Loretta Young!
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Platinum Blonde
lordxur — 18 years ago(August 03, 2007 09:47 AM)
With certainly no offense meant to Jean Harlow, who's a beautiful woman, but Loretta Young is simply radiant in this film! Each scene she's in just resonates with her stunning beauty! I was completely taken with her the first time she came on screen.
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alison-67 — 18 years ago(August 08, 2007 01:44 AM)
I comletely agree! I have to say I think she is much more alluring than JH in this film. I was surprised at just how un-sexy JH was in this, given that she was renowned for being THE orgiginal blond bombshell, I was certainly expecting more of an 'it' factor. I didnt get any kind of sexy vibe from her performance and for me she was disappointing. LY on the other hand, an underestimated revelation & am now on the hunt for more of her films to watch
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hipdadiddy — 18 years ago(February 07, 2008 12:00 PM)
An interesting thing about this film is its symmetrical miscasting: Loretta Young would've been perfect in Jean Harlow's role and vice versa.
Harlow (though undeniably a knock-out) has a kind of earthy appeal that would've made Stew Smith's comment that he always thought of Gallagher as "one of the boys" almost believable. But when he says it about the ethereally beautiful and utterly feminine Young, you have to think he's either blind or insane. -
we2 — 18 years ago(February 12, 2008 05:35 PM)
hipdadiddy
An interesting thing about this film is its symmetrical miscasting: Loretta Young would've been perfect in Jean Harlow's role and vice versa.
Yes, perhaps you're right.
That Young got top billing here is questionable. Not that she was, even at her age of 18, not a star. The starring roll is Harlows character. Harlow at this point of her career, 21 years of age, was not comparable to Young. Harlow as of yet doesn't rule. A few years later that all changed. -
oneway — 18 years ago(February 16, 2008 08:56 PM)
Harlow was actually 20 (not 21) when this was made.
The film was initially called "Gallagher" after Young's character, but the studio (Columbia) wanted to capitalize on the platinum blond craze Harlow had swept the nation in after Hell's Angels. Also, Harry Cohn was loaned a great deal of money by mobster Longy Zwillman (whom Harlow was dating on and off at the time), so one of the conditions of the loan was that Harlow get a two film deal with top billing.
The other film she made for Columbia was the forgettable "Three Wise Girls." -
cadeaux — 17 years ago(January 10, 2009 10:52 PM)
by - hipdadiddy on Thu Feb 7 2008 12:00:09
An interesting thing about this film is its symmetrical miscasting: Loretta Young would've been perfect in Jean Harlow's role and vice versa.
I have to completely agree, hipdadiddy - in fact I JUST sent a post on another thread for this film in which I stated the exact same thing!
C'mon, if you have time to post here, you have time to play
http://www.HumorMeOnline.com -
cyninbend-149-610489 — 10 years ago(March 03, 2016 07:38 AM)
I agree, and thought that immediately when Harlow walked on camera. But switching the roles was fascinating. And JH curbed her accent for the role She and the actress who played her mother were spitting images of one another, as well.
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sludgehound — 17 years ago(November 16, 2008 04:37 PM)
Just saw this one today. Boy films like this and the Busby dance routine
ones (Fred & Ginger too) offered the Depression Era such needed escapism.
Npw we have the Bond series and beloved as those are, I don't sense the
same lift to the spirit needed now.
Young and Harlow just roll thru this. Writing is of Broadway stage level
for that time. Check those interiors with sky high ceiling and curtains.
Capra's shots from the upper staircase are practically Busby like. The
audience must have been awestruck by the mansion magnificence.
As an aside, one wonders what this kind of film said to the rest of the
world as to the US place in the globe back then. What a mix of rich vs
working class even if they were reporters.
So loved Young & Harlow. Esp Young. So fresh yet the womanly range was
right there. I loved the bits about how, oh she's 'just' Gallagher, one of
the boys. Even that name is so male, yet has the Gal in it.
Really sets the tone for the wisecracking journalism films yet to come. But
those didn't play up the same rich crowd theme. They were more on the small
d democrat mold as the Big D went deeper. Less glamour & flash w/o the babe
power charge.
