Bombshell (1933)

Sadly Over-hyped

Powerful

A lot of perfectly good film show their cards early, establish a unique premise and let the audience explore a topic at a leisurely pace, without much in terms of surprise. this film is not one of those films.

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

I realized that for some reason I did not have a copy of BOMBSHELL-- so yesterday I sat down to record it and I ended up watching the whole thing again. A few things struck me about this picture and Harlow's work in it. First, I think it's a form of cinema verite and a precursor to reality television. There is one scene where she mentions scenes for RED DUST, which Harlow the actress appeared in. So the character she is playing in BOMBSHELL is a "fictionalized" version of herself as an MGM star. It takes a brilliant lady to be able to spoof herself, to play herself without lapsing into too much self-parody-- and she keeps it fairly straight for the most part, with her tongue-in-cheek way of poking fun at the business she's in. At some point you have to ask, what is real Harlow-- and since she's so smart, I am sure she asked herself that when she studied the script for BOMBSHELL.The other thing here is that not only does Harlow have to be in on the joke, but the entire cast has to be as well. The three actors that Lee Tracy's character hires to pull a fast one at the end of the film can be said to be playing a riff on their real-life selves. At one point, the phrase 'character actor' is used and C. Aubrey Smith was definitely that, and Franchot Tone would be regarded as more of a character actor later than he was as a leading man. Even Frank Morgan, who plays Harlow's father, is a character actor and he is certainly in on the gag of actors as 'family.' Indeed, they are all blurring the line between who they are, what they do for a living, and how to combine that effectively in order to make a new motion picture that is coherent and entertaining. Also, some of the scenes are so cleverly orchestrated where voices rise and fall and the competing crescendos make a cacophonous symphony of tragedy and satire that you have to ask how much was scripted and how much was improvised. Only the minds of true geniuses can assemble such haywire fun and pull off without a hitch. This is a top-flight group effort at classic movie making and Harlow is its ring leader par excellence.

There's much irony to be found in this dynamic comedy about a "fictional" movie star (Jean Harlow) dealing with her overly creative publicity agent (Lee Tracy), drunken papa (Frank Morgan) and the other hangers-on she deals with while trying to simply have a "normal" life. Harlow shows her easy going personality that made her a favorite with movie crews and endeared her to audiences. Brassier than Monroe, warmer than Lana Turner and less attention hungry of Madonna, Harlow shows why she's the first and most unique of the blonde bombshells and a true original. Feminine without being "female", Harlow's chummy and cheery disposition makes her simply one of the guys, even with her desirability.Try not to think of fellow MGM contract player Joan Crawford as single movie star Harlow tries to adopt a baby. Publicity or desire to be a mother? Of course, everything that can go wrong does go wrong when she's interviewed by the two pickle-pusses from the adoption agency. And when she meets supposedly wealthy Franchot Tone, sparks really fly, especially with his use of some classically corny come-ons. "I'd love to run barefoot through your hair" is of course the most famous, leading to one of the great plot twists in the movies.Tracy, who later got to tell John Barrymore off (in "Dinner at Eight") as his agent, gives his showiest performance as the publicity agent that has been copied in numerous spoofs of movie making, with his character the perfect archetype of those roles. Una Merkel (as Harlow's less than noble secretary), Morgan, Pat O'Brien and especially Louise Beavers shine in supporting roles.This is Harlow's greatest performance. They say the most difficult roles are for actors to play themselves. If that's true, then Harlow playing a variation of herself ranks among the best performances of the 1930's, let alone the funniest. Ironic references to MGM movies include "Susan Lennox" and Harlow's own "Red Dust". While MGM made many lavish art decco productions, this ranks among their lushest.

Well how do you pass on a movie with a title like "Bombshell", especially when Jean Harlow's in the cast. Up till now, my quintessential idea of a screwball comedy was Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell trading barbs in "His Girl Friday", but this one certainly gives the latter picture a good run for it's money. Harlow appears pretty much as her own persona, an actress at the top of her profession who's seemingly unable to balance the demands of stardom with the pressures of those around her seeking to take advantage of her wealth and fame. I didn't quite know how to react to Lee Tracy's character, smarmy business agent Space Hanlon, who manages to keep Lola's name in newspaper headlines. He's got an answer for everything, and I think it's only his delivery that keeps him from being an outright cad.This movie is probably a good candidate for seeing more than once, since it's almost impossible to keep up with the furious pace and dialog. If you stop long enough to laugh you'll probably miss something that's even funnier or more outlandish, so it's best to stay focused. Helping this all come together is a well selected cast that includes Frank Morgan, Pat O'Brien, Una Merkel, Ivan Lebedeff and Louise Beavers. I was a little puzzled by Ted Healey's selection to portray Lola's brother Junior, a role that probably should have gone to someone younger looking, but maybe it's just me. It might also have been a good idea to give Una Merkel a few more lines as Lola's secretary Mac; she looked like she could have held her own with this bunch.Best line of the picture, if not the corniest, has to go to Franchot Tone, who as Lola's newest love Gifford Middleton, exclaims that "I'd like to run barefoot through your hair". That sounds kind of sweet until you try to conjure up a mental picture to go with the description. Seeing as how old Gifford turned out to be a phony, I wonder who came up with the lines he used. It had to be Hanlon.

This shamefully neglected comedy classic is rarely shown on UK TV and is not available on DVD .That is a shame as it deserves to be appreciated by a wider audience as the best satire on the Hollywood studio system ever made.That it is superior to What Price Hollywood ?[ 1932 ] is due entirely to the screenplay written by John Lee Mahin and Jules Furthman and the performances of a stellar cast.Supposedly based on Clara Bow but eerily redolent of the life of Jean Harlow [ right down to her money grabbing family ]Bombshell proceeds at breakneck speed with enough memorable lines and double entendres for a dozen films. Had MGM tried to produce this film twelve months later the Hays Production Code would have rendered the script impotent.For example the following would not have survived.Lola [ Harlow ] to Hanlon [ Lee Tracy ]'You're chasing a wild goose' Hanlon 'Wearing those pants its a temptation'.As it is the humour is as fresh today as it was 75 years ago.The story of blonde bombshell Lola Burns fighting to protect her reputation and adopt a baby in the face of underhand manipulation by studio publicist Space Hanlon and opposition from a collection of family members and employees is superbly played by a collection of well known character actors.Louise Beavers as sassy maid Loretta, Una Merkel as the conniving pa Mac, Frank Morgan as the perpetually inebriated Pops,Pat O' Brien as the volcanic director Brogan and Franchot Tone as the playboy Gifford are all excellent.Watch out for Billy Dooley in a hilarious running gag and World Heavyweight Boxing Champion, Primo Carnera in the opening montage sequence.Special mention must be made of Lee Tracy who was born to play the fast talking, fast thinking, morally redundant Space Hanlon, a man who has a scam to suit all situations.But this film belongs to Jean Harlow who is quite simply sensational. At once vulnerable,sexy and funny then naive but knowing the 22 year old carries the film. The scene when she finally snaps and turns on her tormentors is a showstopper.It is arguably her finest performance.Hopefully Bombshell might receive the reappraisal and recognition it deserves in time for Harlow's centenary in March 2011. In the meantime catch the film if you can and marvel at one of the silver screens brightest stars at her best. And wonder at what she might have become.