Jean Harlow

[Amberlights]

In the early '90s my friend and I snuck into the tomb. It was a weekday, and pretty empty. my friend used his credit card to pick the lock on the gate at the end of the corridor. It's only about waist high anyway. I made it down that hallway and even had my picture taken right in front of her tomb. We got out just in time, as the woman who worked there came tearing around the corner as if she suspected something. The great Marie Dressler is right across from Jean.

They are strangely uptight like that. A guy I took to Forest Lawn several years ago, he stepped over the gate in the Main Mausoleum to try to find Clark Gable's crypt. I didn't go with him, I was afraid of getting in trouble. Anyway, he never found Gable.

I've been able to come across a few famous graves in the Freedom Mausoleum, like a couple of Marx Bros. & Larry of the Three Stooges. I've also seen director Vincente Minnelli's grave, & Errol Flynn's. I think I passed the small area where Walt Disney is, & passed Spencer Tracey's, who's in the same garden area as Flynn.
I've accidentally come across the headstones of L.Frank Baum (wrote Wizard of Oz) & Jean Hersholt, all at Forest Lawn. The graves outside are easier to come across than the "policed" mausoleums. I just find on my own & try to be discreet about it. Of course, they won't tell where a star is buried.

[hoorayforhollywood]

I think Harlow's mother was quite an interesting subject too....in the Irving Shulman book (which was mainly lies, although there were probably grains of truth woven in), he says her mother would actually "visit" Jean's clothes after she died at the Bekins warehouse where they were stored, talking to them, straightening them, etc. This apparently came from a friend of the family who knew her mother and would go with her. That has somewhat the ring of truth....terribly sad. She's portrayed as the ultimate stage mother, but maybe she just wanted the best for her daughter and knew she had talent. But when she died, "Momma Jean" was left with nothing. Apparently her home was filled with photos, like a shrine. And I've always wondered if she didn't actually commit suicide rather than die of a heart attack, because she died within 2-3 days of the anniversary of Harlow's death. Rather strange coincidence, but possible......or maybe the nearing date of such a sad and tormented anniversary brought on her heart attack? I do feel sorry for the lady even though she's usually not painted in the most flattering light by most biographers. Maybe somebody needs to write a "Momma Jean: The Truth" bio LOL.....

[1karenhb]

I hate Forrest Lawn! I have always respected celebrity grave sites that I have visited. Years ago I was carrying a small book of grave sites as I entered a masoleum and was told by a guard I would have to leave the book with him until I left the building. He was very rude. Meanwhile, all over the cemetery there were statues and benches with signs saying that for only $10,000 or $15,000 or whatever, you could have the item placed at your loved one's final resting place. To me that is crass and very disrespectful!!! I did sneak down a ropped off hallway once and see Clark Gable and Carole Lombard. Especially with the long dead stars with no immediate family left, what is the problem????

[1karenhb]

Regarding Jean Harlow's death. The book I read years ago said her mother was a Christian Scientist (they don't believe in doctors) and it was the studio that finally insisted she be taken to the hospital.

[HARLOWNUMBER1]

Regarding Jean Harlow's death. The book I read years ago said her mother was a Christian Scientist (they don't believe in doctors) and it was the studio that finally insisted she be taken to the hospital.

This is NOT true.

Please see post #38.

[HARLOWNUMBER1]

Seriously,

I really REALLY wish people would stop referencing that god-awful Irv Shulman book on Harlow's life. It is considered one of the worst celebrity bios ever penned. Shulman even supplied many of the people in the book with fictional dialogue (For example, Jean Harlow's mother was never referred to by anyone as "Momma Jean" but "Mother Jean"). Not a single footnote, just page after page of trash talk and fabricated stories. Shulman's "Harlow" bore little resemblence to the actual Jean Harlow. If you believe that Harlow was a talentless foul-mouthed tramp, then this is the book for you...just remember that it runs in the face of some pretty contradictory & compelling evidence (like everyone who knew and worked with her). Shulman's objective for writing this "bio" was simply to move millions of books. In the end, he did, and sadly at the expense of the reputation of Jean Harlow.


