Harlow Summary
Director: Gordon M. Douglas
Genres: Drama
Rating:
Of the two competing Jean_Harlow biopics released in 1965, producer Joseph_E._Levine's Harlow is the more slickly professional, though neither film is exactly a cinematic landmark. Carroll_Baker plays 1930s "platinum blonde" Jean_Harlow, who, in keeping with the portrait painted by biographer Irving Schulman and Arthur_Landau (upon whose book this film is based) was a forlorn waif tossed around like a football by the predatory males of wicked old Hollywood. Prodded by a hellish stage mother (Angela_Lansbury) and an implicitly incestuous stepfather (Raf_Vallone), Harlow rises to the pinnacle of movie stardom but never finds true happiness. The wedding-night revelation that her new husband, producer Paul Bern (Peter_Lawford), is impotent is just another devastating blow for the poor girl. After all she goes through in the film, Harlow's premature death at age 26 is almost a relief. The only person who truly, deeply, sincerely cares about her is her lovable agent Arthur_Landau (played by lovable Red_Buttons) who, it will be remembered, co-authored the original Harlow book. Movie buffs will derive some perverse pleasure by the script's many distortions of the facts. Whatever its shortcomings, Harlow posted a huge profit for Joe_Levine and Paramount Pictures. Hal Erickson, Rovi
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