Jean Harlow
Acting • Born 1911-03-03 – Died 1937-06-07
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.
Filmography
80 credits
Beer and Blood: Enemies of the Public
Movie • 2005
Self (archive footage)
The Beast of the City
Movie • 1932
Daisy Stevens aka Mildred Beaumont
Hell's Angels
Movie • 1930
Helen
Libeled Lady
Movie • 1936
Gladys Benton
Platinum Blonde
Movie • 1931
Ann Schuyler
The Secret Six
Movie • 1931
Anne Courtland
Bombshell
Movie • 1933
Lola Burns
Personal Property
Movie • 1937
Crystal Wetherby
Red Dust
Movie • 1932
Vantine Jefferson
Saratoga
Movie • 1937
Carol Clayton
Wife vs. Secretary
Movie • 1936
Helen 'Whitey' Wilson
Dinner at Eight
Movie • 1933
Kitty Packard
The Further Perils of Laurel and Hardy
Movie • 1967
The Public Enemy
Movie • 1931
Gwen Allen
Liberty
Movie • 1929
Woman in cab (as Harlean Carpenter)
Double Whoopee
Movie • 1929
Swanky blonde
Bacon Grabbers
Movie • 1929
Mrs. Kennedy
Suzy
Movie • 1936
Suzy
Reckless
Movie • 1935
Mona Leslie
China Seas
Movie • 1935
Dolly 'China Doll' Portland
Los Angeles Plays Itself
Movie • 2004
Gwen Allen in The Public Enemy (archive footage)
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage
Movie • 1983
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Hold Your Man
Movie • 1933
Ruby Adams
Red-Headed Woman
Movie • 1932
Lillian 'Lil' / 'Red' Andrews Legendre
The Girl from Missouri
Movie • 1934
Eadie
Riffraff
Movie • 1936
Hattie
Hollywood: The Dream Factory
Movie • 1972
Self (archive footage)
Thou Shalt Not: Sex, Sin and Censorship in Pre-Code Hollywood
Movie • 2008
Various Roles (archive footage)
New York Nights
Movie • 1929
Party Guest
The Saturday Night Kid
Movie • 1929
Hazel
Iron Man
Movie • 1931
Rose Mason
Close Harmony
Movie • 1929
Chorus Girl
Howard Hughes: His Women and His Movies
Movie • 2000
Self (archive footage)
Clara Bow: Discovering the "It" Girl
Movie • 1999
Self (from The Saturday Night Kid [1929]) (archive footage)
Betty Boop: Queen of the Cartoons
Movie • 1995
Self (archive footage)
Three Wise Girls
Movie • 1932
Cassie Barnes
Screen Snapshots (Series 25, No. 1): 25th Anniversary
Movie • 1945
Self (archive footage)
Screen Snapshots (Series 22, No. 10)
Movie • 1942
Self (archive footage)
Goldie
Movie • 1931
Goldie
Checking Out: Grand Hotel
Movie • 2004
Self (archive footage)
42nd Street: From Book to Screen to Stage
Movie • 2006
Self (archive footage)
Discovering Jean Harlow
Movie • 2015
Self (archive footage)
Going Hollywood: The '30s
Movie • 1984
(archive footage)
Sports on the Silver Screen
Movie • 1997
Self (archive footage)
Why Be Good?
Movie • 1929
Blonde on Rooftop Bench at Junior's Second Party
That's Entertainment!
Movie • 1974
(archive footage)
Scarface
Movie • 1932
Blonde at Paradise Club
The Big Parade of Comedy
Movie • 1964
Ruby in 'Hold Your Man' (archive footage)
That's Entertainment! III
Movie • 1994
(archive footage)
Voice of Hollywood (Series 2, No. 3)
Movie • 1931
Self
The Love Parade
Movie • 1930
Woman in Opera Box (uncredited)
Judy Garland: By Myself
Movie • 2004
Self (archive footage)
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
Movie • 1975
Self (archive footage)
Complicated Women
Movie • 2003
Self (archive footage)
That's Entertainment, Part II
Movie • 1976
(archive footage)
The Spencer Tracy Legacy: A Tribute by Katharine Hepburn
Movie • 1986
Self (archive footage)
Why Be Good?: Sexuality & Censorship in Early Cinema
Movie • 2007
Self (archive footage)
James Stewart: A Wonderful Life
Movie • 1987
Self (archive footage)
The Golden Age of Comedy
Movie • 1957
archive footage
Honor Bound
Movie • 1928
Extra
Moran of the Marines
Movie • 1928
Extra (uncredited)
Chasing Husbands
Movie • 1928
Bathing Beauty (uncredited)
Fugitives
Movie • 1929
Extra (uncredited)
Why Is a Plumber?
Movie • 1929
The Unkissed Man
Movie • 1929
Patient
Thundering Toupees
Movie • 1929
Masquerade
Movie • 1929
Spectator
This Thing Called Love
Movie • 1929
Extra
Weak But Willing
Movie • 1929
Blonde Night Club Patron
Beau Hunks
Movie • 1931
Jeanie Weenie - in Photo
Jean Harlow: Platinum Bombshell
Movie • 1996
Self (archive footage)
The Love Story of Jean Harlow and William Powell
Movie • 2023
Self (archive footage)
Death Scenes
Movie • 1989
Self (archive footage)
Hollywood Scandals and Tragedies
Movie • 1988
Dream Girl: The Making of Marilyn Monroe
Movie • 2022
Hollywood on Parade No. A-12
Movie • 1933
Self
Becoming Marilyn
Movie • 2022
The Mystery of Marilyn Monroe: The Unheard Tapes
Movie • 2022
Intimate Portrait
TV • 1993
Self
MGM Parade
TV • 1955
Self