Home > Back to Search Results >
Jean Harlow's Hollywood breakthrough moment...
Jean Harlow's Hollywood breakthrough moment...
Item # 719817
November 21, 1930
THE DETROIT FREE PRESS, Nov. 21, 1930
* Actress Jean Harlow (18) breakthrough
* Howard Hughes' "Hell's Angels" film
* Pre-code independent epic war movie
The top of page 9 has a small one column heading: "Jean Harlow Is Film Cinderella" with small photo. And the previous page has a advertisement for the film. (see images)
Complete with all 24 pages, light toning and some wear at the margins, generally in good condition.
AI notes: Jean Harlow's breakthrough in Hell’s Angels (1930) marked one of Hollywood’s most dramatic and sensational debuts. Originally cast as a replacement for Greta Nissen—whose heavy accent clashed with the film’s sudden shift from silent to sound—Harlow, then just 18 and relatively unknown, was handpicked by eccentric billionaire director Howard Hughes for her striking looks and magnetic screen presence. Despite having little acting experience, she was thrust into the role of Helen, a seductive and morally ambiguous woman caught between two brothers during World War I. Her performance, while uneven and criticized by some for its stiffness, electrified audiences, particularly due to her bold, suggestive delivery of lines like, “Would you be shocked if I put on something more comfortable?” Combined with the film’s groundbreaking aerial combat scenes and lavish production, Harlow’s raw sensuality and icy platinum-blonde allure captivated the public, instantly transforming her into a provocative new icon of the talkie era. Though Hell’s Angels received mixed critical reviews, it became a box office hit and catapulted Harlow into stardom, laying the foundation for her legendary status as the original "Blonde Bombshell."
Category: The 20th Century
Available Now
$52.00
