History Creator / JeanHarlow

* ThoseTwoActors: [[invoked]] She appeared in six movies with Creator/ClarkGable, five with Lewis Stone and four with Una Merkel.

She was born in Kansas City, Missouri. In the 1920s, she and her mother moved to Hollywood, and Harlean, taking her mother's name, went into acting. After several bit parts in silent films, she had her breakout role in the 1930 UsefulNotes/WorldWarI movie ''Film/HellsAngels'', produced by Howard Hughes. In this film, she coined the famous line "Would you be shocked if I [[SlipIntoSomethingMoreComfortable put on something more comfortable?]]" In 1931, she appeared in the classic gangster film ''Film/ThePublicEnemy''.

* AffectionateNickname: 'Baby' was what her family called her. She apparently didn't realise that wasn't her real name until she started school.

* OneSteveLimit: After using her stage name, her mother was referred to as 'Mama Jean'.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen:
** [[invoked]] MGM was hoping to cast Harlow in a series of movies focusing on the character of Maisie Ravier. Harlow's death led to that role being played by Ann Sothern.
** [[invoked]] Jean was offered the leads in ''Film/KingKong1933'' and ''{{Film/Freaks}}'' but turned them down.
** [[invoked]] She was meant to say a line in ''Red Dust'' when she's found bathing in the barrel - "don't you know, I'm La Flamme, the girl who drives men wild" - but she refused to say it.

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!!'''Partial filmography:'''
* ''Film/HellsAngels'' (1930)
* ''Film/ThePublicEnemy'' (1931)
* ''Film/RedDust'' (1932)
* ''Film/RedHeadedWoman'' (1932)
* ''Film/ThreeWiseGirls'' (1932)
* ''Film/DinnerAtEight'' (1933)
* ''Film/{{Bombshell}}'' (1933)
* ''Film/HoldYourMan'' (1933)
* ''Film/ChinaSeas'' (1935)
* ''Film/LibeledLady'' (1936)
* ''Film/WifeVsSecretary'' (1936)
* ''Film/{{Saratoga}}'' (1937)

--> ''Men like me because I don't wear a brassiere. Women like me because I don't look like a girl who would steal a husband. At least not for long.''

!!This actress' work provide examples of:

* FakeBrit: [[invoked]] As Helen in ''Film/HellsAngels''.

* SpiritualSuccessor: Creator/MarilynMonroe is viewed as hers. Marilyn was apparently a great fan of hers, and turned down an offer to star in a biopic about her. Marilyn lived a little longer but died similarly prematurely.
* StageName: Born Harlean Harlow Carpenter; "Jean" was her mother's maiden name.

* RealitySubtext: [[invoked]] The tension between her and Wallace Beery in ''Film/DinnerAtEight'' was very real; he treated her horribly, viewing her as too inexperienced.

* StageName: Born Harlean Harlow Carpenter, "Jean Harlow" was her mother's maiden name.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: [[invoked]] MGM was hoping to cast Harlow in a series of movies focusing on the character of Maisie Ravier. Harlow's death led to that role being played by Ann Sothern.

* GoingCommando: In ''Film/{{Bombshell}}'', a movie in which Harlow plays an actress, the studio specifically instructs her not to wear a bra. Harlow never wore any underwear, and some even say that she iced down her nipples before shooting a scene (which was one of many contributing factors for the Hays Code to crack down on immoral content in movies).

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jean_harlow-405_625.jpg]]

Jean Harlow (1911-1937) was an American actress and sex symbol in the 1930s, the original Platinum Blonde of legend.

She was born as Harlean Carpenter in Kansas City, Missouri. In the 1920s, she and her mother moved to Hollywood, and Harlean, taking her mother's name, went into acting. After several bit parts in silent films, she had her breakout role in the 1930 UsefulNotes/WorldWarI movie ''Film/HellsAngels'', produced by Howard Hughes. In this film, she coined the famous line "Would you be shocked if I [[SlipIntoSomethingMoreComfortable put on something more comfortable?]]" In 1931, she appeared in the classic gangster film ''Film/ThePublicEnemy''.

!!'''This actress provided examples of:'''

* GoingCommando: She never wore any underwear, and some even say that she iced down her nipples before shooting a scene (which was one of many contributing factors for the Hays Code to crack down on immoral content in movies). In ''Film/{{Bombshell}}'', a movie in which Harlow plays an actress, the studio specifically instructs her not to wear a bra.

