Actress. Born Harlean Harlow Carpenter in Kansas City to dentist Mint Flair Carpenter and Jean Poe Harlow. After a move to Los Angeles, she quickly found work as an extra and worked bit parts in films, taking the maiden name of her mother, Jean Harlow, for her stage name. She married three times, with a fourth on the horizon in William Powell. She appeared in forty-one movies, was voted to the American Film Institute's list of the greatest actresses of the Golden Age, and became the first movie actress to appear on the cover of Life Magazine. Her first feature film "Hell's Angels" drew an estimated crowd of 50,000 people at Grauman's Hollywood Theatre during its premiere. She was paired with Hollywood's leading men, Clark Gable, Spencer Tracy, and William Powell, thus becoming the cinema's chief money maker. She changed her roles from sensuous to comedienne, making films such as 'Platinum Blonde,' 'Red-Headed Woman,' 'Red Dust', 'Bombshell,' and 'Hold Your Man.' Other well-remembered films include 'Dinner at Eight,' 'China Seas,' and 'Libeled Lady.' She suffered from scarlet fever at 15 which probably led to the kidney disease which took her life at the young age of 26. Her funeral was an extravaganza staged at Forest Lawn, Glendale. Her co-star in five movies, Clark Gable was a pallbearer, and Jeanette McDonald and Nelson Eddy sang at the ceremony. A huge banquet followed the service, and, while a band played, mourners reminisced and remembered Jean Harlow.

Actress. Born Harlean Harlow Carpenter in Kansas City to dentist Mint Flair Carpenter and Jean Poe Harlow. After a move to Los Angeles, she quickly found work as an extra and worked bit parts in films, taking the maiden name of her mother, Jean Harlow, for her stage name. She married three times, with a fourth on the horizon in William Powell. She appeared in forty-one movies, was voted to the American Film Institute's list of the greatest actresses of the Golden Age, and became the first movie actress to appear on the cover of Life Magazine. Her first feature film "Hell's Angels" drew an estimated crowd of 50,000 people at Grauman's Hollywood Theatre during its premiere. She was paired with Hollywood's leading men, Clark Gable, Spencer Tracy, and William Powell, thus becoming the cinema's chief money maker. She changed her roles from sensuous to comedienne, making films such as 'Platinum Blonde,' 'Red-Headed Woman,' 'Red Dust', 'Bombshell,' and 'Hold Your Man.' Other well-remembered films include 'Dinner at Eight,' 'China Seas,' and 'Libeled Lady.' She suffered from scarlet fever at 15 which probably led to the kidney disease which took her life at the young age of 26. Her funeral was an extravaganza staged at Forest Lawn, Glendale. Her co-star in five movies, Clark Gable was a pallbearer, and Jeanette McDonald and Nelson Eddy sang at the ceremony. A huge banquet followed the service, and, while a band played, mourners reminisced and remembered Jean Harlow.

Bio by: Donald Greyfield