If anyone is interested in an accurate account of Harlow's brief life, please read David Stenn's Bombshell: The Life & Death of Jean Harlow. It took a diligent researcher like Stenn to restore some dignity to Jean Harlow's legacy after Shulman had trashed it in the mid 1960's. I believe that Stenn actually got to meet/speak with Shulman and the man had little remorse for what he had done. In the end, the book was a great success and that's all that mattered, NOT truth.

[lisaburks]

I've visited Jean's crypt many times. Here's an editorial I wrote about it to commemorate the 70th anniversary of her death this year:

http://lisaburks.typepad.com/jeanhar...s_of_the_.html

I have more photos and have written about this before, will have to dig up the links and post later.

Recently, I learned from a verifiable source that Mother Jean's unmarked crypt in the Harlow room is the bottom one, per Forest Lawn records. The top crypt is empty.

Thanks to the person who linked to Mother Jean's FAG page. I've submitted it for "famous" a couple times since writing it, and it has been rejected each time:
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg...&GRid=7989313&

Marino's page and grave location is:
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg...974&GRid=8601&

Here's a virtual cemetery I started, of Harlow-related people, which also may be of interest:
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg...sr&GSvcid=2779

KUDOS to my wonderful friend Scott for adding this discussion forum to his already incredibly fun and informative website. Who knew the FAD could get even BETTER? Looking forward to his Harlow story when it comes out, it's going to be fantastic!

Thanks!
Lisa

The Jean Harlow Platinum Page
http://www.jeanharlow.org

[Lobsters]

That's what Harlow's tomb says, very lightly engraved into the marble. When I saw it, (knowing nothing about what her tomb might look like), I was SO blown away by the "our baby" engraving. That's what impressed me the most. It's very faint and it's easy to miss unless you stare at it. It was a very personal moment for me, because she was no longer a "star" but a person. Kinda strange feeling. Her nickname in Hollywood was "baby" or "the baby", so I presume that's why that was put on her grave.

Oh, I see,,,Thanks!


Edited to add.....Her crypt is gorgeous. And looks like such a peaceful place

[HARLOWNUMBER1]

Oh, I see,,,Thanks!


Edited to add.....Her crypt is gorgeous. And looks like such a peaceful place

For $30,000 It had better be!!!!

[RoRo]

I think people are just commenting on what they have read, whether it is true or not. I have read lots of books on celebs and gotten bad info....no one means to offend I'm sure...

Seriously,

I really REALLY wish people would stop referencing that god-awful Irv Shulman book on Harlow's life. It is considered one of the worst celebrity bios ever penned

[star82]

I'm a Harlow fan, her unexpected/strange death being a high point (or low point) of her life.....she's not listed at the main page of findadeath that I could find, but there is a page about her at the site if you type in her name on the search page.

Anyway, for all you Harlow fans who want to see a few new tidbits, here's an interesting link to the Carpenter family (her father's side of the family)

http://www.jeanharlow.info/carpenter2.html

This link also has some great photos of the inside of the Forest Lawn, Glendale mausoleum where she's entombed . Today, apparently only family members with documentation of their family relationship can even get in to see her crypt. However, on an interesting personal trivia note, back in the 1970's I was able to get in to see her marble tomb at Forest Lawn, and even back then it was very difficult to get in. But they hadn't yet started asking for five generations of personal family connection just to get in there. Whew! Talk about control freaks! I had to almost beg the lady in charge to unlock the chained gate which allowed me to get in. She stood and watched like a hawk while I walked alone down the long marble corridor. Kinda creepy yet fun. I walked all the way down to the end of the marble corridor (very exciting!) and finally reached her tomb. The ceiling is made of stained glass stuff which allows a kind of heavenly light to shine through.

