In 1928, Mrs. Harlean McGrew was on her way to change the
face of moving pictures as Jean Harlow. PLATINUM DOLL is a
fictionalised biography of the unforgettable star, and
focuses mainly the a few years when she arrived in
Hollywood
as a 17 year-old newlywed until she achieved fame. Apart
from a bout from scarlet fever, young Jean Harlow had an
uneventful life. However, she remained under the thumb of
her overbearing, ever-controlling mother. Jean's mother was
a failed actress, who literally became famous through her
daughter. I would have liked to have read more of Jean
Harlow's life after she became a star along with her
untimely death, which are reduced to a few lines in the
author's note. But I'll admit it was an interesting idea
because Jean Harlow's marriage to Chuck McGrew was not
exactly typical of Hollywood, and there is very little that
is known of that part of the actress's life.
Jean Harlow was a very sweet person, who never stood a
chance against her mother, whom she dearly loved. Yet, one
must wonder if Jean would have reached the pinnacle of
success without her mother's formidable presence. Ms.
Girard
does a great job at making the Hollywood of the Roaring
Twenties come to life, and I really enjoyed the tidbits
about other great stars of the era. PLATINUM DOLL is a
quick
and easy read, the prose is simple but effective, and I
greatly appreciated that the author used expressions
according to the era's vocabulary. PLATINUM DOLL is most
interesting because Jean Harlow's rise to fame bears little
resemblance to most Hollywood stories.
It's the Roaring Twenties and seventeen-year-old Harlean Carpenter McGrew has run off to Beverly Hills. She's chasing a dream—to escape her small, Midwestern life and see her name in lights. In California, Harlean has everything a girl could want—a rich husband, glamorous parties, socialite friends—except an outlet for her talent. But everything changes when a dare pushes her to embrace her true ambition—to be an actress on the silver screen. With her timeless beauty and striking shade of platinum-blond hair, Harlean becomes Jean Harlow. And as she's thrust into the limelight, Jean learns that this new world of opportunity comes with its own set of burdens. Torn between her family and her passion to perform, Jean is forced to confront the difficult truth—that fame comes at a price, if only she's willing to pay it. Amid a glittering cast of ingenues and Hollywood titans— Clara Bow, Clark Gable, Laurel and Hardy, Howard Hughes— Platinum Doll introduces us to the star who would shine brighter than them all.
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