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.
Movies
The Beast of the City
Daisy Stevens, aka Mildred Beaumont
Hell's Angels
Helen
Libeled Lady
Gladys Benton
Platinum Blonde
Anne Schuyler
The Secret Six
Anne Courtland
Bombshell
Lola Burns
Personal Property
Crystal Wetherby
Red Dust
Vantine Jefferson
Saratoga
Carol Clayton
Dinner at Eight
Kitty Packard
The Public Enemy
Gwen Allen
Liberty
Woman in cab (as Harlean Carpenter)
Double Whoopee
Swanky blonde
Reckless
Mona Leslie
Bacon Grabbers
Mrs. Kennedy
Suzy
Suzy
China Seas
Dolly 'China Doll' Portland
Hold Your Man
Ruby Adams
Red-Headed Woman
Lillian 'Lil' / 'Red' Andrews Legendre
The Girl from Missouri
Eadie
Riffraff
Hattie
Thou Shalt Not: Sex, Sin and Censorship in Pre-Code Hollywood
Various Roles (archive footage)
The Saturday Night Kid
Hazel
New York Nights
Party Guest
Iron Man
Rose Mason
Three Wise Girls
Cassie Barnes
Goldie
Goldie
Why Be Good?
Blonde on Rooftop Bench at Junior's Second Party
That's Entertainment!
(archive footage)
Scarface
Blonde at Paradise Club
The Big Parade of Comedy
Ruby in 'Hold Your Man' (archive footage)
Wife vs. Secretary
Helen 'Whitey' Wilson
That's Entertainment! III
(archive footage)
Harlow: The Blonde Bombshell
Self (archive footage)
Voice of Hollywood (Series 2, No. 3)
Self
The Love Parade
Woman in Opera Box
Judy Garland: By Myself
Self (archive footage)
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
Self (archive footage)
Complicated Women
Self (archive footage)
That's Entertainment, Part II
(archive footage)
The Spencer Tracy Legacy: A Tribute by Katharine Hepburn
Self (archive footage)
The Good, The Bad, and the Beautiful
Self (archive footage)
Why Be Good?: Sexuality & Censorship in Early Cinema
Self (archive footage)
The Love Goddesses
(archive footage)
James Stewart: A Wonderful Life
Self (archive footage)
The Golden Age of Comedy
archive footage
Honor Bound
Extra
Moran of the Marines
Extra (uncredited)
Chasing Husbands
Bathing Beauty (uncredited)
Fugitives
Extra (uncredited)
Why Is a Plumber?
The Unkissed Man
Patient
Thundering Toupees
Masquerade
Spectator
This Thing Called Love
Extra
Weak But Willing
Blonde Night Club Patron
Beau Hunks
Jeanie Weenie - in Photo
The Further Perils of Laurel and Hardy
Close Harmony
Chorus Girl
Girl 27
Self (archive footage)
Howard Hughes: His Women and His Movies
Self (archive footage)
Clara Bow: Discovering the It Girl
Self (from The Saturday Night Kid [1929]) (archive footage)
Betty Boop: Queen of the Cartoons
Self (archive footage)
Marilyn Monroe: Beyond the Legend
Self (archive footage)
The Mystery of Marilyn Monroe: The Unheard Tapes
Self (archive footage)
Disclosure
(archive footage)
Checking Out: Grand Hotel
Self (archive footage)
Screen Snapshots (Series 25, No. 1): 25th Anniversary
Self (archive footage)
Screen Snapshots (Series 22, No. 10)
Self (archive footage)
42nd Street: From Book to Screen to Stage
Self (archive footage)
Paris Hilton Inc.: The Selling of Celebrity
Self (archive footage)
Discovering Jean Harlow
Self (archive footage)
The Casting Couch
(archive footage)
Going Hollywood: The '30s
(archive footage)
Sports on the Silver Screen
Self (archive footage)
Hollywood: The Selznick Years
'Dinner at Eight' (archive footage) (uncredited)
Beer and Blood: Enemies of the Public
Self (archive footage)
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Los Angeles Plays Itself
Gwen Allen in The Public Enemy (archive footage)
Dream Girl: The making of Marilyn Monroe
Self (archive footage)
Hollywood: The Dream Factory
Self (archive footage)
Hollywood's Hidden Secrets
(archive footage)
Shows
Intimate Portrait
Self