Her crypt was at the very end of the hallway. I was amazed to see very lightly etched in the marble the words "Our Baby", which you can barely see. Very eerie yet beautiful. I didn't see any other names shown there, but her mother is also entombed with her. (her mother died in the 1950's)

Anyway, it's too bad the public can no longer get in there. I don't know what Forest Lawn thinks we evil members of the public are gonna do - deface these grand tombs? Write grafitti? It's rather ridiculous but that's the way it is. I've never run into this elsewhere. After all, we the public made these stars rich and famous and I think we should at least be able to pay our respects if we want to. Obviously, family members of these powerful famous people have been able to request Forest Lawn to basically shut down that area for public access. Other "biggies" of the industry are in the same corridor: Irving Thalberg, Norma Shearer, etc. So, bottom line: I feel honored and lucky that I was able to see her crypt in person before it was removed from the public's eyes. If anybody else has stories related to this, please post! I'd like to know more............

I'm so jealous you got to see Harlow's grave. The employees of of Forest Lawn (hollywood hills & glendale) are incredibly not helpful. I asked where a section was, and she didn't even want to help me! I told her I was from Chicago & she said "is that an excuse?"...

[HARLOWNUMBER1]

I'm so jealous you got to see Harlow's grave. The employees of of Forest Lawn (hollywood hills & glendale) are incredibly not helpful. I asked where a section was, and she didn't even want to help me! I told her I was from Chicago & she said "is that an excuse?"...

Sounds like "Joan." That's Forest Lawn's "warm & personable" guard who mans the booth at the front of the Great Mausoleum.

[HARLOWNUMBER1]

Since people have run out of things to obviously discuss here, I will post some photos of her crypt at Forest Lawn, Glendale:

[HARLOWNUMBER1]

The Mortuary where Jean's body was being held (note the death hags lurking outside!):



Jean's funeral on Jun 9, 1937 at Forest Lawn Glendale:

[MorbidMolly]

I fell in love with her after seeing her bio on A&E.....I love Marilyn but Jean won over my heart......great thread and I`ve learned so much more about her

[Rudy's Girl]

I've watched it closely several times. I didn't know that about the coughing fit, wow. I'll have to go back and see it again and watch for that. It's weird how so many people, even film reviewers, say she didn't look well on screen, but I frankly couldn't see anything wrong. Maybe tad bit of weight gain around her tummy area (probably water weight from the kidney failure starting to happen), but apart from that I don't see any overt signs of bad health.

Apparently she was buried in the negligee she was wearing in the scene where the doctor comes in to examine her. In real life, it was pink with blue and yellow flowers or something of that sort. Her mother initially wanted to bury her in white but decided on this gown of pink. Eerie and strange, to be buried in a gown that you've worn on screen. I've truly never heard of such odd occurrences as those associated with Harlow.....

The only other celebrity that I have heard being buried in an outfit that was worn on screen was Bruce Lee. He is apparently buried in the blue outfit he wore in Enter the Dragon.

I am just really enjoying reading all of this info on Jean. I have always been an enormous Marilyn fan, but now I am also dying to find out more about Jean.

I want to ask a couple of questions. What is the final say on the very best book on Jean? Also, she and Clark seemed like such dear friends. I'm assuming they were very close?

Thanks for any info Jean fans.

[HARLOWNUMBER1]

The only other celebrity that I have heard being buried in an outfit that was worn on screen was Bruce Lee. He is apparently buried in the blue outfit he wore in Enter the Dragon.

I am just really enjoying reading all of this info on Jean. I have always been an enormous Marilyn fan, but now I am also dying to find out more about Jean.

I want to ask a couple of questions. What is the final say on the very best book on Jean? Also, she and Clark seemed like such dear friends. I'm assuming they were very close?

Thanks for any info Jean fans.

The best and most accurate book is "Bombshell: The Life & Death of Jean Harlow" by David Stenn. Stenn managed through meticulous research to dispell many of the myths which had been attached to her legacy for decades.

