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Platinum Girl: The Life and Legends of Jean Harlow
Profiles the famous blond movie actress who died at the age of twenty-six from kidney disease
248 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 1991
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253 people want to read
About the author
Eve Golden
17 books57 followersEve Golden is a biographer whose work focuses on American silent film, theater and early twentieth century actresses.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 14 reviews
July 8, 2020
Jean Harlow was a bright star at MGM in the 1930s, a sex symbol who starred in some of the best films of the period. She was loved by her co-workers and she lived a busy life, with three husbands, one whose life ended in scandal, and a complicated relationship with her mother and step-father. She died suddenly at age 26 due to uremic poisoning from kidney failure.
I had read David Stenn's Bombshell prior to reading this, and while they have similar information, I felt that this book was superior in discussing Harlow's films and her performances. There are also lots of great photographs in this book that Stenn's does not have. On the flip side, this book is less objective, and Golden gushes a bit about Harlow's comedic abilities. Not to say that isn't enjoyable, especially for fans, but it is noticable.
I had read David Stenn's Bombshell prior to reading this, and while they have similar information, I felt that this book was superior in discussing Harlow's films and her performances. There are also lots of great photographs in this book that Stenn's does not have. On the flip side, this book is less objective, and Golden gushes a bit about Harlow's comedic abilities. Not to say that isn't enjoyable, especially for fans, but it is noticable.
June 11, 2011
A wonderful, even handed biography of the woman and the star, not the salacious made up version responsible for tainting her reputation for generations. Her all too short life was interesting and compelling enough, without the need for any embellishment.
Harlean is treated here with respect and yes, at times, the reader can see the author's love of her subject sneaking onto the pages. Golden shows us a woman before her time, comfortable in her own skin, able to make fun of her blonde bombshell image (as seen in the classic screwball comedy "Bombshell"), after all she never dreamed of stardom, that was her mother's dream for "Baby". At the same time Harlow does not completely enjoy the sex goddess label, she wants to be appreciated for more than her looks and works on cultivating her intelligence. Ms. Golden took me back to Harlow's life and times, her loves and scandals, her meteoric rise in classic Hollywood. I admit, as I got toward the last 50 to 75 pages, I actually put it aside for several days, because I didn't want to read through to the inevitable end. This is meant as a compliment, because I got swept up into the emotions of her life, the plans for her future, that it brought a freshness to how her loss was felt at the time. This book also showed why she was so respected by everyone on the set, from her co-stars to the stage hands, she knew their names and they never forgot hers.
Harlean is treated here with respect and yes, at times, the reader can see the author's love of her subject sneaking onto the pages. Golden shows us a woman before her time, comfortable in her own skin, able to make fun of her blonde bombshell image (as seen in the classic screwball comedy "Bombshell"), after all she never dreamed of stardom, that was her mother's dream for "Baby". At the same time Harlow does not completely enjoy the sex goddess label, she wants to be appreciated for more than her looks and works on cultivating her intelligence. Ms. Golden took me back to Harlow's life and times, her loves and scandals, her meteoric rise in classic Hollywood. I admit, as I got toward the last 50 to 75 pages, I actually put it aside for several days, because I didn't want to read through to the inevitable end. This is meant as a compliment, because I got swept up into the emotions of her life, the plans for her future, that it brought a freshness to how her loss was felt at the time. This book also showed why she was so respected by everyone on the set, from her co-stars to the stage hands, she knew their names and they never forgot hers.
January 9, 2017
Much more sympathetic towards Jean Harlow than the inferior Irving Shulman book. Recreates the tensions surrounding the actress in her dealings with the MGM Studio sytem and an over-bearing mother at times pushing her too hard. Inspired me to watch the films which although dated are an interesting insight to the themes and ideals of Hollywood cinema in the 1930s.
November 15, 2015
Interesting bio--quite different from the first one I read. Each writer seems to have their own take on Jean. It's a bit difficult to sort through it all and figure out the truth about some of the rumors about her. But I think this bio is less jaded, perhaps, than the other two I've read. It's worth a read.
August 11, 2007
Great bio of Harlow - Eve Golden's a gifted writer.
