Here’s quite the lovely candid of Harlow: captured awarding the Gold Cup to Marion Hollins and Herman Flodstrom, owner and rider of the winning horse at a 1934 Steeplechase cup race, held on March 18 in Del Monte, California. By the way, this original photograph is from an archived listing–I don’t own it.
Harlow happened to be on vacation with her husband at the time, cinematographer Hal Rosson. The two were definitely taking advantage of the area’s great golf; Del Monte Golf Course, one of California’s earliest and most prestigious courses, is located near where the two were visiting. Harlow, ever the ardent golfer, probably had quite a lot of fun. She returned to Hollywood in late March to start work on her only vehicle of 1934, The Girl From Missouri.
More on Del Monte: a resort community located in the Monterey peninsula, its name was derived from the luxury hotel that preceded it. The Hotel Del Monte opened its doors in 1880, and still stands today as a naval school. (Not the original building, however; the first Hotel Del Monte was razed in an 1887 fire. It was rebuilt the next year.) Del Monte and Pebble Beach, popular tourist attractions to this day, started out as scenic getaways where the wealthy of the Bay Area could come and play where the forest meets the sea. Famously, shots of the Del Monte Equestrian Fields were used in Greta Garbo’s Anna Karenina (1935). Ever crack open a can of Del Monte peaches? You have this place to thank.
Here’s the original press snipe that went to print with this photograph:
Marion Hollins, New York society heiress, did a lot in her lifetime, and was better known as an amateur golfer; on top of that, she is considered one of history’s lone female golf course developers. Her pioneering vision was partially responsible for the designs of Cypress Point, also located in Pebble Beach, as well as Pasatiempo Golf Course in Santa Cruz County. Funnily enough, this very year, Miss Hollins was formally elected for induction at the Golf Hall of Fame. Not bad!
Captain Herman Flodstrom, Swedish national, suffered a skull fracture when Del Finnell failed to clear a hedge and fell at a subsequent race only three weeks after this photograph was taken. Luckily, he was okay.
J.P. Graham, behind the lens, was a prominent local commercial photographer at Pebble Beach, and owned studios at both Hotel Del Monte and the Lodge. You can view a full collection of his original nitrate negatives here, most of which feature golfing and racing in and around the Monterey Bay.
A few days after this event, the Oakland Tribune ran a short interview with Harlow concerning her career and relationship along with this rare candid of the couple:
As you can see, Harlow was still on the defensive about her elopement which had never stopped coming under fire. These choice words from Harlow are fairly ironic, given she separated from Hal just weeks later on May 5; she famously and somewhat questionably announced the news the next day at the wedding of her two friends, screenwriter Carey Wilson and actress Carmelita Geraghty. “Did you guys know I’m getting a divorce?” Harlow asked attending reporters, effectively starting a frenzy. “The strains of the wedding march were dying away and the five hundred guests were starting to celebrate when Jean stated that she and Rosson no longer loved each other and were living apart,” reads a gossip column in Broadway and Hollywood “Movies”.
“We were simply not meant for each other,” Harlow stated later, her tone much different than it is here. Well, at least she made an attempt at fooling everyone.
Let’s at least hope Harlow and Rosson managed to have a little fun together in Del Monte–more than Captain Flodstrom had with his fractured skull, at least. Funnily, enough, however, Harlow would be back at Del Monte again that August. This time, she was accompanied by William Powell!
Harlow Heaven 