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Harlow in Hollywood: The Blonde Bombshell in the Glamour Capital, 1928-1937
At last, the story of how Hollywood shaped a myth and determined a young woman’s reality. A town, a remarkable town, became the backdrop for one of Hollywood’s most incredible stories, a life rife with glamour, pleasure, power, and--in the end--utter sorrow. Her story lives in the pages and breathtaking pictures of Harlow in Hollywood. When Jean Harlow became the Blonde Bombshell, it was all Hollywood’s doing. She was the first big-screen sex symbol, the Platinum Blonde, the mold for every famous fair-haired superstar who would emulate her. Yes; even Marilyn Monroe followed Harlow’s lead. In her short decade in Hollywood, Harlow created a new genre of movie star--her fans idolized her for her peerless image, her beautiful body, and her gorgeous facade. Harlow in Hollywood is the story of how a town and an industry created her, a story that’s never been told before. In these pages, renowned Harlow expert Darrell Rooney and Hollywood historian Mark Vieira team up to present the most beautiful--and accurate--book on Harlow ever produced. With more than 280 rare images, the authors not only make a case for Harlow as an Art Deco artifact, they showcase the fabulous places where she lived, worked and played, from her white-on-white Beverly Glen mansion to the Art Deco sets of Dinner at Eight to the foyer of the Cafe Trocadero. Harlow in Hollywood is a must for every film buff, Harlow collector, and book lover. Like Harlow herself, Harlow in Hollywood is irresistible. Darrell Rooney has one of the world’s most significant collections of Jean Harlow photographs and memorabilia. A Hollywood insider, Rooney is an animator and director best known for his Annie Award-winning direction of The Lion King 2: Simba’s Pride. Harlow in Hollywood is his first book. He resides in Los Angeles. Mark A. Vieira is a filmmaker, photographer, and writer specializing in Hollywood history. His previous books include Hurrell’s Hollywood Portraits, Irving Boy Wonder to Producer Prince, and, with Tony Curtis, The Making of Some Like It Hot. He maintains a portrait studio in the historic Granada Buildings in Los Angeles.
240 pages, Hardcover
Published March 3, 2011
347 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
July 18, 2016
What a stunner! This book is one of most gorgeous books I have read on Harlow. The photos are absolutely spectacular. I have collected Harlow films, books and stills for years so I have seen many, many photos and there were still ones included here that were new to me. The text is also very interesting--it manages to get across a fair amount of information without losing the wealth of photo treasures that Harlow left behind. The author does a really nice job in giving you a brief but fairly complete biography and still keep the focus on the time period he wants to hone in on. I absolutely love that the author avoided naming a hideous book that trashed poor Jean's name for many years and is still sadly quoted and used for films and documentaries that don't do their research. As a fan and someone who loves The Baby as both a movie star and a human, I deeply appreciated that. My one complaint is fairly minor--I did feel that William Powell was somewhat bashed more than he deserved. He was an ass sometimes when it came to Jean, but I felt it was a bit unfair to focus almost exclusively on his faults as a partner/lover and to ignore the change that her death effected in him. I always considered it something of a tribute to her that he changed so deeply after her death and that never got over that loss and he turned it into something positive. I believe Jean would have loved that. Overall, it was a lovely tribute to a lovely woman with all the glamour and beauty she possessed as well as the talent, charm and kindness that lay underneath all of that shimmer.
March 6, 2021
GORGEOUS TRIBUTE TO HARLOW AND EARLY HOLLYWOOD.
A beautifully put together coffee table book by the folks at Angel City Press, 'Harlow in Hollywood' is one classy tome that all film lovers will cherish.
The photos are simply stunning, the narrative accurate and informative and the design first rate.
Great cover and I love the Hollywood StarLand maps used in the inside covers.
Not necessarily a huge Harlow fan myself but I love books on early Hollywood and this is one of the best. If, however you are a Harlow nut, you will go ape over this gorgeous publication!
240 pages (12 1/4"x 9 1/2") filled with more than 280 rare images, "the authors not only make a case for Harlow as an Art Deco artefact, they showcase the fabulous places where she lived, worked and played ...."
A monumental publication of tribute to Harlow and a delicious portrait of Hollywood's "Golden Years."
A beautifully put together coffee table book by the folks at Angel City Press, 'Harlow in Hollywood' is one classy tome that all film lovers will cherish.
The photos are simply stunning, the narrative accurate and informative and the design first rate.
Great cover and I love the Hollywood StarLand maps used in the inside covers.
Not necessarily a huge Harlow fan myself but I love books on early Hollywood and this is one of the best. If, however you are a Harlow nut, you will go ape over this gorgeous publication!
