jarrodmcdonald-1 I realized that for some reason I did not have a copy of BOMBSHELL-- so yesterday I sat down to record it and I ended up watching the whole thing again. A few things struck me about this picture and Harlow's work in it. First, I think it's a form of cinema verite and a precursor to reality television. There is one scene where she mentions scenes for RED DUST, which Harlow the actress appeared in. So the character she is playing in BOMBSHELL is a "fictionalized" version of herself as an MGM star. It takes a brilliant lady to be able to spoof herself, to play herself without lapsing into too much self-parody-- and she keeps it fairly straight for the most part, with her tongue-in-cheek way of poking fun at the business she's in. At some point you have to ask, what is real Harlow-- and since she's so smart, I am sure she asked herself that when she studied the script for BOMBSHELL.The other thing here is that not only does Harlow have to be in on the joke, but the entire cast has to be as well. The three actors that Lee Tracy's character hires to pull a fast one at the end of the film can be said to be playing a riff on their real-life selves. At one point, the phrase 'character actor' is used and C. Aubrey Smith was definitely that, and Franchot Tone would be regarded as more of a character actor later than he was as a leading man. Even Frank Morgan, who plays Harlow's father, is a character actor and he is certainly in on the gag of actors as 'family.' Indeed, they are all blurring the line between who they are, what they do for a living, and how to combine that effectively in order to make a new motion picture that is coherent and entertaining. Also, some of the scenes are so cleverly orchestrated where voices rise and fall and the competing crescendos make a cacophonous symphony of tragedy and satire that you have to ask how much was scripted and how much was improvised. Only the minds of true geniuses can assemble such haywire fun and pull off without a hitch. This is a top-flight group effort at classic movie making and Harlow is its ring leader par excellence.

classicsoncall Well how do you pass on a movie with a title like "Bombshell", especially when Jean Harlow's in the cast. Up till now, my quintessential idea of a screwball comedy was Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell trading barbs in "His Girl Friday", but this one certainly gives the latter picture a good run for it's money. Harlow appears pretty much as her own persona, an actress at the top of her profession who's seemingly unable to balance the demands of stardom with the pressures of those around her seeking to take advantage of her wealth and fame. I didn't quite know how to react to Lee Tracy's character, smarmy business agent Space Hanlon, who manages to keep Lola's name in newspaper headlines. He's got an answer for everything, and I think it's only his delivery that keeps him from being an outright cad.This movie is probably a good candidate for seeing more than once, since it's almost impossible to keep up with the furious pace and dialog. If you stop long enough to laugh you'll probably miss something that's even funnier or more outlandish, so it's best to stay focused. Helping this all come together is a well selected cast that includes Frank Morgan, Pat O'Brien, Una Merkel, Ivan Lebedeff and Louise Beavers. I was a little puzzled by Ted Healey's selection to portray Lola's brother Junior, a role that probably should have gone to someone younger looking, but maybe it's just me. It might also have been a good idea to give Una Merkel a few more lines as Lola's secretary Mac; she looked like she could have held her own with this bunch.Best line of the picture, if not the corniest, has to go to Franchot Tone, who as Lola's newest love Gifford Middleton, exclaims that "I'd like to run barefoot through your hair". That sounds kind of sweet until you try to conjure up a mental picture to go with the description. Seeing as how old Gifford turned out to be a phony, I wonder who came up with the lines he used. It had to be Hanlon.

theowinthrop This is an interesting change of pace comedy for Jean Harlow. She is not playing a lower class shop girl or even a prostitute like in THE GIRL FROM MISSOURI or RED DUST, nor a slumming upper class girl (as in THE PUBLIC ENEMY). Instead she is playing a very popular film star with a very sexy body and screen personae - gee, it sounds like she is playing Jean Harlow. According to the thread the character she is playing ("Lola Burns") was supposed to be based on Clara Bow (certainly the two names are similar in sound). But it could be based on Harlow's attempts (tragically repeatedly doomed) to have a happy normal life but finding her screen personae interfering.Still, even if one starts thinking of Harlow's marriage to Paul Bern or her romance with William Powell, the film is engrossing and humorous enough to make you push aside the tragedy of the life of Harlean Carpenter. Lola is, like all movie stars, a prisoner of the studio's determination to get all the public attention publicity can garner from it's merchandise (it's stars). In particular Lola finds herself at the mercy of the studio's head publicity man "Space Hanlon" (Lee Tracy). Tracy is always coming up with goofy stunts, or twisting events that involve Lola in her attempts at normality (like adopting a baby, or dating a "normal" man (Franchot Tone) into another mess. The studio only cares that she personifies sexual allure - so Hanlon keeps making that the key to his publicity: he even arranges a fight between several men on the set of her latest film (one is director Pat O'Brien) supposedly over Lola's love.Lola is not against sex and love - the quote in the "Summary line" is Lola's when her maid wakes her at the start of the film, and she's just had a promising sex dream. She really needs a confidante - but everyone around her takes advantage of her. Her father (Frank Morgan) is an alcoholic, cadging old scoundrel (who keeps reminding her - to her growing disgust - of her owing him obedience as her loving father). Her sibling (Ted Healey) is also an alcoholic, constantly having sexual affairs that she has to get him out of. Her maid actually steals from the household accounts (Lola is aware of this - she is not stupid). And all constantly are as demanding on her as her studio.Ironically there is one person who would be her confidante and more - but he knows she'll reject him. It's Space, who loves her. In fact, some of the stunts he sets up is to get rid of possible rivals. Eventually, can he get her to recognize this? Ah that is the final point of the film.Harlow was a gifted comic actress, knowing how to use her image for fun (such as Wallace Beery's unfaithful wife in DINNER AT EIGHT). But I suspect because of her own problems in Hollywood and real life she put more of herself in this film than in any other. I can't say it was her best performance (I tend to like RED DUST and CHINA SEAS a little more) but it was somehow her most real performance, and the film benefits as a result.

Incalculacable Bombshell is almost a mirror of Jean Harlow's life (although, I have heard it is extremely close to Clara Bow's life and from what I read from her biography, it seems very true) and it is fascinating to see Jean Harlow play herself (even references to Red Dust, which she made in the previous year), or perhaps what the viewers like to think is the real Jean Harlow. Anyway, Jean Harlow plays sexy bombshell Lola Burns – mega movie star who has everything – a mansion, maids, stunning clothes, dogs, movies with Clark Gable… but there's a downside: she has her drop-out brother and drunken father (Frank Oz) leeching money off her constantly to pay for their expensive lifestyle and her fast-talking publicity man Space Hanlon (Lee Tracy) makes up disgusting stories about her. She decides enough is enough – she's sick of Hollywood – so she packs up her bags.If you want to take a truthful and in-depth look at the old Hollywood system of making movie stars, than Bombshell is the movie for you! It takes an amusing but realistic look at this period using satire and witty, hard hitting lines, beautifully execute by Jean Harlow and a great supporting cast. There are also some daring innuendos that are only found in pre-code Hollywood movies – this makes it all the more enjoyable. This type of comedy is not everybody's thing, but Bombshell is certainly worth a look.