Customer Reviews

Harlow [VHS]

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

...this is a movie based on a ficticious biography by one of Harlow's first agents and thus, an inaccurate depiction of Jean's life. If you want the real story on Jean Harlow , I suggest you find two recent biographies written about Harlow within the last 5-6 years; They dispell all the myths and get to the truth. A movie was to be made in 2000 based on one of these books, but it hasn't happened yet. So, in the meantime, enjoy this 1960's escapism movie for the outlandish sets, great wardrobe and lots of soap opera drama...but, don't take it seriously because of its inaccuracy. But I will say Carroll Baker, Peter Lawford, and Angela Lansbury do the best they can with what was given them.

Even though this film is supposed to take place in the 30's, it's B-Movie 60's film flash all the way - a Hollywood extravagant self-indulgent look in the mirror at the old studio "star machine" complete with a pale blonde virginal starlet, great looking glitzy gowns, sexual innuendo for the times and a bachelor pad (Leslie Nielsen's)that Austin Powers would covet. It's not trying to paint an accurate picture of Jean Harlow at all. Once you get over that fact, it's pure fun to watch and enjoy.

I don't know why the critics were so hard on Caroll Baker in this life story of Jean Harlow. All the movies that i've ever seen that Jean Harlow made then watching the ultra talented Caroll Baker playing the part of Harlow to me was breathtaking.Caroll Baker in this movie is the most BEAUTIFUL women in the world and also my all time favorite movie actress. She has a unique acting style and this very beautiful speaking voice with a touch of an accent,,,,not sure if it's English, Scotish or what, but her speaking voice is just wonderful to the ears.As far as the story,,,yes it's a little Hollywood towards the end but it is a great tear-jerker one along with the beautiful music score thoughtout the entire film.I really believe that if you buy this you will be pleasently surprised and wonder why you never saw this before. Also if you enjoy Caroll Baker in "Harlow" check out Caroll Baker in the 1959 movie "The Miracle." You'll see a different hair color and you will also see my favorite movie of all times. If i could pass a law it would be that everyone would have to see "The Miracle" at least once and give it a good review. Sorry,,,just getting carried away.

This film takes many liberties with the truth about the life & death of Jean Harlow, but it is still a fun watch from beginning to end. Carol Bakker is fabulously sexy as the over-worked, under-appreciated Jean who comes across as more of a victim of the Hollywood machine than she actually was. She plays Harlow's sexuality to the hilt (well at least as much as 1960's Hollywood would allow) and gives a meaningful performance that outshines the fluff of the material. Red Buttons is excellant as always portraying the agent who knew he could make Harlow a star. Angela Landsbury is flawless as Harlow's needy, lazy mother. Lots of fun with big bowl of buttered popcorn and a cold Pepsi!

Carroll Baker COULD have been stunning as Harlow! Numerous stills exist of her in more authentic make-up and costuming and she really did evoke the image of the legendary Harlow. But, sometime between those stills (possibly make-up and costume tests - see the Nov. 2, '63 issue of Sat. Eve. Post), and actual filming, her onscreen look became highly modernized. Gone were Harlow's trademark "pencil-line" eyebrows, for instance. And, I think it was a crime not to include a scene of Harlow's most iconic photo being taken - the Time Magazine cover shot of her sitting in her boudoir chair, stunning feather-sleeved negligee', mirror in hand, and her shoe dangling from her foot. My other main complaint is the skimmed-over death of Harlow - one scene she's passing out drunk on the beach, the next she's dying - of pneumonia! Harlow did NOT die of pneumonia; she died from uremic poisoning. This is like having Cleopatra die from heartbreak instead of the bite of an asp! Miss Baker wears Harlow's beauty mark on the upper right side of the chin - Harlow's was on the upper LEFT! So, yes, there are many easily fixable errors to the Harlow look, and several mystifying errors/ommissions to Harlow story. Harlow's death was caused by a beating she received from her husband, Paul Bern. The beating apparently injured her kidney, which resulted in kidney failure/uremic poisoning. And, the whole Paul Bern situation, one of great scandal, tragic humiliation, and the VERY mysterious death of Bern, was as glossed-over as Harlow's death. Unlike today's audiences who DEMAND the "nitty-gritty", perhaps the early/mid-60's was not the time to tell the real story of Harlow. With all this said, the film as it was shot, IS entertaining, glamorous, and beautiful in that oh-so-60's kind of way. I'd really like to see the Harlow story done again, with today's standards, and with Drew Barrymore as Harlow! Drew is the right age, has the "chops", and BOY does she have the look!

