Harlow (Paramount film)

Harlow
	Original theatrical poster
Directed by	Gordon Douglas
Produced by	Joseph E. Levine
Written by	John Michael Hayes
Based on	Harlow: An Intimate Biography; by Irving Shulman
Starring	Carroll Baker; Red Buttons; Raf Vallone; Angela Lansbury
Music by	Neal Hefti
Cinematography	Joseph Ruttenberg
Edited by	Frank Bracht; Archie Marshek
Production; company	Embassy Pictures; Promethemus Enterprises Inc.
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures
Release date	June 23, 1965 (United States);
Running time	125 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$2.5 million
Box office	$3,400,000 (US/ Canada rentals)[1]$1 million

Harlow is a 1965 American biographical film directed by Gordon Douglas about the life of film star Jean Harlow. It stars Carroll Baker in the title role and Raf Vallone, Red Buttons, Angela Lansbury, Peter Lawford, Mike Connors, Martin Balsam and Leslie Nielsen in supporting roles. It was released by Paramount Pictures shortly after Magna had released a different film with the same title and subject. Although the film failed commercially, it was successful in launching the hit song "Girl Talk" by Neal Hefti.

Plot

The film opens with Harlow as a struggling extra and bit actress dealing with her greedy stepfather Marino and oblivious mother "Mama Jean." With the help of Arthur Landau, she rises to fame and gains the unwanted attention of the Howard Hughes-inspired Richard Manley. She then marries Paul Bern, an absentee husband who commits suicide.[[ His death, combined with the stress of her career, leads Harlow on an odyssey of failed relationships and alcoholism, culminating in her death of kidney failure at the age of 26.

Cast

Carroll Baker as Jean Harlow
Red Buttons as Arthur Landau
Raf Vallone as Marino Bello
Angela Lansbury as Mama Jean Bello
Peter Lawford as Paul Bern
Mike Connors as Jack Harrison (as Michael Connors)
Martin Balsam as Everett Redman
Leslie Nielsen as Richard Manley
Mary Murphy as Sally Doane
Hanna Landy as Beatrice Landau
Peter Hansen as Assistant Director
Kipp Hamilton as Marie Tanner
Peter Leeds as Parker
Sonny Liston as a fist fighter

Production

The concept of depicting Jean Harlow on film had originated in the 1950s. Many actresses were reported to have been cast as Harlow in different biopics, such as Cleo Moore for Columbia and Jayne Mansfield for Fox, but both of these projects fell through. In 1962, Fox announced that Marilyn Monroe would play Harlow in a lavish biopic under her new contract. However, after Monroe's death, the project was sold to Paramount, which cast Carroll Baker in the title role. Based in part on Irving Shulman's pulp biography Harlow: An Intimate Biography, Paramount's Harlow is a melodramatic look at Harlow's life, focusing on her failed marriages. The widescreen Technicolor film, produced by Joseph E. Levine, was made on a $2.5 million budget, and was supported by a wide-reaching publicity campaign.

Douglas later said that during filming Baker "was very sick, physically and also mentally, I think. She was going through bad times. But she did a hell of a good job on the picture."[2]

DVD release

On September 28, 2010, Olive Films released Harlow on Region 1 DVD in the United States.

References

This figure consists of anticipated rentals accruing distributors in North America. See "Big Rental Pictures of 1965", Variety, 5 January 1966 p 6
Davis, Ronald L. (2005). Just making movies. University Press of Mississippi. p. 199.

External links

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[1] This figure consists of anticipated rentals accruing distributors in North America. See "Big Rental Pictures of 1965", Variety, 5 January 1966 p 6

[davis-2] Davis, Ronald L. (2005). Just making movies. University Press of Mississippi. p. 199.