Eddie Hall (Clark Gable) is on the run from the police. Taking shelter in an apartment building, he runs into the apartment of Ruby Adams (Jean Harlow), a stranger. Luckily for Eddie, Ruby is more than willing to help him out. She hides him in her bathroom and covers for him when the cops come knocking at her door. She tells the police that the … Continue reading Hold Your Man (1933)
Stage starlet Mona Leslie (Jean Harlow) has been jailed for reckless driving, but luckily for the young lady, her grandmother (May Robson) is determined to bust her out of the place. Granny enlists the help of Ned Riley (William Powell), who is in love with Mona. Ned comes through and manages to get Mona out of jail, just in time for the curtain to rise on … Continue reading Reckless (1935)
Eadie Chapman (Jean Harlow) lives in Missouri, where her mother runs a beer-fueled dance hall. Eadie wants more out of her life, so she becomes determined to marry a wealth man. She heads to New York City with her best friend Kitty (Patsy Kelly) to find a suitor, and they quickly find work as chorus girls. Eadie gets her first chance at a millionaire when … Continue reading The Girl from Missouri (1934)
Suzy (Jean Harlow) is an American chorus girl who hopes to move to London in hopes to be swept off her feet by a royal and marry into the wealth of the monarchy. Rather than fulfill that dream, she meets Terry Moore (Franchot Tone), a factory foreman, and quickly falls in love with him. The two marry, but tragedy strikes (the nature of which I … Continue reading Suzy (1936): Contemporary reviews + my thoughts
Cassie Barnes (Jean Harlow) lives in a small town and works at a soda fountain. She’s tired of the small-town lifestyle and decides to move to New York City, where she hopes she’ll have a better future, sharing an apartment with her friend Dot (Marie Prevost). When Cassie arrives in New York, she finds that it isn’t all that different from her life back home. … Continue reading Three Wise Girls (1932)
“Instead of the glorification of cowardly gangsters, we need the glorification of policemen who do their duty and give their lives in public protection. If the police had the vigilant, universal backing of public opinion in their communities, if they had the implacable support of the prosecuting authorities and the courts — I am convinced that our police would stamp out the excessive crime — … Continue reading The Beast of the City (1932)
Published in 1965, The Films of Jean Harlow by Michael Conway and Mark Ricci opens with a biography and retrospective of Harlow’s career with seven pages of commentary, followed by a nine-page photo gallery, and then a film-by-film overview of her work as an actress. Stills, cast list, crew list, a synopsis and contemporary comments from film critics are included for each film. From her … Continue reading TMP Reads: The Films of Jean Harlow by Michael Conway and Mark Ricci
Alan Gaskell (Clark Gable) is a tough, monsoon-surviving ship captain. His latest voyage is going from Hong Kong to Singapore – a dangerous route, especially with a shipment of gold hidden on board that pirates will be hungry for. But aside from his work, Gaskell loves to have fun. He drinks, he parties… and he has a sassy lady friend known as China Doll (Jean … Continue reading China Seas (1935)
Red-headed Woman (1932): 3/5 Jean Harlow stars as the home-wreckin’ red-head Lil in this pre-code film. She’s the definition of a gold digger, hopping from man to man and even hopping to different continents. The beginning of this film is a bit dis-jointed, in a very laughable way. Some of the early scenes seem randomly cut together, as though some of the footage was lost, … Continue reading Red-headed Woman (1932)
Libeled Lady (Jack Conway, 1936) Why? This one should come as no surprise. Jean Harlow, Myrna Loy, Spencer Tracy and William Powell are a winning combination. And on top of that fabulous cast you’ve got some extremely witty dialogue, always sharply delivered. This film is near perfect in my book. Favorite character: Haggerty, portayed by Spencer Tracy Favorite quote or scene: Fishing! Continue reading Top 9 non-musical comedies of the 1930s, #4