More fiction than fact, but still a good movie with a super cast. Angela Lansbury turn in a moving performance as Mamma Jean and that alone is worth the price of the movie. Hollywood Soap opra Bio at its' very best! Right up there with Valley of The Dolls ; a true must see!

The movie "Harlow" was wonderful. Carroll Baker's acting was superb. I have watched it more than once. I've also taped it (have 2 videos). American Movie Classics showed it more than once.Of course, there is another version with Carol Lynley made the same year, but unfortunately she did not get the recognition she should have because Carroll Baker's "Harlow" was more extravagent.All-in-All a great movie! And a wonderful rememberance of Jean Harlow.

I love this movie! I am a big Carroll Baker fan, and love how she can truly be a wonderful actress in her early films and then in the later stuff pure camp. I think this is a really fun movie, acted well by entire cast. Angela Landsbury is magic as is Red Buttons. I dont think that Carroll knew exactly how to play this part. Carroll was coming off the success of The Carpetbaggers in 1964, and had really defined her sex bomb image. So really, its part Carroll, part Jean and part Texas Guinan who she was portraying in The Carpetbaggers. The costumes are great, the sets are lavish, and it is filmed in beautiful 1960's color. The movie looks like candy in each scene. You wont be disappointed with the purchase of this film, only if you are a true Harlow fan looking for more facts than fiction.

Whoever wrote this junkyard of a film should have been permanently barred from writing a film script ever again. Every aspect of Jean Harlow's life has been fictionalized and/or invented. The only Harlow in this film is the title, otherwise it has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with Jean Harlow, her life, and her eventual tragedy and death. The platinum wig is a rip-off of Marilyn's hair style in the unfinished Something's Got to Give and does not resemble at all Harlow's signature do. As a matter of fact, this film seems to have a Monroe fixation. The costumes, fabulous as they may be, are not authentic thirties. Edith Head most definitely does not give good Head here! Anachronisms abound and nothing is period, least of all the music, jazzy sixties stuff, which has nothing to do with the twenties or thirties, but sounds totally like it was written for another film and ill inserted into this hallucination. There is a technical problem with the music track, which is deafeningly loud and hiked up several decibels higher than the dialog track (see my review of Where Love Has Gone for more details). My main reason for viewing this film was the magnificent Angela Lansbury whose work I always try to get my hands on. I was sadly disappointed, as she is merely a decoration here and is given absolutely nothing to do throughout the entire film. Still, she manages to outdo the material and shine brightly in the death scene, her sole moment of glory in this convoluted crap. Red Buttons, who has much more screen time than Lansbury also manages to turn in a fine performance, but surprisingly, the most memorable turn comes from Raf Vallone as Marino Bello, a role so badly written that the viewer never knows whether Marino is a devil or a saint, a doting stepfather or a gigolo, an illiterate, opera singing Italian or a shrewd businessman. Credit must be given to Vallone for managing to make a human being out of a cartoon character. This multiple personalities syndrome also applies to the Harlow role as written, and we are presented with a woman who is supposedly a virgin but who has a sexual sewer for a mind and is constantly craving to be ravaged by every man she meets, who is both a victim and a tormentor, who both adores and despises her mother, who abhors her stepfather but wants to have sex with him, who is barely literate or verbal yet comes up with deliciously witty venom worthy of the most vicious drag queen when being interviewed by the press ... the list goes on and on. With writing like this can anyone actually blame poor Carroll Baker for looking and sounding absolutely miscast? No actress in the world could have made a human being out of the platinum Barbie doll this script makes of Jean Harlow. This is a sorry mess and you would do well to stay away from it. On the other hand, if you love so-bad-it's-good campy trash à la Valley of the Dolls, then this is the perfect film for you.

PS - Arroz Con Mango is a Cubanism meaning a big mess, chaos, or confusion.

Who else but Catol Baker could portray the legendary Sex Goddess!
Her figure, her clothes, makeup; THATS HOLLYWOOD!
Baker comes across breathlessly in Harlow's form, and I don't believe anyone else could have done it better.
She truly captures your heart in the final scene where she lay dying and reaching out to her mama in her final breath. The movie Harlow will be forevermore listed as a legendary classic.
The Carol Baker's of yesteryear are gone now and it's sad that they are not given the recognition they so deserve. What is left now? Only actors who forget their lines and are truly miscast in many roles. A lover of Classic films in Calif.