240 pages (12 1/4"x 9 1/2") filled with more than 280 rare images, "the authors not only make a case for Harlow as an Art Deco artefact, they showcase the fabulous places where she lived, worked and played ...."
A monumental publication of tribute to Harlow and a delicious portrait of Hollywood's "Golden Years."
July 18, 2012
This is the fourth book I've read about Jean Harlow, and although much of the information is a rehash of what I've read before, it is nonetheless well written and a fine tribute to a talented actress.
The photographs are a nice touch. It is always satisfying to be able to see the extreme beauty of a star rather than just read about it. The interesting thing about this collection, though, is that there are quite a few candids which illustrate just how much the glamorous sex kitten image was in contrast to the real Harlean Carpenter.
Another thing I really enjoyed about this book was that it discussed Jean's own book, posthumously titled Today is Tonight, which was released in the 1960s. I always found it odd that other sources largely ignored it. True it is not an exceptional novel, but it was quite unusual for a film star to also write, and for her to have done so before her very early death is remarkable.
There are a few things here that contrasted other books I've read, such as the unusual circumstances around Paul Bern's death. These authors also claim that Jean was never engaged to William Powell, although other biographies cite the large sapphire ring he gave her as an engagement ring.
Overall, this is a worthwhile read and an excellent source for high quality and beautiful photographs.
The photographs are a nice touch. It is always satisfying to be able to see the extreme beauty of a star rather than just read about it. The interesting thing about this collection, though, is that there are quite a few candids which illustrate just how much the glamorous sex kitten image was in contrast to the real Harlean Carpenter.
Another thing I really enjoyed about this book was that it discussed Jean's own book, posthumously titled Today is Tonight, which was released in the 1960s. I always found it odd that other sources largely ignored it. True it is not an exceptional novel, but it was quite unusual for a film star to also write, and for her to have done so before her very early death is remarkable.
There are a few things here that contrasted other books I've read, such as the unusual circumstances around Paul Bern's death. These authors also claim that Jean was never engaged to William Powell, although other biographies cite the large sapphire ring he gave her as an engagement ring.
Overall, this is a worthwhile read and an excellent source for high quality and beautiful photographs.
October 1, 2021
This is a fantastic book if you can get your hands on it. It seems to be out of print and going for a high price now. It's half a biography and half a coffee table book of photographs of the utmost Hollywood glamour and Art Deco style. You could also get the Audible version if you're only interested in a quick biography of Harlow that runs only 4.5 hours. I knew a lot of her story but even told with brevity there was a lot that I learned.
Till she died at the age of 26, her family and many close acquaintances still called her "The Baby" -- despite the fact that Harlow was paying for their lifestyles. In many ways she maintained a baby persona as an adult. Hollywood taught her how to talk like a grown-up (she arrived still saying things like 'libary' instead of 'library') but she had an unselfconsciousness about her body that attracted men sexually when she was still naive about sex and sexuality. The erotic charge that she shared onscreen with frequent co-star Clark Gable was in real life two adults who felt more like little kids with each other, platonic, and like playful brother and sister.
Her second marriage to Paul Bern, twice her age, seemed initially attractive because he was known to be mostly asexual (rumored to have small gentials) and she could therefore be assured that he did not just want her for her body. He committed suicide (or perhaps murdered by his ex-common-law wife) two months later, and Jean Harlow became the first movie star to survive such a scandal. It made the public even more fascinated with her. The first scene she filmed in "Red Dust" following her hiatus after his death was the scene where she's taking a bath in the water tank. She is so fun and luminous, you would never guess the circumstance in which it was filmed, or that she would collapse from emotional exhaustion as soon as it wrapped.
She sounds like a geniunely nice person, social with the crew, affectionate with stars, writers, directors. She would do things like buy a giant jigsaw puzzle and start it on the set to leave for other crew to work on together. When her singing double would get no billing on "Reckless" she made sure to be photographed with the singer whenever possible to get her name out there in the press.
It never occurred to me that because Harlow and Joan Crawford were the two biggest stars at MGM, their films would overlap. Harlow’s musical “Reckless” (co-starring Crawford’s husband Franchot Tone and Harlow’s paramour William Powell) had originally been planned as Crawford’s follow-up to her musical “Dancing Lady”, and Crawford’s “Love on the Run” had been slated for Harlow. And “The Women” had been purchased with the intention of giving Harlow the Crystal Allen role that eventually became one of Crawford’s best roles.
