Harlow Before the Code

Unabashedly sexual, Jean Harlow’s blonde tresses and scandalous décolletage became the signifiers of a new morality, far from the church pews of Kansas City where she was born. Harlow came to Hollywood in 1928 and, several nude photo shoots and casting couches later, got her big break with Howard Hughes in Hell’s Angels (1931). Her pairing with Clark Gable in Red Dust (1932) made her a superstar and kept MGM out of bankruptcy. While Harlow defined “the blonde bombshell,” she was also a gifted comedian, popular with male and female audiences. Never in good health, Harlow died in June 1937 of kidney failure, a mere 26 years old, a Hollywood icon forever after. This series presents a selection of Harlow’s pre-Code films in celebration of her centennial.