Harlow is a 1965 American biographical film directed by Gordon Douglas about the life of film star Jean Harlow. It stars Carroll Baker in the title role, and Raf Vallone, Red Buttons, Angela Lansbury, Peter Lawford, Martin Balsam, and Leslie Nielsen in supporting roles. It was released by Paramount Pictures, shortly after another film with the same title and subject. Although the film failed commercially, it was successful in launching the hit song, "Girl Talk" by Neal Hefti.
Plot
Harlow - Trailer - Hollywood in 1928 is the land of milk and honey, magic and fantasy. Jean Harlow's spectacular and controversial career begins with bit parts in the movies. She is living with her mother,...
The film opens with Harlow as a struggling extra and bit actress dealing with her greedy stepfather Marino (Raf Vallone) and oblivious mother "Mama Jean" (Angela Lansbury, only six years older than Carroll Baker). With the help of Arthur Landau (Red Buttons), she rises to fame and gains the unwanted attention of the Howard Hughes-inspired Richard Manley (Leslie Nielsen). She then marries Paul Bern (Peter Lawford), an absentee husband who kills himself some time after the marriage. His death, combined with the stress of her career leads Harlow on an odyssey of failed relationships and alcoholism, culminating in her death of kidney failure at the age of twenty-six.
Cast
- Carroll Baker as Jean Harlow
- Red Buttons as Arthur Landau
- Raf Vallone as Marino Bello
- Angela Lansbury as Mama Jean Bello
- Peter Lawford as Paul Bern
- Mike Connors as Jack Harrison (as Michael Connors)
- Martin Balsam as Everett Redman
- Leslie Nielsen as Richard Manley
- Mary Murphy as Sally Doane
- Hanna Landy as Beatrice Landau
- Peter Hansen as Assistant Director
- Kipp Hamilton as Marie Tanner
- Peter Leeds as Parker
- Sonny Liston as a fist fighter
Production
The concept of depicting Jean Harlow's on film had originated in the 1950s. Many actresses were reported to play Harlow in different biopics; Cleo Moore for Columbia and Jayne Mansfield for Fox, but both of these projects fell through. In 1962, it was officially released that Marilyn Monroe would play Harlow in a lavish biopic as a part of her new contract with Fox. However, after Monroe's death, the project was sold to Paramount who cast Carroll Baker in the title role. Based in part on Harlow: An Intimate Biography, writer Irving Shulman's pulp biography, Paramount's Harlow is a melodramatic look at Harlow's life, focusing on her failed marriages. The widescreen Technicolor film, produced by Joseph E. Levine, was made on a $2.5 million budget and featured a wide-reaching publicity campaign.
DVD release
On September 28, 2010, Olive Films released Harlow on Region 1 DVD in the United States.
See also
- List of American films of 1965
References
External links
- Harlow on IMDb
- Harlow at the TCM Movie Database
- Harlow at AllMovie
