Did you know that this legendary actress dreamed of dancing her way into the hearts of people on the silver screen? She did very much so.
Jean Harlow was born on March 3, 1911, and died on June 7, 1937, due to complications of Uremia (acute renal failure.) The medical diagnosis was uremic poisoning, also known as acute kidney failure or acute kidney disease. It has many names. Jean was born Harlean Carpenter in Kansas City, Missouri. Harlean was an amalgam of her mother’s maiden name. Jean and her mother will relocate to Los Angeles following her parent’s separation. Only a short time later, she launched into an incredible career.
I wonder where the silver screen might have taken her if Jean had not passed away. Did someone or even anyone close to her know she was struggling with her health? Due to the telltale signs of Uremia, she likely had diabetes. In May 1937, Jean became very ill but reportedly felt unwell for about a year. It reported that she had suffered from an “acute sunburn” (PS… I seriously felt that), a throat infection, and influenza. The signs of acute kidney failure include Extreme fatigue, nausea and vomiting, confusion, excessive urination, swelling (edema) in hands, feet, and ankles, cramps and muscle spasms, and dry, itchy skin. Jean was also reported to have meningitis and scarlet fever while a teenager making her health compromised. Jean also had
Physicians discovered the Uremia and thought she was responding well to the treatment, but Jean fell into a coma and would never regain consciousness. In addition to her blonde bombshell looks and leading lady legs, odd for a woman who stood five foot one inch tall and weighed in at 108 pounds. Jean’s talent shined in her movies for her looks and perhaps even more for her comedic talents. The true measure of her talent as an actor is, perhaps, undervalued, and we will never know due to her unfortunate and untimely death. Her hair in most films is platinum which she claimed was natural. It was not. She was a blonde, just not the chemically altered form of platinum. Her hairdresser used Clorox, ammonia, and Lux soap flakes to create the color and dyed the color weekly. The process, however, made a dangerous chemical concoction dangerous to humans. Ultimately, her hair fell out, and she relied on wigs to create her platinum image.
Her film credits include:
Chasing Husbands, lost film 1928
Liberty 1929
Saturday Night Kid 1929
Why Is a Plumber? 1929
The Unkissed Man 1929
Double Whoopee 1929
Thundering Toupees 1929
Bacon Grabbers 1929
Weak But Willing 1929
Hells Angels 1930
The Secret Six 1931
The Public Enemy 1931
Goldie 1931
Platinum Blonde 1931
Red-Headed Woman 1932
Red Dust 1932
Screen Snapshots 1932
Dinner at Eight 1933
Hold Your Man 1933
Bombshell 1933
Hollywood on Parade No. A-121933 1933
Hollywood on Parade No. B-11933 1933
Hollywood on Parade No. B-61934 1934
Reckless 1935
Libeled Lady 1936
The Candid Camera Story 1937
Saratoga 1937
Forest of Words 