Actress Jean Harlow dies | June 7, 1937 | HISTORY (2024)

This Day In History: June 7

June | 7

On June 7, 1937, Hollywood is shocked to learn of the sudden and tragic death of the actress Jean Harlow, who succumbs to uremic poisoning (now better known as acute renal failure, or acute kidney failure) at the age of 26.

Born Harlean Carpenter in Kansas City, Missouri, she moved with her mother to Los Angeles as a child after her parents separated. Harlean was an amalgam of her mother’s maiden name, Jean Harlow, which the actress later took as her stage name. At the age of 16, she eloped with Charles McGrew, a young bond broker. Their marriage ended after she decided to pursue an acting career, against the will of her husband.

After working as a film extra, Harlow signed a contract with the producer Hal Roach, under which she briefly but memorably bared her soon-to-be-famous legs in Double Whoopee (1929), a Laurel and Hardy comedy. She made her sound debut in The Saturday Night Kid (1929), starring Clara Bow. Harlow got her big break soon after that, when Howard Hughes cast her in the sound update of his silent World War I-era epic Hell’s Angels (1930). In that film, Harlow made an impression on audiences with her glowing white-blond hair and the suggestive line “Would you be shocked if I put on something more comfortable?”

A Tour of Old Hollywood

Harlow appeared in a string of films in 1931, including The Secret Six, The Public Enemy, Goldie and Platinum Blonde. Her roles in these movies, as in Hell’s Angels, relied less on her acting and more on her alluring appearance. After Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer bought Harlow’s contract from Hughes in 1932, she made her breakout appearance in Red-Headed Woman (1932), for which screenwriter Anita Loos created a part especially for Harlow. The film was the first to showcase her comedic talent as well as her bombshell looks. Harlow’s popularity with fans and film critics alike continued to grow throughout the next several years, thanks to smash hits like Red Dust (1932)–one of her numerous movies with Clark Gable–Dinner at Eight (1933), Hold Your Man (1933) and Bombshell (1933).

Aside from her meteoric rise to fame in her professional life, Harlow’s private life was marked by grief and tragedy. Her second husband, Paul Bern, an executive at MGM, died by an apparent suicide in 1932, during the making of Red Dust. Harlow’s third marriage, to the cinematographer Harold Rosson, lasted less than a year. Harlow was engaged to marry the actor William Powell, her co-star in Reckless (1935) and Libeled Lady (1936), when she suddenly became seriously ill in late May 1937. According to her obituary in the New York Times, the actress had suffered from poor health for a year, including “an acute case of sunburn,” a throat infection and influenza. She also contracted scarlet fever and meningitis as a teenager, which permanently weakened her health. After doctors diagnosed uremic poisoning the weekend before, according to the Times, “Miss Harlow soon responded favorably to treatment and was thought well on the road to recovery when she lapsed into a coma last night.” She died the next day, June 7, 1937, at a hospital in Hollywood, California. Powell was at Harlow’s bedside when she died, along with her mother, stepfather and cousin.

Harlow’s final film, Saratoga (1937), was released posthumously; another actress served as her stand-in for several scenes so that the movie could be completed.

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FAQs

What did actress Jean Harlow die from? ›

She was about to marry her longtime fiancé and frequent costar, William Powell, when she became seriously ill. Diagnosed with uremic poisoning, she died at age 26. Her final film, Saratoga (1937), was released posthumously, with bit player Mary Dees standing in for Harlow in several scenes.

What caused Jean Harlow's kidneys to fail? ›

Her kidney failure was connected to a bout of scarlet fever she had at age fifteen. Unbeknownst to everyone, her kidneys had been degenerating for years. Although had they diagnosed this correctly, there wasn't much to be done for Harlow in the 1930s. Dialysis and kidney transplants had not yet come to fruition.

Did Jean Harlow ever marry? ›

Harlow was married to Charles McGrew in 1927. They divorced in 1930. On July 2, 1932 she married film producer Paul Bern, who committed suicide on September 5, 1932. On September 13, 1933 she married Harold Rosson.

Was William Powell in love with Jean Harlow? ›

He was romantically involved with Jean Harlow, his co-star in Reckless (1935), until her unexpected death from illness in 1937.

What actress died from a UTI? ›

Tanya Roberts, 'That '70s Show' star, dies at 65 from a UTI.

What did Rock Hudson die from? ›

At around 9 a.m. on October 2, 1985, Hudson died in his sleep from AIDS-related complications at his home in Beverly Hills at the age of 59. Hudson requested that no funeral be held. His body was cremated hours after his death and a cenotaph later was established at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Cathedral City, California.

Did Jean Harlow have any children? ›

Jean Harlow's daughter is named Harlean Harlow Carpenter. She was born on March 3, 1929, and later became known as Jean Harlow Jr. Harlean unfortunately passed away at a young age, just a few weeks shy of her sixth birthday.

Were Jean Harlow and Clark Gable friends? ›

«Neither of us knew much about the business,» Gable later recalled. «At the end of every scene she would ask me, 'How'm I doing?' And I would ask her the same.» Although initially they were both shy, Jean and Clark eventually became close friends during filming, a bond that lasted for the rest of her life.

Did Clark Gable know his son? ›

Did William Powell have a colostomy? ›

In 1938 he was diagnosed with cancer of the rectum. Rather than undergo a colostomy, he agreed to an experimental treatment where platinum needles containing radium pellets were inserted into his body, where they remained for six months, by which time his cancer had gone into remission.

What nationality was Jean Harlow? ›

Jean Harlow was an American film actress and sex symbol of the 1930s. Known as the “Platinum Blonde” and the “Blonde Bombshell” due to her platinum blonde hair, Harlow was ranked as one of the greatest movie stars of all time by the American Film Institute.

Did Myrna Loy and William Powell like each other? ›

Their frequent pairing—always playing a couple—and on-screen chemistry, especially in their six popular Thin Man films, where they played husband and wife Nick and Nora Charles, led many fans to believe they were married in real life. However, they were only good friends.

How did Clark Gable die? ›

Gable died of a heart attack at the age of 59; his final on-screen appearance was as an aging cowboy in The Misfits, released posthumously in 1961.

What did Jean Harlow look like? ›

Jean had the heavily made-up, penciled-in eyebrow, bleach-blonde look of a Hollywood sex symbol, but really did not look half as good as Marilyn Monroe, who set the modern standard for what a Hollywood sex symbol looked like. They were both going for the same look, but Marilyn pulled it off much better than Jean did.

What did Larry Harlow die of? ›

Larry Harlow, a pianist, arranger, producer and activist who helped to popularize salsa in the U.S., died early Friday morning of heart failure. His death was confirmed by family members, who said that he had been hospitalized for kidney issues.

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