Jean and Clark were close, but they were never romantically involved. She liked older men and he generally liked older women. Gable considered Jean a sibling, and by all accounts, this is how he treated her. MGM Photographer C.S. Bull once said "I've never seen two people make love so convincingly without actually being in love."

[Rudy's Girl]

The best and most accurate book is "Bombshell: The Life & Death of Jean Harlow" by David Stenn. Stenn managed through meticulous research to dispell many of the myths which had been attached to her legacy for decades.

Jean and Clark were close, but they were never romantically involved. She liked older men and he generally liked older women. Gable considered Jean a sibling, and by all accounts, this is how he treated her. MGM Photographer C.S. Bull once said "I've never seen two people make love so convincingly without actually being in love."

Thanks so much! I am definitely going to pick up the book. It's nice to hear about Jean and Clark's friendship. They seemed to have wonderful chemistry on screen.

[KELT]

[SIZE=4]JEAN HARLOW[/SIZE] having lunch with her cousin.
Hollywood, California 1934

[Reecy]

I've watched it closely several times. I didn't know that about the coughing fit, wow. I'll have to go back and see it again and watch for that. It's weird how so many people, even film reviewers, say she didn't look well on screen, but I frankly couldn't see anything wrong. Maybe tad bit of weight gain around her tummy area (probably water weight from the kidney failure starting to happen), but apart from that I don't see any overt signs of bad health.

Apparently she was buried in the negligee she was wearing in the scene where the doctor comes in to examine her. In real life, it was pink with blue and yellow flowers or something of that sort. Her mother initially wanted to bury her in white but decided on this gown of pink. Eerie and strange, to be buried in a gown that you've worn on screen. I've truly never heard of such odd occurrences as those associated with Harlow.....

I've loved Jean Harlow from the minute I saw her first film. I just love her sense of humor. She would always make me laugh. Now one thing I have to say. I heard that she was buried with a dress she wore in the movie Libled Lady (One of my favortie films). Any news on that?

[HARLOWNUMBER1]

I've loved Jean Harlow from the minute I saw her first film. I just love her sense of humor. She would always make me laugh. Now one thing I have to say. I heard that she was buried with a dress she wore in the movie Libled Lady (One of my favortie films). Any news on that?

The dress was from Saratoga, her final film. Here is a scene in which she wore the dress:

[KELT]

[SIZE=4]Q: What became of the humungous sapphire ring that BILL POWELL had given (to) JEAN ?[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]Was she buried with it ?[/SIZE]
[SIZE=1]Did Mama Jean wear it, then leave it in her own estate ?[/SIZE]
[SIZE=1]Did POWELL get it back ?[/SIZE]
[SIZE=1]Was it sold later on ?[/SIZE]

[HARLOWNUMBER1]

[SIZE=4]Q: What became of the humungous sapphire ring that BILL POWELL had given (to) JEAN ?[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]Was she buried with it ?[/SIZE]
[SIZE=1]Did Mama Jean wear it, then leave it in her own estate ?[/SIZE]
[SIZE=1]Did POWELL get it back ?[/SIZE]
[SIZE=1]Was it sold later on ?[/SIZE]

No one knows.

It wasn't of real gem quality anyway. Many people who knew Powell back then said he was a real "tightwad." There is speculation that Jean's mother might've given it back to Powell or kept it herself, or that Jean may've even been buried with it. Jean's biographer David Stenn said there would be no real way to ever identify the elusive sapphire ring since it really wasn't of very high quality. In Powells defense, he did pay for her beautiful resting place at Forest Lawn to the tune of $30,000---that's in 1937 dollars!!! Supposedly the coffin alone was $5,000, and the room is made of Italian imported marble. It was said that Powell nearly had a heart attack once he got the bill for that crypt.

Btw, Norma Shearer & Irving Thalberg's room is right next to Jean's and more than TWICE as large. Go figure.

