Jean Harlow was born Harlean Carpenter on March 3, 1911, in Kansas City, Missouri, to a successful dentist and his wife. She ran away from home at the age of 16 to marry Charles McGrew, a 23-year-old businessman, in 1927. The couple moved to Los Angeles, where Jean began working as an extra in films.
Jean's early career consisted of bit parts in numerous films, including Moran of the Marines (1928) and Double Whoopee (1929). Her marriage to McGrew ended in divorce after just two years, allowing her to focus more on her acting career.
In 1930, Jean landed a role in Howard Hughes' Hell's Angels, which became a huge success. She was then sold to MGM for $60,000, where her career skyrocketed. Her appearance in Platinum Blonde (1931) cemented her status as America's new sex symbol.
Jean was paired with Clark Gable in several films, including Red Dust (1932),which was released shortly after the death of her husband, Paul Bern. Her subsequent films with Gable, including China Seas (1935),Wife vs. Secretary (1936),and Saratoga (1937),solidified her legacy as a Hollywood star.
Tragically, Jean died on June 7, 1937, at the age of 26, due to uremic poisoning. Her death led to a surge in popularity for her films, with record numbers of fans flocking to movie theaters to see her final film, Saratoga.
