Harlow in Hollywood

The Blonde Bombshell in the Glamour Capital, 1928-1937

By: Darrell Rooney, Mark A. Vieira

Narrated by: Christina Delaine

Length: 4 hrs and 36 mins

Publisher's summary

At last, the story of how Hollywood shaped a myth and determined a young woman's reality.

A town, a remarkable town, became the backdrop for one of Hollywood's most incredible stories, a life rife with glamour, pleasure, power, and - in the end - utter sorrow. When Jean Harlow became the Blonde Bombshell, it was all Hollywood's doing. She was the first big-screen sex symbol, the Platinum Blonde, the mold for every famous fair-haired superstar who would emulate her.

Yes; even Marilyn Monroe followed Harlow's lead. In her short decade in Hollywood, Harlow created a new genre of movie star - her fans idolized her for her peerless image, her beautiful body, and her gorgeous façade. Harlow in Hollywood is the story of how a town and an industry created her, a story that's never been told before. In this book, renowned Harlow expert Darrell Rooney and Hollywood historian Mark Vieira team up to present the most beautiful - and accurate - book on Harlow ever produced. The authors not only make a case for Harlow as an Art Deco artifact they showcase the fabulous places where she lived, worked, and played, from her white-on-white Beverly Glen mansion to the Art Deco sets of Dinner at Eight to the foyer of the Cafe Trocadero. Harlow in Hollywood is a must for every film buff, Harlow collector, and book lover.

©2011 Darrell Rooney and Mark A. Vieira (P)2021 Tantor

Uneven narration

I have been a Harlow fan since high school and these authors are the best. The narration is fine except when she is quoting others. At one point, when quoting Harlow, she yelled “Yay!” so loud it scared me. Darrell Rooney and Mark Viera deserve better

Mostly very enjoyable.

Why did Jean Harlow die so young? That is what we learn, and we are still left wondering why. Narration well performed.

This narrator’s character voices are killing me.

So far I’m engrossed by the story but keep having to step away because I can only bear the narration for short periods of time. Her exaggerated dialogue voices are painful.

Mostly very good

I enjoyed this for what it was, a quick listen and nice overview of the life and career of Jean Harlow. The narrator was adequate much of the time, but her characterization of Jean's voice was inconsistent. It's as though she couldn't decide which accent Jean spoke in, so she gave Jean all of them. New York City honk, southern belle, Midwestern flat...they're all there.

A sad story about a legend

I never knew about the sad circumstances around her life and death.
I truly enjoyed the story.

A very good historical look at a Hollywood icon

I liked this book very much, primarily because it was told in chronological order, and included many factual bits that could easily have been overlooked.

The narrarion was also excellent in my opinion, helping it to move swiftly along like a good documentary movie.

Dead at 26

She was an amazing person and a great actress. Everyone around her seemed to love her. I am just wondering why nobody advocated for her that last week including at least 2 doctors. She shouldn’t have died had she been adequately assessed and treated. Such a sad loss for so many.

Lovingly Handled

I love Jean Harlow, and this was helpful to see all the lovable qualities about her, and shows the tragic side of course too.

A quick listen

This book isn't bad. If you're looking for a book on Harlow that is "in a nutshell" this is it. It's a quick listen - the narration turns me off though.

Great

Better than I hoped for - a really great listen. She seemed like a great person