    The Public Enemy

  • Wife vs. Secretary

    Wife vs. Secretary

  • Platinum Blonde

    Platinum Blonde

  • Dinner at Eight

    Dinner at Eight

  • China Seas

    China Seas

  • Saratoga

    Saratoga

  • Red Dust

    Red Dust

  • Dream Girl: The Making of Marilyn Monroe

    Dream Girl: The Making of Marilyn Monroe

  • The Big Parade of Comedy

    The Big Parade of Comedy

  • Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage

    Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage

  • Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?

    Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?

  • Hollywood: The Dream Factory

    Hollywood: The Dream Factory

  • Why Be Good?: Sexuality & Censorship in Early Cinema

    Why Be Good?: Sexuality & Censorship in Early Cinema

  • The Golden Age of Comedy

    The Golden Age of Comedy

  • Paris Hilton, Inc.

    Paris Hilton, Inc.

  • The Beast of the City

    The Beast of the City

  • Going Hollywood: The '30s

    Going Hollywood: The '30s

  • Discovering Jean Harlow

    Discovering Jean Harlow

  • Hollywood Scandals and Tragedies

    Hollywood Scandals and Tragedies

  • That's Entertainment, Part II

    That's Entertainment, Part II

  • Complicated Women

    Complicated Women

  • Hold Your Man

    Hold Your Man

  • Checking Out: Grand Hotel

    Checking Out: Grand Hotel

  • Thou Shalt Not: Sex, Sin and Censorship in Pre-Code Hollywood

    Thou Shalt Not: Sex, Sin and Censorship in Pre-Code Hollywood

  • The Girl from Missouri

    The Girl from Missouri

  • Personal Property

    Personal Property

  • Screen Snapshots (Series 22, No. 10)

    Screen Snapshots (Series 22, No. 10)

  • Sports on the Silver Screen

    Sports on the Silver Screen

  • The Secret Six

    The Secret Six

  • Howard Hughes: His Women and His Movies

    Howard Hughes: His Women and His Movies

  • The Spencer Tracy Legacy: A Tribute by Katharine Hepburn

    The Spencer Tracy Legacy: A Tribute by Katharine Hepburn

  • The Love Parade

    The Love Parade

  • Why Be Good?

    Why Be Good?

  • 42nd Street: From Book to Screen to Stage

    42nd Street: From Book to Screen to Stage

  • Fugitives

    Fugitives

  • Beer and Blood: Enemies of the Public

    Beer and Blood: Enemies of the Public

  • Why Is a Plumber?

    Why Is a Plumber?

  • Three Wise Girls

    Three Wise Girls

  • The Love Story of Jean Harlow and William Powell

    The Love Story of Jean Harlow and William Powell

  • This Thing Called Love

    This Thing Called Love

  • Screen Snapshots (Series 25, No. 1): 25th Anniversary

    Screen Snapshots (Series 25, No. 1): 25th Anniversary

  • The Saturday Night Kid

    The Saturday Night Kid

  • Hollywood on Parade No. A-12

    Hollywood on Parade No. A-12

  • Thundering Toupees

    Thundering Toupees

  • Moran of the Marines

    Moran of the Marines

  • Voice of Hollywood (Series 2, No. 3)

    Voice of Hollywood (Series 2, No. 3)

  • Death Scenes

    Death Scenes

  • The Further Perils of Laurel and Hardy

    The Further Perils of Laurel and Hardy

  • Weak But Willing

    Weak But Willing