William Powell was not interested in marrying another actress, yet he was possibly the longest relationship and definitely the healthiest in Harlow’s life. He saw a lot of dysfunction in her controlling and sometimes freeloading family, and it was clear to anyone that Harlow was treating this stress and anxiety with alcohol. Contrary to rumor, it was not initially her mother’s Christian Science beliefs that caused Harlow to die. The mother had allowed bona fide doctors to treat Harlow.
However, she was improperly diagnosed and given tons of fluids when they should have been draining fluids. The mother only leaned heavily into the Christian Science when Harlow had taken a dramatic turn for the worse and the mother felt totally helpless and out of control over a life to which she was accustomed to feeling very much in control. Having survived the sexual crackdown of the Production Code, it is sad to see Harlow’s last two films, the inconsequential “Personal Property” and the good but posthumously completed “Saratoga” where she just seems so tired, and trying so hard to sparkle. Sad to think about what kind of career she might have had, perhaps becoming a writer, or going the character actress route like Louise Dresser (which Marilyn Monroe had envisioned for herself), or becoming huge in television like Lucille Ball.
Till she died at the age of 26, her family and many close acquaintances still called her "The Baby" -- despite the fact that Harlow was paying for their lifestyles. In many ways she maintained a baby persona as an adult. Hollywood taught her how to talk like a grown-up (she arrived still saying things like 'libary' instead of 'library') but she had an unselfconsciousness about her body that attracted men sexually when she was still naive about sex and sexuality. The erotic charge that she shared onscreen with frequent co-star Clark Gable was in real life two adults who felt more like little kids with each other, platonic, and like playful brother and sister.
Her second marriage to Paul Bern, twice her age, seemed initially attractive because he was known to be mostly asexual (rumored to have small gentials) and she could therefore be assured that he did not just want her for her body. He committed suicide (or perhaps murdered by his ex-common-law wife) two months later, and Jean Harlow became the first movie star to survive such a scandal. It made the public even more fascinated with her. The first scene she filmed in "Red Dust" following her hiatus after his death was the scene where she's taking a bath in the water tank. She is so fun and luminous, you would never guess the circumstance in which it was filmed, or that she would collapse from emotional exhaustion as soon as it wrapped.
She sounds like a geniunely nice person, social with the crew, affectionate with stars, writers, directors. She would do things like buy a giant jigsaw puzzle and start it on the set to leave for other crew to work on together. When her singing double would get no billing on "Reckless" she made sure to be photographed with the singer whenever possible to get her name out there in the press.
It never occurred to me that because Harlow and Joan Crawford were the two biggest stars at MGM, their films would overlap. Harlow’s musical “Reckless” (co-starring Crawford’s husband Franchot Tone and Harlow’s paramour William Powell) had originally been planned as Crawford’s follow-up to her musical “Dancing Lady”, and Crawford’s “Love on the Run” had been slated for Harlow. And “The Women” had been purchased with the intention of giving Harlow the Crystal Allen role that eventually became one of Crawford’s best roles.
William Powell was not interested in marrying another actress, yet he was possibly the longest relationship and definitely the healthiest in Harlow’s life. He saw a lot of dysfunction in her controlling and sometimes freeloading family, and it was clear to anyone that Harlow was treating this stress and anxiety with alcohol. Contrary to rumor, it was not initially her mother’s Christian Science beliefs that caused Harlow to die. The mother had allowed bona fide doctors to treat Harlow.
However, she was improperly diagnosed and given tons of fluids when they should have been draining fluids. The mother only leaned heavily into the Christian Science when Harlow had taken a dramatic turn for the worse and the mother felt totally helpless and out of control over a life to which she was accustomed to feeling very much in control. Having survived the sexual crackdown of the Production Code, it is sad to see Harlow’s last two films, the inconsequential “Personal Property” and the good but posthumously completed “Saratoga” where she just seems so tired, and trying so hard to sparkle. Sad to think about what kind of career she might have had, perhaps becoming a writer, or going the character actress route like Louise Dresser (which Marilyn Monroe had envisioned for herself), or becoming huge in television like Lucille Ball.
August 19, 2023
Having an interest in vintage Hollywood this book is everything I expected- tragedy and toxic masculinity.
I wanted better for Harlow, constantly exploited even by her own family. She was a remarkable figure in a toxic, patriarchal society that tried to control her.
Fascinating but terribly sad.
I wanted better for Harlow, constantly exploited even by her own family. She was a remarkable figure in a toxic, patriarchal society that tried to control her.
Fascinating but terribly sad.
June 14, 2024
Lovely, gorgeous book. A joy to read and view. Filled with beautiful photos taken by some of the greatest Hollywood photographers. It is a tragedy that she died at age 26 from kidney failure. Everyone loved her from her co-stars to the crews that she worked with. Intelligent, funny, and a nice person but saddled with a manipulative mother.
