HOLD YOUR MAN has almost no reputation with historians or even film fans but I think it's one of Jean Harlow's finest films and best performances. She is hilarious and yet often very moving. I wish more people knew about this great film.
shareThis is vintage Harlow at her very best. One of the things I like about this film is its real life gritty realism of how things were in The Great Depression. despite that MGM made everything over glossy, this films remains true. One of the things I noticed how Harlow was lit. She usually has a chubby face because she was so young, but in one shot where she is lit from above in her apartment you can see what great bone structure she had in her face.
"Any girl can look glamorous. Stand still and look stupid."
--Hedy Lamarr
in the middle of watching this I appreciate the reference to the camera's positioning and lighting in regards to her face she is tough in this but always has some good kid feel beneath i wrote somewhere else tonight that she seemed to be doing a mae west impression i suppose i've seen her more bubbly performances as of late if i think back to the secret six and other gangster films that makes sense i just love trhe fact that her goofy smile transforms her from vixen to a good time gal that i'd like to kick back with
shareI'm so NUTS about Jean Harlow...and this movie is another one of her FABULOUS GEMS that makes me love her even more. She has such range and subtleties in her performances.
In my opinion, never has such a short career made such an impact on the history of film. And that includes the overblown "career" of James Dean which was rife with great promise. With Jean, we are enriched by a great variety of roles...each done with unmatched uniqueness and quality.
Enrique Sanchez
Thank you for your excellent post Enrique, I completely agree with you even though I do rather like Jimmy Dean. It is startling how fine Harlow's 1932-33 performances are considering she was just an extra three years earlier with not a bit of training yet I would put her work in RED HEADED WOMAN, RED DUST, BOMBSHELL, DINNER AT EIGHT, and HOLD YOUR MAN up favorably against that of any of her more acclaimed "serious actress" contemporaries who worked in that era.
shareI really liked this movie. I have been on the fence about Harlow but I'm on her side now. Her performance in this was completely believable. I also saw her true beauty shine through because of the minimal amount of makeup and her softer hairstyle. Sure it was predictable but I found myself invested in the outcome due to the actors especially Jean. Count me in, I'm a fan.
share