Blonde Bombshells of Hollywood

Blonde bombshell actresses have managed to make Hollywood appear so glamorous and so tragic at the same time. Jean Harlow, Marilyn Monroe, Jayne Mansfield and Anna Nicole Smith were blond bombshells that traded on their sensuous looks and sexuality to gain fame and worldwide adulation. These blonde bombshell actresses all ended up dying tragically at relatively young ages.

Anna Nicole Smith idolized Marilyn Monroe who idolized Jean Harlow. Jayne Mansfield, who was sometimes compared to Marilyn Monroe, also emulated Jean Harlow. It makes one wonder why anyone would want to reach for the stars, when they end up tragically. The blond bombshell actresses were famed for their platinum locks and voluptuous figures. Although they became famous, they did not seem to have happy lives The blond bombshells got everything that Hollywood had to offer, and it wasn't enough.

Jean Harlow
1911 - 1937

Jean Harlow was the "Original Blonde Bombshell". The Hollywood sex goddess was born Harlen Carpenter in Kansas City, Missouri in 1911. Jean Harlow had an acting career that lasted for ten years, before she died at the age of 26.

Jean Harlow started the trend of dying hair platinum blonde. Before Harlow, Hollywood producers cast dark haired women to play the part of vixens. As Jean gained popularity, fans emulated her blonde hair. Peroxide sales in the United States skyrocketed. Many women botched the attempt at platinum blond hair and ended up cutting their hair.

Jean married at the age of 16 and the couple moved from Chicago to Beverly Hills. They divorced after two years, Jean Harlow's big break came when movie producer and entrepreneur Howard Hughes became interested in her. Howard Hughes cast Jean Harlow in Hell's Angels, where she spoke the famous line "Would you be shocked if I changed into something more comfortable?" As America's new sex symbol, Jean appeared in movies including "Platinum Blonde, Red Dust, The Secret Six and Wife vs. Secretary along with movie star Clark Gable. During the filming of Red Dust, Jean's second husband committed suicide.