March 28, 2025
Nothing new.
June 4, 2015
This is the perfect companion book to David Stenn's excellent BOMBSHELL: THE LIFE AND DEATH OF JEAN HARLOW. That book gave the in-depth story.
Mark Vieira co-wrote this book with Darrell Rooney, and I loved Vieira's SIN IN SOFT FOCUS. This book doesn't disappoint, either. The reproduced photographs are exceptional and definitely add to the Harlow mystique. The text is more of a surface description when compared to the depth of Stenn's book, but it still provides an excellent overview.
Jean Harlow's story is filled with "what might have been" speculation. Would MGM have kept her under contract when so many stars were abandoned? (I think so as she was still very popular at the box office.) Would she have had a classic among the 1939 Golden Year releases? Would her stories have favored her flair for comedy, or would she settle on more dramatic roles? Or would her drinking have gotten the better of her as it did Linda Darnell in later years?
We'll never know. What have do have, though, is a book that is a feast for the eyes with stunning photography. It is also beautifully written, putting me from one event or film to another and always keeping me entertained. TCM was running SARATOGA just before I finished the book, and it was intriguing to watch the recording of it having been immersed the background story.
I highly recommend this one for anyone with interest in Jean Harlow. It is one you'll want to return to and share with others.
Mark Vieira co-wrote this book with Darrell Rooney, and I loved Vieira's SIN IN SOFT FOCUS. This book doesn't disappoint, either. The reproduced photographs are exceptional and definitely add to the Harlow mystique. The text is more of a surface description when compared to the depth of Stenn's book, but it still provides an excellent overview.
Jean Harlow's story is filled with "what might have been" speculation. Would MGM have kept her under contract when so many stars were abandoned? (I think so as she was still very popular at the box office.) Would she have had a classic among the 1939 Golden Year releases? Would her stories have favored her flair for comedy, or would she settle on more dramatic roles? Or would her drinking have gotten the better of her as it did Linda Darnell in later years?
We'll never know. What have do have, though, is a book that is a feast for the eyes with stunning photography. It is also beautifully written, putting me from one event or film to another and always keeping me entertained. TCM was running SARATOGA just before I finished the book, and it was intriguing to watch the recording of it having been immersed the background story.
I highly recommend this one for anyone with interest in Jean Harlow. It is one you'll want to return to and share with others.
June 28, 2020
Loved Eve Golden's book giving Harlow the star treatment. But when it came to weeding out my collection, this book won out hands down. It is so beautiful and so it remains in my (ever diminishing) collection of "Old Hollywood" books.
Many of the photos have not been published elsewhere, as far as I know.
Many of the photos have not been published elsewhere, as far as I know.
April 11, 2014
This is one of the best pictorial biographies out there. The photos, text and design are all superb. A great introduction to the life and career of Jean Harlow.
May 7, 2023
If you want only the top highlights of Jean Harlow's life, this is the book to do that. I wish it would have dug a little deeper.
December 19, 2022
A decent but not too engaging biography of the hollywood legend. Some of it was good, but it promised that it would deal with the machinery of Hollywood and it was just a bio book. Not bad.
July 8, 2024
What a lot of information about Jean Harlow that I knew about. From her birth (where she earned the nickname of The Baby or Baby) to her teenage years to her short time in Hollywood, this book flowed along.
What a short sad life Jean Harlow had. From the beginning, she had an overbearing helicopter mother and a father who left soon after Jean was born. She spent time with her Grandma and seemed to be very close to the older woman. Jean's mother had a "control complex" and Jean was the object of her obsession.
Once in Hollywood, Jean's life didn't improve. She was not signed by any of the major studios and had to settle for short reels for Hal Roach. Jean married 3 times but none of the men could give her the love she was looking for.
Her death is wonderfully chronicled but oh how sad that she had to go through such and agonizing period before death mercifully came to her.
What a short sad life Jean Harlow had. From the beginning, she had an overbearing helicopter mother and a father who left soon after Jean was born. She spent time with her Grandma and seemed to be very close to the older woman. Jean's mother had a "control complex" and Jean was the object of her obsession.
Once in Hollywood, Jean's life didn't improve. She was not signed by any of the major studios and had to settle for short reels for Hal Roach. Jean married 3 times but none of the men could give her the love she was looking for.
Her death is wonderfully chronicled but oh how sad that she had to go through such and agonizing period before death mercifully came to her.
