MovieChat Forums > Harlow (1965) Discussion > Would have been a good movie if...

Would have been a good movie if...

posted 13 years ago by MyMovieTVRomance
12 replies | jump to latest

...if it was about a fictional actress of the 1960s, instead of trying to sell itself as a biopic, because it's anything but biographical, from what I've read others say. Plus, the look of the movie (while very glamorous) was all wrong for a film that was supposed to be set in the 1930s! It was sooo obviously 1960s, that it's obnoxious! I can't stand the fact that the film-makers didn't even seem to try for accuracy! Ugh!! For that, it is a horrible film, in my opinion----just for the details that the film-makers obnoxiously got wrong! I mean, gosh! They could have at least made it look right, even if they had to fabricate some of the facts, did they have to destroy the look too?!

Like I said, ironically, most of us would probably like this movie, if it were faithful to the era, or if it were about a fictional 1960s actress. In that case, it would be considered a good movie. But, as a biopic or period piece, it's real crap! I wouldn't recommend it at all---aside for seeing the glamorous bedroom set!

And, they say "Moment by Moment" is bad?! Everyone who says that obviously hasn't seen "Harlow"! This film should have a much lower rating than what it has now!

"Moment by Moment" (1978), may be the most underrated movie ever! May be my fav! <3

[–] Hatton_Mann 12 years ago

Reading you comment I am in agreement. A few things that I enjoyed about this movie were: Carroll Baker, she was beautiful. The opener, which gave a very good example of the "studio factory" system that was in place during the late 1920's-1930's. Red Buttons, he played his part well. Angela Lansbury.

It is NOT a factual piece, very far from it. just a faint trace of her life. The ending is garbage.

[–] DannyJane 12 years ago

Never cared for Carroll Baker. Her face was passable but her posture was appalling. Dressed in 60's re-imagining of 30's wear and sporting a gray-looking platinum bouffant (NO WAY even reminicent of 30's style) and braying her flat delivery like a Missouri Mule she's a painful joke. Slouching through a scene where she's supposed to be showing off her figure, Baker would be laughable if she weren't so utterly unappealing. To me she's more reminicent of a gender-bending version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame!

The version starring Carol Lynley (made and released only weeks earlier) suffers by being SO cheaply made and lacking any imagination in the script, but is still a better view because Lynley is a glowing vision even without color. Added to that you have the wonderful Red Buttons as her agent and the incomperable Ginger Rogers in all her faded glory as the worst of all possible mothers, if you can find it--this Harlow (fully deserving of every panned review it ever got) is still better than the overblown, big-budget fiasco starring Baker.

[–] 12 years ago

[deleted]

[–] judith-mcgee1025 12 years ago

It's been a long time since I saw the really terrible film "Harlow". I remember Ms. Baker's voice too, very difficult to listen to. The only thing I remember that was likable was the song "Girl Talk" by Neal Hefti; it's become a jazz standard over the years.

I believe I somehow saw the Carol Lynley "Harlow" Electronovision film. She had some of the same vocal issues as did Ms. Baker. I remember that Ms. Rogers was damn good in the film.

[–] KobiyashiMauru 11 years ago

I actually enjoyed the film and Ms. Carol Baker. Maybe she wasn't Ingrid Bergman or Meryl Streep but I liked her and thought she did sexpot roles well enough.

[–] vpilutis 11 years ago

One of the problems with both actors were small breasts HARLOW was very gifted in that area. This came up in many reviews of the films.
Now the Lynley prod was shot in a new process which was supposed to look like live B & W or video tape TV. It didn't. How silly what was one of the major reasons for going to the movies back then?
To see films in color most folks didn't have color TVs yet.
Oh two of the other films was Richard Burton doing HAMLET & THE TAMA SHOW which featured soul artists.
First time for me seeing James Brown.
Anyone recall the name of the aforementioned process?

See some stars here
http://www.vbphoto.biz/

[–] DannyJane 11 years ago

Not so. Neither Baker nor Lynley was in any way underendowed and Harlow herself was not overblown as was the style in the late 50s/ early 60s. What's wrong are the costumes which weren't properly tailored, the lack of production values and miserable direction.

[–] vpilutis 11 years ago

Many reviewers disagree.
Yes they are underendowed
See some stars here
http://www.vbphoto.biz/

[–] King_Of_Fuh 11 years ago

I agree with the posting before about "Girl Talk." As for me, it's actually one of my all-time favorite jazz standards. Love those chords.

[–] nickrogers1969 11 years ago

I actually liked Carroll Baker as Harlow. I thought she had a star-quality of her own, maybe not as big as Jean's but still she could have been a bigger star in the 60's. I think she was a good acress in it, quite charming really. I feel people *have to* say that she was bad in it because the film cant't be taken seriously as a Jean Harlow biography. Carroll was sexy in the gowns! Did you see her go up the stairs in that super tight dress?

The film was entertaining in that mid 60's-trying to be daring way while not doing anything that could be censored. The sets are part of the glamour. I agree that the decoration was too 60's to be a realistic depiction of the 1930'

The ending was the only really bad thing with the film. She died so suddenly and was stuck in that plastic tent and then all the glamour shots of her with that song playing!! Camp classic, though!

[–] cookiela2001 10 years ago

What's wrong are the costumes which weren't properly tailored, the lack of production values and miserable direction.

Well, the clothes for the Carroll Baker version were done by Edith Head, who actually was a designer in the 1930's, so I don't think we can say the costumes weren't "tailored" correctly. (Although granted, they do have a bit of a 1960's feel...but that happens in almost any period film. A little bit of when it was really made inevitably bleeds in.)

I do agree the direction of this film is horrible, though. The whole thing feels slow and ENBALMED.

[–] DannyJane 10 years ago

I like your turn of phrase.

Edith Head was a great costumer in her day. So eccentric that the character Edna Mode from the Incredibles was modeled after her--and not that great a stretch.

However, even though she had been around for decades--or possibly BECAUSE she had been around for decades--when Harlow was filmed she did NOT dress the Caroll Baker in period clothes. As was policy in Hollywood all through Head's career, and adhered to by ALL the studios, she took the styles of the day and added a few period details and that was that.

Not a lot has changed. Costumes in historical films still have modern updating about them ranging from little touches all the way to complete reimagining.