Person
Jean Harlow
Kansas City, Missouri, USA
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…
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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
Movies and shows, newest first
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2023
The Love Story of Jean Harlow and William Powell
Movie Self (archive footage)
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2022
Becoming Marilyn
Movie (archive footage)
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2020
Jay Sebring… Cutting to the Truth
Movie Self(archive footage)
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2015
Discovering Jean Harlow
Movie Self (archive footage)
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2008
Thou Shalt Not: Sex, Sin and Censorship in Pre-Code Hollywood
Movie Various Roles (archive footage)
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2007
Why Be Good?: Sexuality & Censorship in Early Cinema
Movie Self (archive footage)
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2006
42nd Street: From Book to Screen to Stage
Movie Self (archive footage)
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2005
Beer and Blood: Enemies of the Public
Movie Self (archive footage)
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2004
Judy Garland: By Myself
Movie Self (archive footage)
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2004
Checking Out: Grand Hotel
Movie Self (archive footage)
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2003
Complicated Women
Movie Self (archive footage)
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2001
Beyond Tara: The Extraordinary Life of Hattie McDaniel
Movie Self (archive footage)
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2000
Howard Hughes: His Women and His Movies
Movie Self (archive footage)
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1999
Clara Bow: Discovering the "It" Girl
Movie Self (from The Saturday Night Kid [1929]) (archive footage)
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1997
Sports on the Silver Screen
Movie Self (archive footage)
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1996
Jean Harlow: Platinum Bombshell
Movie Self (archive footage)
More credits
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1996
The Good, The Bad, and the Beautiful
Movie Self (archive footage)
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1995
Legends in Light: The Photography of George Hurrell
Movie Self (archive footage)
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1995
Betty Boop: Queen of the Cartoons
Movie Self (archive footage)
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1995
The Casting Couch
Movie
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1994
That's Entertainment! III
Movie (archive footage) (uncredited)
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1993
Intimate Portrait
TV show Self
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1990
Death In Hollywood
Movie
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1989
Two Tragic Blondes - Marilyn Monroe And Jean Harlow
Movie Self (archive footage)
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1989
Death Scenes
Movie Self (archive footage)
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1988
Hollywood Scandals and Tragedies
Movie (archive footage) (uncredited)
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1987
James Stewart: A Wonderful Life
Movie Self (archive footage)
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1986
Marilyn Monroe: Beyond the Legend
Movie archive footage
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1986
The Spencer Tracy Legacy: A Tribute by Katharine Hepburn
Movie Self (archive footage)
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1986
Marilyn Monroe
Movie archive footage
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1984
Going Hollywood: The '30s
Movie (archive footage)
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1983
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage
Movie Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
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1976
That's Entertainment, Part II
Movie (archive footage)
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1975
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
Movie Self (archive footage)
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1974
That's Entertainment!
Movie (archive footage) (uncredited)
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1972
Hollywood: The Dream Factory
Movie Self (archive footage)
- 1967
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1964
The Big Parade of Comedy
Movie Ruby in 'Hold Your Man' (archive footage)
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1961
Hollywood: The Selznick Years
Movie Self - Actress 'Dinner at Eight' (archive footage) (uncredited)
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1957
The Golden Age of Comedy
Movie archive footage