June 27, 2025
An enjoyable if sad read. Jean Harlow was a 1930s glamour icon, a sex symbol and a gifted actress with beauty and brains. Unfortunately in her brief life she was plagued with self-doubts, vipers of a mother and stepfather, and got romantically involved with a parade of unsuitable, predatory men. Reading this made me wonder what kind of person she would have been if she'd been born in a different era, closer to today or perhaps further back. This is a coffee table book with lots of excellent photos of Harlow in publicity photos, vintage magazines, and living her life.
October 27, 2023
I would actually rate this a 3.5. I wish that there was more details in this book. It is a very quick read of Jean Harlow ( Harlean Harlow Carpenter) life. Almost just an outline of her life. Mostly facts with very little personality of this actress who died way before her time.
June 6, 2020
Fantastic! Engaging to read and full of beautiful pictures, many I hadn’t seen before.
April 5, 2021
Adorable book.
August 22, 2021
#FreeBritney
April 16, 2024
Really good bio of the short, sad life of the (original?) blonde bombshell.
October 30, 2024
Interesting-and short! Made me like Harlow. (And dislike Wm. Powell. Ugh. 🫤)
September 8, 2025
quick read but covers the details of Ms Harlows life and yet another glimpse into the world that is classic Hollywood.
October 4, 2016
Interesting look into early Hollywood glamour and it's pitfalls.
July 23, 2017
The Golden Age of Hollywood, which lasted from the early '30s to the early '60s, was a unique time in the history of American film. Not only were movies further developed due to the advent of sound, but this film era also saw the rise of the studio system and of the great stars that represented them. One of those great stars was the first platinum blonde, Jean Harlow. Harlow in Hollywood illuminates the star's years as an actress in Hollywood as well as her three marriages and her unexpected death. The book's authors use a timeline to describe her life from her birth in 1911 to her death in 1937. Most of the book's details are simply an overview of the events of her life in Hollywood, which is perfect for the general reader. For someone wanting obscure details, this book will not satisfy them, and they will need to look further for other books on Harlow. This is not to say that there isn't something for everyone in Harlow in Hollywood. Aside from the narrative, the book also contains pages and pages of black and white photographs of Harlow, some of which are rare. This visual feast includes both formal and informal photographs. As the narrative progresses, so do the photographs. The hardcover edition includes a map of Hollywood's most famous landmarks including the homes of its most prominent stars. Like Hollywood of old, the book itself has a certain glamour to it. Although Harlow died when she was only 26 years old, she lives on in films, photographs, and books. Her iconic look has been copied by actresses who came after her. "The Baby", as she was called by those around her, had the power to mesmerize millions of people.
July 19, 2015
This is the first book that I've read on Jean Harlow. And it won't be the last.
And this is such a beautifully presented book to keep and enjoy over and over.
I've always been a curious person for the history of Hollywood and a fan of Marilyn Monroe.
So naturally I've always wanted to know about Jean Harlow.
And this book is a wonderful starter.
She was a very hard worker. But her mother had a complete control of her.
That you wish someone had gotten involved and told her to back off of her daughters life.
The way that Jean Harlow died is very, very heartbreaking.
I don't think that anybody, like the doctor that had diagnosed her with the wrong illness,
just before her death. Ever took any responsibility for her dying.
When in 2015, the doctor would have been held accountable for her death.
So if you love the history of Hollywood and a fan of Marilyn Monroe and Jean Harlow.
Then I highly recommend that you read this book.
And this is such a beautifully presented book to keep and enjoy over and over.
I've always been a curious person for the history of Hollywood and a fan of Marilyn Monroe.
So naturally I've always wanted to know about Jean Harlow.
And this book is a wonderful starter.
She was a very hard worker. But her mother had a complete control of her.
That you wish someone had gotten involved and told her to back off of her daughters life.
The way that Jean Harlow died is very, very heartbreaking.
I don't think that anybody, like the doctor that had diagnosed her with the wrong illness,
just before her death. Ever took any responsibility for her dying.
When in 2015, the doctor would have been held accountable for her death.
So if you love the history of Hollywood and a fan of Marilyn Monroe and Jean Harlow.
Then I highly recommend that you read this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 23, 2011
Just the best! But I expected nothing less from my long time friends Darrell Rooney and Mark Vieira!
November 27, 2012
Fantastic photos: a compelling text.
July 28, 2016
Wow! Everything about this book is gorgeous. The authors definitely paid attention to every detail. I'm so glad I picked this up because it is an absolute treasure.
May 3, 2023
Very well researched and written. The photos are stunning!!! Absolutely love this book.
September 2, 2011
Amazing photographs and compelling text.
June 2, 2016
Gorgeous a must for any Harlow fan
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews