Harlow and Bern Get Engaged

Today in Harlow History, June 20, 1932: Jean Harlow and Paul Bern electrify the film colony with a jolt of gossip: they have been spotted together filing their intention to wed at the Marriage License Bureau, located inside Los Angeles City Hall.

*This photograph taken in 1932 shows the Los Angeles City Hall on the horizon. Photograph courtesy of UCLA.*

Press photographers wasted no time descending on the scene, as one can see from the wealth of pictures taken. Publicity hound Marino Bello (who frequently titled himself “Count” during this period) made sure to accompany his stepdaughter to get his mug in the papers. The United Press reported Jean was wearing dark glasses to hide her visage; upon being noticed by newspapermen, she gave up the gig and commented there was “no use trying to hide anything from you fellows.”

*Jean Harlow, Paul Bern, and Marino Bello at Los Angeles City Hall on June 20, 1932.*

Harlow and Bern’s engagement was quite the development, as their plans weren’t previously announced. Bern was Hollywood’s beloved “Father Confessor” and wasn’t expected to marry; he had loved and supported many up-and-coming actresses over the years without committing to marriage. The most notable of his charges was the late Barbara La Marr.

*Lew Cody, Barbara La Marr, and Paul Bern at the premiere of* Secrets (1924) with Norma Talmadge. Photo courtesy of the Wisconsin Historical Society.

The Los Angeles Times ran many a column over the next few days bemoaning the loss of their favorite bachelor:

Though the bulk of initial publicity surrounding Jean and Paul’s marriage was positive, personal opinions didn’t exactly line up. Considering Jean had barely been at MGM for two months and was still a “featured player”, many assumed she was using Bern to further her own career. This belief obviously wasn’t helped by later events; people didn’t (and don’t) want to think that Jean did not have an ulterior motive. One of the bigger figures opposing the marriage was Irving Thalberg, whose similar romance with an up-and-coming starlet wasn’t exactly forgotten or over.

It was also noted by the press that Bern claimed this was his first marriage. Later events involving his common law wife, Dorothy Millette, put this into perspective. Jean had gone through a highly publicized and lengthy divorce just the year before; this was widely known to be her second venture.

At the license bureau, Jean offered an explanation on the impromptu event to curious reporters. “We were surprised ourselves,” she told the Los Angeles Times, “Mr. Bern did not make the proposal until Sunday and I accepted. We had casually spoken of marriage before, but not until Sunday was the subject seriously gone into when we decided to get a license. The wedding will be extremely quiet and informal, with only a few friends and relatives as witnesses. We will not be able to plan a honeymoon right away, for Mr. Bern is busy at the studio, and I am to make personal appearances next week at Loew’s State.”

Later that day, portraits of Harlow and Bern with a little more formality were taken on the studio lot outside MGM’s Executive Bungalow, where Bern, Thalberg, and other hotshots would have lunch and discuss plans. The building still stands today.

*Harlow and Bern pose on the studio lot, June 20, 1932.*

Jean’s plans for a “quiet, informal” wedding did come to fruition; the couple were married on the evening of July 2 at Harlow’s home on Club View Drive. The lovely bride wore no makeup and kept her hair loose.

*Paul Bern and Jean Harlow on their wedding day, July 2, 1932.*

The next chapter in this story is not happy; the details of this we know and have heard twisted and re-examined countless times. Such a convoluted situation is explained and debunked in David Stenn’s Bombshell: The Life and Death of Jean Harlow. Stenn tears apart the studio coverup and subsequent rumors; if you’re interested in a heavily researched timeline of events, definitely look into reading.

I will leave this post on a happier note, with a Harlow quip that appeared in Screenland after an interview with Jimmie Fidler about her engagement:

“When I left Jean’s house, I paused for a moment on the veranda, gazed down a very long, very steep flight of steps that led to the street below, where my car was parked. Jean looked at those steps also, then turned her eyes toward me and smiled. “Another reason I’m happy to be married,” she confided, “is that Paul and I will move into a new home. I’m tired of climbing those damned stairs.””