Purely Joyful Movie!

Just perfect...

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

With it all, Jean Harlow gave quite a performance in this 1933 film. She portrays a volatile actress giving out constant outbursts with her staff.The film shows the effects of a publicity agent whose scheming has brought Lola (Harlow) to what she is. She desperately wants to be her own woman, but is caught up in the general Hollywood mayhem.The part where Harlow wanted to adopt a baby, but the people from the agency being scared off by the various Hollywood types including her outrageous father and pathetic brother/The film also brings out how everything in tinsel land is so basically false.Her publicity agent really loves her and the film ends with her finding out about his latest scheme. These agents will stop at nothing to get their star ahead.

Fun Jean Harlow movie here as she plays a starlet pretty much created by the media via sensational headlines and her trying to get away from all of it (gee, how times change). The movie has that 1930's crackle where everyone is super hyper talking all at once, and you're struggling to catch up with all of it. Even though Harlow is the title Bombshell, I was really impressed with Lee Tracy as her publicist who seems to know Harlow more than she knows herself. It sort of does get monotonous towards the end, and the twist just doesn't really resolve anything, as a matter of fact, we're right back where we started. But it's still a fun sit through.

There's much irony to be found in this dynamic comedy about a "fictional" movie star (Jean Harlow) dealing with her overly creative publicity agent (Lee Tracy), drunken papa (Frank Morgan) and the other hangers-on she deals with while trying to simply have a "normal" life. Harlow shows her easy going personality that made her a favorite with movie crews and endeared her to audiences. Brassier than Monroe, warmer than Lana Turner and less attention hungry of Madonna, Harlow shows why she's the first and most unique of the blonde bombshells and a true original. Feminine without being "female", Harlow's chummy and cheery disposition makes her simply one of the guys, even with her desirability.Try not to think of fellow MGM contract player Joan Crawford as single movie star Harlow tries to adopt a baby. Publicity or desire to be a mother? Of course, everything that can go wrong does go wrong when she's interviewed by the two pickle-pusses from the adoption agency. And when she meets supposedly wealthy Franchot Tone, sparks really fly, especially with his use of some classically corny come-ons. "I'd love to run barefoot through your hair" is of course the most famous, leading to one of the great plot twists in the movies.Tracy, who later got to tell John Barrymore off (in "Dinner at Eight") as his agent, gives his showiest performance as the publicity agent that has been copied in numerous spoofs of movie making, with his character the perfect archetype of those roles. Una Merkel (as Harlow's less than noble secretary), Morgan, Pat O'Brien and especially Louise Beavers shine in supporting roles.This is Harlow's greatest performance. They say the most difficult roles are for actors to play themselves. If that's true, then Harlow playing a variation of herself ranks among the best performances of the 1930's, let alone the funniest. Ironic references to MGM movies include "Susan Lennox" and Harlow's own "Red Dust". While MGM made many lavish art decco productions, this ranks among their lushest.

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.