The Washington times., 1937-06-12


made a motion picture she hao
found something she wanted and
wasn't going to give up.
It came upon her as a revela-
ton. That restless urge within her
to do something had found an
outlet. But again the contradic-
tion-Jean wanted to do some
thing, she wanted to accomplish
something, but she wanted also
the quiet and the peace that never
can 70 with a life lived under the
spotlight, within the glass walls
of Hollywood, or any other public
place.
But Jean didn't realize that in
the beginning. She was, you must
remember. not yet 20. She had,
until she was 16, led the most
sheltered life imaginable. For all
her outward looks and air OF
sophistication, she was actually
as naive as a baby.
Recalls First Meeting
I remember very well the first
time I ever met her. It was at q
party at Colleen Moore's, to which
she came with Paul Bern, long
before they were married.
In fact, I think 1t was the first
time they had ever been out to-
gether for I remember that Col
leen said to me:
"Paul's bringing Jean Harlow
II haven't met her-that's .
new combination, isn't it?"
It was-and there was nothing
to tell us that night that it was to
be q combination which would
end in tragedy and death.
We were rather keen to meet
Harlow, who had burst upon
Hollywood with the same sensa-
tional surprise that she had burst
upon the rest Of motion picture
fans. And she came in, dressed
in black, with small hat covered
with plunS. It was, actually, an
outfit that would have looked well
on her mother perhaps, or some
much older and more worldly
woman.
"Absurd" Hat
On Jean, it was absurd and
rather pathetic. But in those days
she was determined to be grown
up, to be a movie star, to be So
phisticated.
She was, underneath, she told
me later, quite shy and rather
frightened of all that famous
crowd at Colleen'S-for Colleen'S
parties were then the most enter
tanning and best attended in
Hollywood-and Jean was de-
termined not to show it.
Later, Of course, she changed.
She became completely natural
and you usually saw Harlow about
in Stacks and sweater, usually in
her favorite white. Harlow started
the fashion for white that swept
Hollywood and then the country.
She wore white al the time-her
dressing rooms, her home, every
thing that could be white was
white.
So you have, you see, q very
young girl, with absolutely no ex-
perience Of the world, protected
first by an adoring mother and
family from the slightest contact
with work or evil, and then by a
Jealous young huSband-Suddenly
overnight becoming not only a
screen star, but star whose very
success was based upon the fact
that she seemed to typify in every
way the most flaming Of the young
moderns upon the fact that she
suggested the girl who knew
everything, had been everywhere
and seen everything.
Hectic Year Follows
There followed a hectic year
Charles McGrew and she Sepa-
rated. He blamed her picture
career.
Her figure, in this new world
Of the motion picture into which
she had suddenly strayed, was a
valuable asset. All the great screen
stars were forced at one time or
another to play parts when they
wore garmentS-or didn't wear
them-in such fashion as women
off the screen might not do. That
was part Of being an actress, as
Jean saw it.
And Jean, as usual, said very
little about Chick McGrew. That
was one thing about Harlow. She
took any number Of beatings, she
was maligned and hurt and be-
trayed. Never once-not once
did Harlow strike back. She had
an unbelievable depth Of charity
and understanding for her enc.
mics.
Her Attitude
For her friends, she said to me
once:
"They all do the best they
can. And what they do to me
or think about me / can't help.
But / can help what / do or
say or think about them"
But everyone who had known
the young McGreWS knew well that
the violent quarrelS had not al
been jeans fault and that the
marriage was on the rocks long
before Jean went into pictures
partly through his jealousy, partly
through the fact that he liked wild
parties and drinking and that Jean
never drank.
Inever saw Jean take more than
one cocktail in all the times I've
been with her. She didn't need il
for stimulation and, as a matter
Of fact, she was rather prejudicec
against it.