Meant to share this letter from my collection written by one of Harlow’s secretaries, Maydelle Jewell, while the actress was recuperating from appendicitis in October 1933. Signed October 25, just five days before Harlow was released from Good Samaritan.
You don’t see Maydelle’s signature very often, as she was only briefly employed, so this is a nice piece to have. The letter is addressed to Margaret Ewald of Chicago, one of Harlow’s pen pals; Miss Ewald was one of a handful of women that Harlow and her mother exchanged extended correspondence with, mostly over 1933.
Maydelle was brought aboard the same year to help with the sheer influx of letters. The Harlow fan mail task force had previously consisted of only the actress’ mother, and her best friend, Barbara Brown—Harlow’s meteoric rise to fame soon had the three women drowning in mail.
“Dear Miss Ewald:
I have been asked by Miss Harlow, to write and thank you for the sweet card and lovely letter you sent her. She is doing beautifully and expects to be out of the hospital the latter part of this week.Sincerely,
Maydelle Jewell
(Secretary to Miss Harlow)”
Harlow’s appendicitis served as a death knell for her third marriage. She had been living alone with husband Hal Rosson at the Chateau Marmont, but after two weeks of hospitalization, she was whisked back to her doting mother at Beverly Glen for her recuperation. This drove a wedge between the couple, who would be formally separated by May.
A fun fact about Maydelle: she was briefly married to Bryant Washburn, Jr., the son of Harlow’s costar in one of her early shorts, The Unkissed Man (1929). All’s circular in Hollywood!
Harlow Heaven 