September 23, 2013
Clears away rumors and misconceptions about Jean Harlow and provides a fresh look at her career and life.
February 2, 2018
Possibly the best biography I've read on someone in the entertainment field. The author clearly loves her subject, but still pulled back the curtain to show every angle possible on Jean Harlow.
Eve Golden also did a better job in providing sources and footnotes than ANY entertainment biography I have read. She clearly had access at a level most biographers only dream of when it comes to researching her subject and it shows in the personal letters, postcards, and more that she quoted.
If you like Hollywood, the 30s, old movies, anything even remotely connected to any of those things, you really should read this book. The late Miss Harlow is still well-known, and (thanks to this book) still collecting fans.
Find it! Read it!
Eve Golden also did a better job in providing sources and footnotes than ANY entertainment biography I have read. She clearly had access at a level most biographers only dream of when it comes to researching her subject and it shows in the personal letters, postcards, and more that she quoted.
If you like Hollywood, the 30s, old movies, anything even remotely connected to any of those things, you really should read this book. The late Miss Harlow is still well-known, and (thanks to this book) still collecting fans.
Find it! Read it!
May 14, 2022
I have had interest in Jean Harlow as I like old movies and I know she died of kidney failure. This book is for sure a very thorough book about her life and her movies. I did like that for each movie there was a brief synopsis as well as how the movie was received. My issue with this book is that it reads like a history book. Super dry. Just the facts. There are some great pictures but I just felt like the writing was stale.
November 21, 2019
A biography that looks at the famous Harlow in a realistic and loving light. Worth reading for any Harlow fan!
February 2, 2021
moving, a must read for jean harlow fans
June 9, 2015
Second in a trio of film biographies I am reading (see Robinson's Chaplin: His Life and Art I just finished, McGilligan's Fritz Lang: The Nature of the Beast up next), this life of Harlow is similar to Chaplin's bio in its gentle handling of the subject.
Based on general cultural background I knew of Harlow, and on the author's review of the innuendo and rumor published on Harlow since her untimely death (1937 at age 26 from kidney failure), this gentle treatment was apparently overdue.
Harlow in real life wasn't the sex goddess of Hollywood, but a well-liked friend of actors and technical folks alike. Three times married, twice divorce, and once widowed under mysterious circumstances (Paul Bern committed suicide after 3 months of apparently happy marriage, but he had problems of his own), Harlow was unlucky in romance. Her mother was a classic stage mom yet also Harlow's best friend, but her step-father was a leach spending Harlow's money on get-rich-quick and outright fraudulent ventures of his own.
And judging from Golden's review, and cross-referencing with the omnipresent Leonard Maltin, Harlow was growing up into a real actress, not just a walking talking mannequin.
Based on general cultural background I knew of Harlow, and on the author's review of the innuendo and rumor published on Harlow since her untimely death (1937 at age 26 from kidney failure), this gentle treatment was apparently overdue.
Harlow in real life wasn't the sex goddess of Hollywood, but a well-liked friend of actors and technical folks alike. Three times married, twice divorce, and once widowed under mysterious circumstances (Paul Bern committed suicide after 3 months of apparently happy marriage, but he had problems of his own), Harlow was unlucky in romance. Her mother was a classic stage mom yet also Harlow's best friend, but her step-father was a leach spending Harlow's money on get-rich-quick and outright fraudulent ventures of his own.
And judging from Golden's review, and cross-referencing with the omnipresent Leonard Maltin, Harlow was growing up into a real actress, not just a walking talking mannequin.
July 12, 2017
Jeannie's graves' a mirror too
If there's a reflection it's out of true
Burn color film if the snow don't debut
We want your pills, virtue, the booze pas de deux.
The worlds a set piece but Jeannie knew
"It's time to die in bed with the flu"
& when the men cried, the girls just "achoo"
The mirror's a weapon, oh Jeannie, I'm through.
If there's a reflection it's out of true
Burn color film if the snow don't debut
We want your pills, virtue, the booze pas de deux.
The worlds a set piece but Jeannie knew
"It's time to die in bed with the flu"
& when the men cried, the girls just "achoo"
The mirror's a weapon, oh Jeannie, I'm through.
March 22, 2013
very interesting book. I learned a ton!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 14 reviews