Dazed Interviewer Springs Old Bromides–“Schnozzle” Her Secret “Pash”
By David K. Levy
A shock of platinum blonde hair flashed into the lobby of the Hotel St. George last night and every bit of activity stopped. Hollywood’s “dangerous” woman was there…Jean Harlow.
Miss Harlow was the unexpected guest of the Dell Publishing Company, the publishers of, among other magazines, “Ballyhoo”. Surprisingly, for a filmdom beauty, there was no advance fanfare and it was only by an accident–you might call it a ‘break’–that a Standard Union reporter was there and I saw and interviewed her.
She was seated at the head of a table of about fifty people. To the reporter she appeared cold, haughty and and entirely unapproachable. Walking up to her and talking to her seemed out of the question. If ever the reporter prayed to the gods of speech to help him it was then. What more logical thing to do but to timidly approach Miss Harlow–blonde hair and all–and ask the old “bromide”? “Miss Harlow, are you in New York to announce your engagement to somebody?”
Apparently Miss Harlow had heard that one before. She smiled–right into the reporter’s eyes–and denied it. “I have never been engaged and have no thought of it now.”
“You’re sure of it?”
“I am. I’d be engaged if I had a man but I can’t find one.”
There was an awkward pause in the conversation. The reporter gulped. “Miss Harlow, have you ever seen Jimmy Durante?”
“Oh, he’s my secret passion,” ecstatically clasping her hands. By this time the poor reporter was about as numbed by a woman’s gaze as it was possible to be.
“Jean,” he gasped, “What do you think of our tall buildings, our skyline and our American women?”
A slight giggle was the only answer. The interview was apparently over and Miss Harlow put out her hand in fond farewell. The reporter shook it with his own right hand–a hand incidentally, that will never more be washed.
Miss Harlow did, however, further disclose that she will remain in New York City until after the first of the year when she will leave for personal appearances in picture theaters. She will return to Hollywood the latter part of February where she may take the the title role for Metro in Katherine [sic] Brush’s ‘Red-Headed Woman’. If so, she will of course, wear a wig. That, apparently, is Hollywood.
*Harlow didn’t return to Hollywood for Red-Headed Woman until late April 1932.
Harlow Heaven 