Twenty-four hours of Jean Harlow movies are just about to start on TCM. If you're reading this past 6:00 AM ET, then they've already begun! That's when Riffraff (1936) opens today's Jean Harlow Summer Under the Stars programming.
One of the most beloved figures in movie history, Jean Harlow's day on TCM has to be one of the more anticipated selections of this year's Summer Under the Stars. That said, we have seen all of this before, some of it a few times too many (I'm not a fan of Riffraff, Reckless, or Suzy). But nobody who loves Dinner at Eight has seen it enough times, and the same could be said for other popular classics like Libeled Lady and Wife vs. Secretary. Today's schedule includes steamy Harlow pre-Codes Red-Headed Woman and Red Dust, but be sure to catch less known titles of the era such as Bombshell and The Beast of the City (though Harlow has a smaller role in the latter).
While I love those pre-Codes, my recommendation of the bunch is China Seas. It's hard to call China Seas under-the-radar—Harlow and Gable lead an all-star cast—but this action-adventure film seems underappreciated compared to some of the better known lighter titles that play today.
Today's TCM US schedule follows and under that you'll find one vintage newspaper advertisement for each of the fourteen movies (including one 1993 documentary) on today's schedule. Also included are a few old movie card images to add splashes of color and clarity to the otherwise black and white page Enjoy!
Jean Harlow TCM Summer Under the Stars
US schedule, all times Eastern, August 7-8, 2016
- 6:00 am - Riffraff (1936)
- 8:00 am - Saratoga (1937) - Mary Dees biography (Harlow's stand-in)
- 10:00 am - The Beast of the City (1932)
- 11:45 am - Personal Property (1937)
- 1:15 pm - China Seas (1935)
- 3:00 pm - Harlow: The Blonde Bombshell (1993)
- 4:00 pm - Dinner at Eight (1933)
- 6:00 pm - Libeled Lady (1936)
- 8:00 pm - Red Dust (1932)
- 9:30 pm - Bombshell (1933)
- 11:15 pm - Wife vs. Secretary (1936)
- 1:00 am - Reckless (1935)
- 2:45 am - Red-Headed Woman (1932)
- 4:15 am - Suzy (1936)
Riffraff (1936)
Above clipped from the Harrisburg Telegraph (PA), 1 January 1936, page 13.
With Spencer Tracy.
Saratoga (1937)
Above clipped from the Emporia Daily Gazette (KS), 14 August 1937, page 5. Read about Mary Dees, Harlow's stand-in on incomplete scenes in Saratoga.
The Beast of the City (1932)
Above clipped from the Statesville Record (NC), 11 February 1932, page 5. Archived review from 2009.
Personal Property (1937)
Above clipped from the Santa Ana Daily Register (CA), 17 April 1937, page 8. Archived review from 2011.
China Seas (1935)
Above clipped from the Chillicothe Constitution-Tribune (MO), 31 August 1935, page 8. Archived review from 2010.
Above: Clark Gable and Harlow.
Harlow: The Blonde Bombshell (1993)
Above clipped from the North Hills News-Record (PA), 14 August 1993, page 21.
Dinner at Eight (1933)
Above clipped from the Miami News Record (OK), 25 February 1934, page 7.
Libeled Lady (1936)
Above clipped from the Harlingen Valley Morning Star (TX), 8 November 1936, page 5.
Above, left to right: William Powell, Myrna Loy, Harlow, and Spencer Tracy.
Red Dust (1932)
Above clipped from the Kokomo Tribune (IN), 1 April 1933, page 7.
Bombshell (1933)
Above clipped from the Muscatine Journal and News Tribune (IA), 4 November 1933, page 2.
Above: Harlow with Lee Tracy.
Wife vs. Secretary (1936)
Above clipped from the Racine Journal Times (WI), 26 March 1936, page 13.
Reckless (1935)
Above clipped from the Corvallis Daily Gazette-Times (OR), 27 April 1935, page 6.
Red-Headed Woman (1932)
Above clipped from the Cumberland Sunday Times (MD), 10 July 1932, page 11. Brand new review post—email subscribers received this yesterday.
Suzy (1936)
Above clipped from the Ogden Standard Examiner (UT), 16 August 1936, page 13.
The text schedule once more:
Jean Harlow TCM Summer Under the Stars
US schedule, all times Eastern, August 7-8, 2016
- 6:00 am - Riffraff (1936)
- 8:00 am - Saratoga (1937) - Mary Dees biography (Harlow's stand-in)
- 10:00 am - The Beast of the City (1932)
- 11:45 am - Personal Property (1937)
- 1:15 pm - China Seas (1935)
- 3:00 pm - Harlow: The Blonde Bombshell (1993)
- 4:00 pm - Dinner at Eight (1933)
- 6:00 pm - Libeled Lady (1936)
- 8:00 pm - Red Dust (1932)
- 9:30 pm - Bombshell (1933)
- 11:15 pm - Wife vs. Secretary (1936)
- 1:00 am - Reckless (1935)
- 2:45 am - Red-Headed Woman (1932)
- 4:15 am - Suzy (1936)
Enjoy!
Yesterday was such an enjoyable day on TCM. So many wonderful films Harlow left for us; it’s no wonder her legendary status has held up. Truly a unique and groundbreaking star. By the way I love the movie card with Powell and Harlow. Movie cards are so emblematic of the time. They are a vintage treasure. I really like seeing these in your posts.
Molly, a little too much ‘been there, done that’ for me to go out of my way to tune in, but it’s good to know if I had a hankerin’ for some Harlow, TCM had me covered! That’s a Gallaher card (if you click it, it should lead to a page showing the whole set). Pretty common in that they were issued in great numbers, but while that detracts from the price, it doesn’t from its beauty. You should be able to find one for $5 or less.