Acting
Community Rating
6.8
TMDB estimate
Born
March 3, 1911
Died
June 7, 1937 (age 26)
Born in
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 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.

The Love Story of Jean Harlow and William Powell
as Self (archive footage)
2023

Dream Girl: The Making of Marilyn Monroe
2022

Becoming Marilyn
2022

The Mystery of Marilyn Monroe: The Unheard Tapes
2022

Jay Sebring… Cutting to the Truth
as Self(archive footage)
2020

Discovering Jean Harlow
as Self (archive footage)
2015

Thou Shalt Not: Sex, Sin and Censorship in Pre-Code Hollywood
as Various Roles (archive footage)
2008

Why Be Good?: Sexuality & Censorship in Early Cinema
as Self (archive footage)
2007

42nd Street: From Book to Screen to Stage
as Self (archive footage)
2006

Beer and Blood: Enemies of the Public
as Self (archive footage)
2005

Los Angeles Plays Itself
as Gwen Allen in The Public Enemy (archive footage)
2004

Judy Garland: By Myself
as Self (archive footage)
2004
Checking Out: Grand Hotel
as Self (archive footage)
2004

Complicated Women
as Self (archive footage)
2003

Howard Hughes: His Women and His Movies
as Self (archive footage)
2000

Clara Bow: Discovering the "It" Girl
as Self (from The Saturday Night Kid [1929]) (archive footage)
1999

Sports on the Silver Screen
as Self (archive footage)
1997

Jean Harlow: Platinum Bombshell
as Self (archive footage)
1996

Betty Boop: Queen of the Cartoons
as Self (archive footage)
1995

The Casting Couch
1995