[desert hag]

I hate Forrest Lawn! I have always respected celebrity grave sites that I have visited. Years ago I was carrying a small book of grave sites as I entered a masoleum and was told by a guard I would have to leave the book with him until I left the building. He was very rude. Meanwhile, all over the cemetery there were statues and benches with signs saying that for only $10,000 or $15,000 or whatever, you could have the item placed at your loved one's final resting place. To me that is crass and very disrespectful!!! I did sneak down a ropped off hallway once and see Clark Gable and Carole Lombard. Especially with the long dead stars with no immediate family left, what is the problem????

Lucky you! I love Carole Lombard and while I'd love to see Carole and Clark, I have not tried to go to Forest Lawn. I don't get why they don't allow people to see these grave sites.

[KELT]

I agree with you. That's one reason why I think that the management at [SIZE=3]HOLLYWOOD FOREVER[/SIZE] is slick; they cater to those who care, those who give a damn about who is interred there.

[Reecy]

The dress was from Saratoga, her final film. Here is a scene in which she wore the dress:

Thanks - I hate when lies are floating around like
this. For a long time I would look at Libled lady in disbelief that she was buried with that flower pattern dress. I hate lies. If she wore the dress from Saratoga then she indeed looked beautiful.

[Amberlights]

Poor Jean looked so ill in that movie. You can see in the photo, she looked very tired.

[hoorayforhollywood]

The dress was from Saratoga, her final film. Here is a scene in which she wore the dress:

Are you sure this is the exact dress? I thought it was the one from the scene where she was being examined by the doctor, and she was reclining on the chaise lounge. The dress is described as having been pale pink with hand painted yellow and blue flowers, birds, etc. The above is a lovely dress but I don't think it's her burial dress. (I think someone posted a pic of the scene from Saratoga I'm describing on the board somewhere.) It also appeared to have somewhat puffed sleeves, rather than sleeveless as this one is. That also makes more sense to me, as they might have wanted more coverage of her body, a bit more attractive since she was so ill.

[HARLOWNUMBER1]

Are you sure this is the exact dress? I thought it was the one from the scene where she was being examined by the doctor, and she was reclining on the chaise lounge. The dress is described as having been pale pink with hand painted yellow and blue flowers, birds, etc. The above is a lovely dress but I don't think it's her burial dress. (I think someone posted a pic of the scene from Saratoga I'm describing on the board somewhere.) It also appeared to have somewhat puffed sleeves, rather than sleeveless as this one is. That also makes more sense to me, as they might have wanted more coverage of her body, a bit more attractive since she was so ill.

I stand corrected! You are right. I assumed that the dress shown here and the one in the scene where she was examined were one and the same. Either way, the dress was definitely from Saratoga.

[Reecy]

No one knows.

In Powells defense, he did pay for her beautiful resting place at Forest Lawn to the tune of $30,000---that's in 1937 dollars!!! Supposedly the coffin alone was $5,000, and the room is made of Italian imported marble. It was said that Powell nearly had a heart attack once he got the bill for that crypt.

Btw, Norma Shearer & Irving Thalberg's room is right next to Jean's and more than TWICE as large. Go figure.

I could just picture this man's face opening up the envelope bill. LOL...........

[hoorayforhollywood]

I stand corrected! You are right. I assumed that the dress shown here and the one in the scene where she was examined were one and the same. Either way, the dress was definitely from Saratoga.

Yeah, sometimes it's hard to keep up with all the Harlow info. What makes it eerier is that the dress she was buried in was during the doctor exam scene. That's so weird to me. It's as if the cosmos or the Great Beyond KNEW she was going to die and was reflecting it back onto the silver screen for future generations. How weird is that? That's why I'm drawn to her story so much...it's those little strange touches that make it all the more fascinating.......

[HARLOWNUMBER1]

She was truly great.