* ManChild: Reportedly she found a movie producer's young son making mud pies and recommended using egg whites to help them stick together better. That should give you an indication.
* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: The story goes that when she was a child, she was nicknamed "Baby", and only when she started school did she learn that it wasn't her actual name.

* StageMom: Her mother, a.k.a. Mama Jean.
* StageName
* StealthPun: According to an anecdote, she was once at dinner with Margot Asquith (wife of UsefulNotes/HerbertHenryAsquith, the former British Prime Minister), and kept pronouncing Mrs. Asquith's name with the 't' at the end. Eventually Asquith told her "No, Jean, the 'T' is silent, like in 'Harlow'".

* HighClassGloves: She wore them in ''Film/DinnerAtEight'' and ''The Public Enemy''.

* DyeHard: Though she denied it, and was in fact naturally very fair -- just not as fair as she appeared onscreen. Eventually, her hair actually had to be cropped short due to peroxide damage, meaning in some films she's actually wearing a wig. Some stories say that [[{{Squick}}she bleached her pubic hair as well to maintain the illusion]], but this is likely false.

* HeAlsoDid: She wrote a novel, ''Today is Tonight'', which wasn't published until 1965.

* ThoseTwoActors: She appeared in six movies with Creator/ClarkGable, five with Lewis Stone and four with Una Merkel.

* ThoseTwoActors: She and Creator/ClarkGable made six movies together.

* OperaGloves: She wore them in ''Film/DinnerAtEight'' and ''The Public Enemy''.

* GoingCommando: She never wore any underwear, and some even say that she iced down her nipples before shooting a scene (which was one of many contributing factors for the Hays Code to crack down on immoral content in movies).
** In ''Film/{{Bombshell}}'', a movie in which Harlow plays an actress, the studio specifically instructs her not to wear a bra.

* [[HeAlsoDid She Also Did]]: She wrote a novel, ''Today is Tonight'', which wasn't published until 1965.
* StageMom: Her mother, ''aka'' Mama Jean.

* [[ManChild Womanchild]]: Reportedly she found a movie producer's young son making mud pies and recommended using egg whites to help them stick together better. That should give you an indication.

While critics disliked Harlow, audiences loved her; her movies were successful, even in the middle of TheGreatDepression. Her films pushed boundaries; in ''Film/RedDust'', she portrayed a floozy, who gets the guy at the end, and in ''Film/RedHeadedWoman'', she played an ambitious GoldDigger, who sleeps her way to the top, and [[KarmaHoudini doesn't receive any punishment for it.]]

* ''Film/{{Saratoga}} (1937)

After the implementation of UsefulNotes/TheHaysCode (which cracked down on sexuality, both in and out of films), she changed her image to a more mainstream, all-American type, but still remained a star. During the filming of her last movie, ''Saratoga'', she fell ill, and was taken to a hospital. She died a few days later at the age of 26, from kidney failure (once rumored to be from the chemicals she used to dye her hair; now stated as a possible consequence of scarlet fever she had as a child).

* StealthPun: According to an anecdote, she was once at dinner with Margot Asquith (wife of HerbertHenryAsquith, the former British Prime Minister), and kept pronouncing Mrs. Asquith's name with the 't' at the end. Eventually Asquith told her "No, Jean, the 'T' is silent, like in 'Harlow'".

While critics disliked Harlow, audiences loved her; her movies were successful, even in the middle of TheGreatDepression. Her films pushed boundaries; in ''Film/RedDust'', she portrayed a floozy, who gets the guy at the end, and in ''Film/RedHeadedWoman'', she played an ambitious GoldDigger, who sleeps her way to the top, and doesn't receive any punishment for it.

While critics disliked Harlow, audiences loved her; her movies were successful, even in the middle of TheGreatDepression. Her films pushed boundaries; in ''Film/RedDust'', she portrayed a floozy, who gets the guy at the end, and in ''Red-Headed Woman'', she played an ambitious GoldDigger, who sleeps her way to the top, and doesn't receive any punishment for it.

* FakeShemp: Harlow's sudden, shocking death from kidney failure came with ''Saratoga'' still unfinished. Louis B. Mayer and MGM considered throwing away all of her footage and re-shooting with a different actress, but after fans lobbied to see Harlow's last film, production continued. An actress named Mary Rees who looked like Harlow was used as her double in some scenes, with another actress doubling Harlow's distinctive voice.