A title can make or break a movie and
Platinum Blonde, while it was a hit in it's day and helped launch the career of Jean Harlow, is not a title that fits the film it belongs to. The film follows a boozy but talented reporter who marries an heiress and realizes he doesn't fit in to her lifestyle. There is also another love interest, Gallagher, who has always held a torch for the titular reporter. The film stars Jean Harlow and Loretta Young, and was directed by Frank Capra, all whose staying power may be the only reason the film is seen today but the film's real star is an actor by the name of Robert Williams.
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| Robert Williams in Platinum Blonde |
Robert Williams could of been a real star, if it weren't for his unfortunate death due to Peritonitis, or inflammation of the abdomen. Williams was kind of a mix between James Cagney's hard edge and Cary Grant's irresistible charm, and his large nose and ears and lazy eye provide the film with an unconventional leading man. He was born in 1894, but due to his death in 1931, three days after the release of
Platinum Blonde, very little information is available about him. His big break to Hollywood after appearing in Broadway plays came in the form of the 1931 film
Rebound. With the talking picture a fairly new revelation, Hollywood producers were eagerly buying up film rights to plays and occasionally casting members of their original casts. Such is the case with Williams and his role in Rebound, which also starred Ina Claire, Robert Ames, Hedda Hopper, and Myrna Loy. He followed that up with a supporting role in the 1931 film
Devotion starring Ann Harding and Leslie Howard. Then came his being cast in the leading role of Stew Smith in
Platinum Blonde.
It should be noted here that Platinum Blonde was originally to be called
Gallagher, after the character played by Loretta Young, who gets top billing in the film. This title doesn't quite fit it either.The film is about a man marrying into wealthy society and then discovering that he is not happy and in fact in love with his long pining female best friend. These two titles focus on either one or the other of the female leads and not on the male lead. When watching Platinum Blonde the first time, I went into expecting a Jean Harlow picture. She is, after all, the aforementioned and famed Platinum Blonde. To my surprise and delight, however, I got a Robert Williams picture. Calling the film
Eagle in a Gilded Cage, would have been my suggestion to the film makers of the day. It is also based on a line in the film. In my opinion, my suggested title represents Stew Smith's feelings of repression in wealthy society, and draws attention to the true star of the film.
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| A Jean Harlow publicity photo |
The film was apparently called
Platinum Blonde because of Harlow being cast, and was suggested by Harlow being dubbed the moniker by Howard Hughes, in an attempt to cash in on her appearance in his film
Hell's Angels (1930). This story is told in more depth in the Jean Harlow episode of the great podcast
You Must Remember This. Interestingly, like Williams, Harlow too would meet an unfortunate demise too soon in 1937. Many tales and controversies surround Harlow's life and death. The short version is that she died of kidney failure, although some think that her mother being a Christian Scientist, and refusing medical attention for her daughter, contributed to her death. A popular tall tale is that the famed platinum blonde haired actress died due to dying her hair, but this is most likely a falsehood due to her being sickly throughout her career.
Platinum Blonde brought Harlow's career into an upswing. By the time she died, she was one of the top box office draws. Her final film
Saratoga, which was completed using a body and voice double, was a box office success. Her performance in
Platinum Blonde shows a budding actress, confident, but not yet completely comfortable in front of a camera. She also hasn't quite found her niche yet, which she will in films like
Red Headed Woman and
Red Dust, both released in 1932.
Platinum Blonde was an early success for the career of now famed director Frank Capra as well. Capra would come to direct some of old Hollywood's most well known movies, including
It Happened One Night, Mr. Deeds Goes To Town, You Can't Take It With You, Mr. Smith Goes To Washington, Arsenic and Old Lace, and of course,
It's A Wonderful Life.
Platinum Blonde seems to be one of Capra's most under-looked gems. If it is remembered at all today it is for the involvement of Young and especially Harlow. What I find most interesting about the film however, is that the reasons for it being remembered far out weigh the true reason: Robert Williams' performance.
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| Robert Williams and Jean Harlow in Platinum Blonde |
