William Wellman’s THE PUBLIC ENEMY hit theres across the U.S. #OnThisDay in 1931.

Marilyn Monroe as Jean Harlow for a photoshoot with Richard Avedon, 1958

Jean Harlow, Joan Crawford and Constance Bennett 1933 Disney short

Jean Harlow, photo by George Hurrell

"Your days off are sure brutal on your lingerie" Jean Harlow as Lola Burns Bombshell 1933

JEAN HARLOW in DINNER AT EIGHT (1933)

Baths and Bubbles.

Actress + Lipstick

Jean Harlow, Audrey Hepburn, Rita Hayworth, Lucille Ball, Ann Sheridan, Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor, Esther Williams, Paulette Goddard and Claudia Cardinale.

Three Wise Girls (William Beaudine, 1932)

Jean Harlow on set during production of Charles Brabin’s THE BEAST OF THE CITY (1932)

JEAN HARLOW red dust (1932), dir. victor fleming.

Jean Harlow candidly photographed at the poolside of Cedric Gibbons and Dolores Del Rio's home, c. 1935.

Propaganda

Jean Harlow (Red-Headed Woman, Dinner at Eight, Libeled Lady)— The original blonde bombshell. There would be no Marilyn Monroe or other funny blonde starlet without her! She was still an up and comer when cast in Platinum Blonde and at the time the film was either gonna be called The Gilded Cage or Gallagher (after the other female lead in the film) but after casting Harlow her role was expanded and the film titled after her. That's starpower!!!

Marsha Hunt (The Human Comedy, College Holiday, These Glamour Girls)—To be honest, I haven't had the chance to see a lot of her films, but she was an amazing person. A beautiful, popular actress during the 30s and 40s, Marsha was unfairly blacklisted during the Red Scare for speaking out against McCarthyism. Instead of letting that stop her, she focused her efforts on humanitarian work for causes such as world hunger, poverty, and pollution. She was also a support of same-sex marriage. Side note to any fellow fashion history nerds, she wrote a book on 30s-40s fashion. She stayed true to her beliefs through the years, and passed away at the age of 104 in 2022.

This is round 1 of the tournament. All other polls in this bracket can be found here. Please reblog with further support of your beloved hot sexy vintage woman.

[additional propaganda submitted under the cut.]

Marsha Hunt:

Marsha Hunt first signed with Paramount in 1935 at the age of seventeen, kicking off a prolific career as a beloved Hollywood star and fashion model. Her distinctive profile and facial structure earned her the nickname “Curly Lips”: “Besides a rounded forehead, almost no nose bridge, and a nose that curved upwards, even my lips curled up at the corners. Ronald Coleman and his wife Benita told me they used to describe me to each other as ‘Curly Lips.’ I decided that anything that helped two people I adored take notice of me would no longer keep me awake at nights.” (The Way We Wore, p.95) Marsha appeared in about seventy films over almost eighty years, including Hollywood Boulevard, College Holiday, Easy Living, These Glamour Girls, Irene, Pride and Prejudice, Blossoms in the Dust, Thousands Cheer, The Human Comedy, and many more. She was blacklisted during the McCarthy era for publicly defending Hollywood from the accusations of the House Committee on Un-American Activities, alongside Lucille Ball, Humphrey Bogart, Deanna Durbin, Henry Fonda, Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra, and many other members of the Hollywood community.

Jean Harlow:

what is there to say just look at her. the blondest woman to ever live. a sort of prototypal marilyn monroe. has a cocktail named after her so you know she was really that beautiful. dated longie zwillman. godmother to bugsy siegel's daughter. if we really want to bring back being a mob wife we have to start here.........

She was the OG Blonde Bombshell. People don't give her credit, but she was actually a sweetheart and had a great flair for comedy. And she worked those pencil thin brows! And even though she's known for the Blonde, she is deliciously evil in Red-Headed Woman, I highly recommend!

JEAN HARLOW in HELL'S ANGELS (1930)

Marilyn Monroe as Lillian Russell. Russell was one of the most famous actresses & singers at the turn of the century, known for her beauty & style, as well as for her voice and stage presence.

Marilyn Monroe as Theda Bara, silent film star from 1914 – 1926.

In 1958 Monroe posed for a series of photographs taken by Richard Avedon for Life Magazine. The photographs were to accompany an article titled “Fabulous Enchantresses” where Monroe recreated five famous actresses, Lillian Russell, Theda Bara, Clara Bow, Jean Harlow, & Marlene Dietrich. Though Avedon was not completely happy with the photographs, the pictures appeared in the Christmas issue of Life. This issue also included her husband, playwright Arthur Miller's article “My Wife” which introduced Monroe’s “Fabulous Enchantresses”.

Monroe as Clara Bow.

Monroe as Jean Harlow.

Monroe as Marlene Dietrich.

Here's 3 year old Norma Jean on the beach with her mother Gladys in 1929