Christine de Pizan

Christine de Pizan
The Writer Christine de Pizan at Her Desk

Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Before Marilyn Monroe, There Was Jean Harlow

Jean Harlow (born 3 March 1911)


For most of my college students, the phrase "blond bombshell" applies only to Marilyn Monroe--but long before Marilyn, there was Jean Harlow.


Although she died suddenly in 1937, just twenty-six years old, Harlow made a series of films that guarantee her onscreen immortality.

It's hard to go wrong with a Harlow film, but if you haven't seen it--or if you haven't watched it in a while--I recommend 1932's Red Dust, with Clark Gable. 

For a complete list of her films, check out Jean Harlow: The Official Site, which offers a brief a filmography and lots of photos. There are also great biographies; I recommend Darrell Rooney and Mark Vieira's Harlow in Hollywood: The Blonde Bombshell in the Glamour Capital, 1928-1937.