I only wish she had lived longer. I shudder to think what a director like Preston Sturges or Ernst Lubitsch could've done with her amazing beauty & talent.

[hoorayforhollywood]

She was truly great.

I only wish she had lived longer. I shudder to think what a director like Preston Sturges or Ernst Lubitsch could've done with her amazing beauty & talent.

I think if she'd lived longer she would have gone in the direction of high class comedy like her pal Myrna Loy, and then I think she would have somewhat faded and made way for the next young starlet. She probably had a few more good projects left in her (and she would have been marvelous, too), but the "sex goddess" label is hard to live up to year after year. Age sets in, and then the ride is over. She wouldn't have had the staying power of a Katherine Hepburn, she simply didn't have the acting ability to do it. She was all about a dazzling LOOK, frozen in time. I hate to say it, but I feel she was destined to die young and be "freeze framed" as the beautiful angel she was........

[HARLOWNUMBER1]

I think if she'd lived longer she would have gone in the direction of high class comedy like her pal Myrna Loy, and then I think she would have somewhat faded and made way for the next young starlet. She probably had a few more good projects left in her (and she would have been marvelous, too), but the "sex goddess" label is hard to live up to year after year. Age sets in, and then the ride is over. She wouldn't have had the staying power of a Katherine Hepburn, she simply didn't have the acting ability to do it. She was all about a dazzling LOOK, frozen in time. I hate to say it, but I feel she was destined to die young and be "freeze framed" as the beautiful angel she was........

I really don't agree here.

Jean had left the pre-code bombshell sex symbol image behind beginning with Riff-Raff in 1936. When she became a brownette/honey blonde, her image and her roles changed and this DID NOT hurt her success at the box office or her popularity with the public. Her films continued to be bread winners for MGM. Many other actresses suffered and/or lost their careers once the code was enacted, but it did nothing to Jean even after a risky image makeover. She went from wearing skin tight Adrian outfits to conservative Dolly Tree dresses.

As far as acting ability, I find this statement the most puzzling of all. Jean was a BRILLIANT comedienne, and If you saw Wife Vs. Secretary, Jean was proving that she could be equally adept at drama over time. Look how far she evolved from the wooden Gwenn in The Public Enemy, to the phenomanal comedienne in Dinner at Eight and Bombshell a mere two years later. If she had lived, she would've only gotten better. I do not think the emergence of the next starlet (Lana Turner?) would've done anything to hamper Jean's popularity because it was no longer anchored on being a sex symbol as it was in her pre-code days. I'm also of the opinion that Jean probably would've retired before she faded out. She was never that crazy about Hollywood to begin with, so she may've decided to just settle down and have all those children she wanted so badly.

Katherine Hepburn, who is probably my favorite actress, had one of the longest careers in cinema history, so it's easy in hindsight to say Jean didn't have the acting ability to be a Hepburn. I really don't think acting ability would've had much to do with it, I really don't think Jean really would've been interested in staying in Hollywood as long as Kate did! Kate was also a driven, strong-willed independent woman, something sadly Jean was prevented from being by those who had a controlling interest in her career. As far as Jean being destined to die, sadly, this had more to do with fate and circumstance. I'd really place this in the lap of medical science in 1937. It just wasn't advanced enough at that point in time to have saved her.

[hoorayforhollywood]