Be interesting to see how Hollywood, such as there is such a thing, treats
what unfolds as this current econ mess goes thru. Will they mostly ignore it
as with the Mideast wars or dig into it.
Meanwhile it is great to see the comments here on PB and see that quality does
survive time! Pass on any more such delightful films guys. -
cyninbend-149-610489 — 10 years ago(March 03, 2016 07:55 AM)
A long time since, but what a great post! The "GAL agher" went right over my headTY TY TY!
I'd love to see what you posted about Hollywood's reaction to the economic crisis at the time you wrote your post I can think of lots of independently sourced films that dealt with corruptionand did they not lavishly remake F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby? A bit late tho We got quite a few vampire movies and a lot of sci fi about a dystopian future.Hunger Games, Divergent, Elysium, etc All based on books? -
xylonian-1 — 17 years ago(January 11, 2009 11:43 AM)
I don't know, I think Jean Harlow looks her prettiest in this movie than in other films I have seen her in, however have not seen all that many. Loretta Young is very pretty here also and I might say the same for her. IMO they are pretty in different ways one a 'bombshell' the other less "noisy".
Vesele Vianoce!!!!
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FranLovesBetteD — 14 years ago(March 19, 2012 04:29 AM)
While I'm a huge fan of both Young and Harlow, I never thought of the latter as a great beauty. Sure, she was cute, pretty and immensely charming, especially while playing tough girls with heart of gold in those great '30s comedies; but Loretta Young was certainly a vision of beauty. Her face was just exquisite and her beauty classy and angelic.
Unlike many previous posters, I don't think they were miscast, as in the end is the gorgeous and sensible Loretta who -with all justice- gets the guy.
Animal crackers in my soup
Monkeys and rabbits loop the loop -
ABetterDay — 13 years ago(January 02, 2013 06:22 PM)
I agree. Young steals this film and deservedly so. If you get a chance, see her in the silent film "Laugh Clown, Laugh." Simply gorgeous.
And yes, as many others have said, this film may be the best example in history of where 2 actors should have switched roles. Harlow and Young were miscast as used but would have been perfect in the other's role.
Remember When Movies Didn't Have To Be Politically Correct? -
s007davis — 12 years ago(September 24, 2013 08:57 PM)
With certainly no offense meant to Jean Harlow, who's a beautiful woman, but Loretta Young is simply radiant in this film! Each scene she's in just resonates with her stunning beauty! I was completely taken with her the first time she came on screen.
Me too. While Miss Harlow was good too, it was obvious for me from the beginning that Loretta Young is the true beauty of the film. Especially when she appears at the swanky society party in her stunning white dress making Williams begin to notice her. Maybe 1931 film goers thought Harlow stole the picture from Young but for me seeing it later it's the opposite case. Perhaps they should've stuck with the original title
Gallagher
instead. -
bruno-32 — 11 years ago(May 06, 2014 05:27 PM)
Harlow was billed in third place so technically she was not suppose to be the star of this movie. Harlow did not hit her stride until a couple of years later. Personally, I was a fan of Harlow because I had only seen her in 2 films and in those films she was not the brassy type..the movies were "Suzie" and her last film "Saratoga". She was the redhead that she was born to be.in those films..when they made her a plantinum blond, she turned out to be the caricature of herself. Also, in this movie she seemed like she was putting on weightnot the svelte type she turned out to be. Hard to believe this movie was done by Caprait was obvious the 2 female rolls should have been swappedthen again, maybe that was his idea of going against the norm. it turned out that MGM was set to put Harlow in those "Masie" movies which in turn went to Ann Sothernand all of those were mainly 'the second feature' in those days when the movies showed 2 ..main and a "B" movie, cartoon, news of the day, coming attractions and for the kiddies on a saturday morning..the serial movies"Flash Gordon"LOL
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PoppyTransfusion — 11 years ago(July 06, 2014 03:13 PM)
Well the camera was soft focus whenever it fell upon Loretta Young, emphasising a vulnerability and etherealness. I don't think Young was the more beautiful of the two though. Harlow had amazing lips and a dimple on her chin. She looked very beautiful in this.
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