You make some very good points and it's a tragedy we'll never know the answer to all the "what ifs" about her future. And it is true, she survived a risky makeover and still managed to land on her feet due to her talent, but also I believe due to the public's fond and hot memories of her as a sexy bombshell. I think secretly most of the public (the males LOL), longed to see her return to her more overtly sexual image. As a viewer of her later films like Saratoga, I found her to be getting a little washed out (not from her illness, just from her gradual change in image). I missed the snazzy blonde "dumb like a fox" role that she did so well. Like Monroe later, she wanted to upgrade her image. Not just because of the codes, but because she personally was never comfortable with the sex goddess image. Frankly, I much preferred her in China Seas and her earlier sexy funny tramp stuff than her later "Dolly Tree" style. Luckily for her, I think the public had grown so fond of her that they were still willing to pay to see her in just about anything. Sometimes the critics dropped hints in their reviews that they, too, felt a return to her "roots" (bombshell) would be the best thing for her. I think audiences would have stood up and cheered to see the good ole sexy Jean back again. For my tastes, she was drifting too far away from what had made her famous - fabulous sexual heat, a face from heaven, a great bod, and sexy racey remarks thrown back and forth. True, we can never compare her to Hepburn. I simply have to confess that I preferred her younger days, her racier, funner image to her later more conservative trend. But YES, she was a brilliant brilliant young lady........for someone who never aspired to be an actress, she truly earned the title: GREAT ACTRESS and comedienne. Her evolution was astounding considering the difficulties involved and her initial lack of experience. Very very few actresses could pull that off. Again, testimony to her natural inborn talent.

And yes, it's a tragedy that medical science wasn't advanced enough to save her. I still think she was one of those people who had a fated quality about her, though. When she looked into the camera, her beautiful eyes reflected a deep sadness at times. If one of her remarks is to be believed, on the day she became very ill and went home from the studio, she remarked to someone that she had the strange feeling that she'd never be coming back there again. And she didn't ever come back, she died. So, I guess that's why I feel there's something otherwordly about her.....as if she knew something we didn't........

[leevancleef]

. I missed the snazzy blonde "dumb like a fox" role that she did so well. Like Monroe later, she wanted to upgrade her image. Not just because of the codes, but because she personally was never comfortable with the sex goddess image. Frankly, I much preferred her in China Seas and her earlier sexy funny tramp stuff than her later "Dolly Tree" style. ....

Totally agree. i absolutely love Jean in movies like Dinner at Eight and China Seas. She was brilliant.

Look at that figure...


She was so fabulous!

[HARLOWNUMBER1]

You make some very good points and it's a tragedy we'll never know the answer to all the "what ifs" about her future. And it is true, she survived a risky makeover and still managed to land on her feet due to her talent, but also I believe due to the public's fond and hot memories of her as a sexy bombshell. I think secretly most of the public (the males LOL), longed to see her return to her more overtly sexual image. As a viewer of her later films like Saratoga, I found her to be getting a little washed out (not from her illness, just from her gradual change in image). I missed the snazzy blonde "dumb like a fox" role that she did so well. Like Monroe later, she wanted to upgrade her image. Not just because of the codes, but because she personally was never comfortable with the sex goddess image. Frankly, I much preferred her in China Seas and her earlier sexy funny tramp stuff than her later "Dolly Tree" style. Luckily for her, I think the public had grown so fond of her that they were still willing to pay to see her in just about anything. Sometimes the critics dropped hints in their reviews that they, too, felt a return to her "roots" (bombshell) would be the best thing for her. I think audiences would have stood up and cheered to see the good ole sexy Jean back again. For my tastes, she was drifting too far away from what had made her famous - fabulous sexual heat, a face from heaven, a great bod, and sexy racey remarks thrown back and forth. True, we can never compare her to Hepburn. I simply have to confess that I preferred her younger days, her racier, funner image to her later more conservative trend. But YES, she was a brilliant brilliant young lady........for someone who never aspired to be an actress, she truly earned the title: GREAT ACTRESS and comedienne. Her evolution was astounding considering the difficulties involved and her initial lack of experience. Very very few actresses could pull that off. Again, testimony to her natural inborn talent.

And yes, it's a tragedy that medical science wasn't advanced enough to save her. I still think she was one of those people who had a fated quality about her, though. When she looked into the camera, her beautiful eyes reflected a deep sadness at times. If one of her remarks is to be believed, on the day she became very ill and went home from the studio, she remarked to someone that she had the strange feeling that she'd never be coming back there again. And she didn't ever come back, she died. So, I guess that's why I feel there's something otherwordly about her.....as if she knew something we didn't........

I too preferred her earlier films as well, but it is ironic that the code came around to force this change. As you stated, Jean personally couldn't have been happier because she was tired of the blond bombshell stigma. I just believe that Jean's career would've continued for many years, and in my opinion, she was only getting more beautiful. I believe women are at their most beautiful in their early 30's as their looks usually settle in. At 26, Jean was very young, so she was still evolving physically and emotionally.

[HARLOWNUMBER1]

Totally agree. i absolutely love Jean in movies like Dinner at Eight and China Seas. She was brilliant.

Look at that figure...


She was so fabulous!

Jean had a phenomenal body. C.S. Bull said it was the greatest he had ever photographed!

[hoorayforhollywood]

I always wondered if it was true that she didn't wear panties.....or at least she didn't like underwear...?

[HARLOWNUMBER1]

I always wondered if it was true that she didn't wear panties.....or at least she didn't like underwear...?

By all accounts I've read and heard, It was definitely true.

She also used to ice her breasts to keep them firm. This helped since she never wore bras.

[Lucy Furr]

Where did the nickname "Baby" come from? I've heard a couple of things: that it was a family name and that till she was five she thought that Baby was her name; that it was a Hollywood name.

[HARLOWNUMBER1]

It was what her mother called her.

As she grew older, not only her mother but others would begin to call her this, including fellow actors and the MGM staff. It is curious when you consider that this woman was considered a great sex symbol. Barbara Brown, a very close friend of Jeans recounted a story where her father had invited some men over and while they were playing cards mother Jean stopped by and said "the baby will be here soon" so they expected this tiny little baby. She said the doorbell rang and there was this amazing girl with white-blonde hair and gorgeous green eyes. The men stared and Jean didn't notice.

Look at my avatar, she was a "cute" baby though wasn't she!?

[NOVSTORM]

I looked up millette and her name on her headstone is dorothy millette bern.
It also said in the article that her family in return for Jean paying for the funeral gave Mayer all Dorothys diarys and personal items from the holtel she was living in. They didn't want a scandal as Millette actually was his common law wife. Common law is not legal in CA anymore since the 60's but at that time states recognized common law marriages. So if Bern was married common law to Millette and Jean found out they were not really married whats to say there wasn't a hell of a fight and she was leavinghim and all of this was going to come out and then Millette goes nuts again after she finds out Bern Married Harlow ,takes a 10 hr train trip to LA to off Bern and heads back to SF and then realizes what she did and kills herself. They cannot prove that happened but something sure wasn'tright. His servants all testified to a different story years later whenh someone got a hearing together about it. The cops even admitted it was a murder..read the story it is good. just type in Millettes nameand she comes up.

[suzycreamcheese1]

Didn'tg her mother refuse medical help for her because they were Christian Scientists??



Two ropes, fool!

[KELT]

HARLOW with a puppy.


Candid of HARLOW having lunch with her cousin.

[leevancleef]

HARLOW with a puppy.


Candid of HARLOW having lunch with her cousin.

She was lovely. That second picture is great. Any info on the cousin? Did he work in the film industry?

[HARLOWNUMBER1]

Didn'tg her mother refuse medical help for her because they were Christian Scientists??

No.

[leevancleef]

No.

yes, i think thats not true.... sadly, it was too late to save Jean when they found out about her illness.

[HARLOWNUMBER1]

yes, i think thats not true.... sadly, it was too late to save Jean when they found out about her illness.

Unfortunately, there was no way to treat renal (kidney) failure back in 1937. Dialysis nor transplants had yet been pioneered, and this is what it would've taken to have saved her life.

[Lisamarie]

So sad what a waste...she was so sweet to think of her sick in that bedroom knowing death was creeping up on her..poor thing..I read in her biography when Clark Gable saw her last her breath smelled of urine. I dont think the Mother ever wanted to loose control over her daughter and so did not take her to the hospital.