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Product Description

In the film that fueled her legendary career, Jean Harlow (The Public Enemy) stars in this romantic comedy directed by Academy Award® winner Frank Capra (Best Director, It Happened One Night, 1934). Written to showcase Harlow’s talent, looks and charm, PLATINUM BLONDE is a glorious spoof of the newspaper business in New York City during the Depression. Ann Schuyler (Harlow), a wealthy socialite, meets reporter Stew Smith (Robert Williams, Devotion) and the two fall madly in love. The comedy begins as she tries to transform him from a ruffian newsman into a convincing gentleman. “Stew,” who is quick with wisecracks, is slow to realize the dangers of being a kept man. At first, he likes the idle life of the rich, but there’s trouble in paradise. Soon this “Cinderella Man” turns the social register upside down with his mocking repartee. To his rescue is Gallagher (Loretta Young, The Stranger), a sympathetic friend and co-worker at the newspaper. She comforts and consoles Stew and, in clas

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This Frank Capra comedy from 1931 helped define the screwball-comedy genre that became so popular with films like It Happened One Night and The Awful Truth. In this witty romp, Jean Harlow plays an upper-crust socialite who bullies her reporter husband (Robert Williams) into conforming to her highfalutin ways. The husband chafes at the confinement of high society, though, and yearns for a creative outlet. He decides to write a play and collaborates with a fellow reporter (Loretta Young); the results are unexpectedly hilarious, especially when Young shows up at the mansion with a gaggle of boozehound reporters in tow. With snappy, ribald dialogue (allowable in those pre-Hays Code days), Capra keeps the gags flying fast and furious, taking special delight in having Williams's journalist pals rib him endlessly over his kept-man status. Platinum Blonde was a great success at the time of its release during the class-conscious Depression; for better or worse, its star Harlow was identified with the tag "platinum blonde" until her untimely death. --Jerry Renshaw

Product details

Aspect Ratio ‏ : ‎ 1.33:1
Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ NR (Not Rated)
Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.5 x 4.25 x 1.12 inches; 2.88 ounces
Director ‏ : ‎ Frank Capra
Media Format ‏ : ‎ NTSC, Subtitled, Black & White, Closed-captioned, Multiple Formats, Full Screen
Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 29 minutes
Release date ‏ : ‎ November 4, 2003
Actors ‏ : ‎ Loretta Young, Robert Williams, Jean Harlow, Halliwell Hobbes, Reginald Owen
Subtitles: ‏ : ‎ English, Japanese, French
Producers ‏ : ‎ Harry Cohn
Language ‏ : ‎ English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)
Studio ‏ : ‎ Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0000CBL7Z
Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1

Best Sellers Rank: #58,062 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
- #2,337 in Romance (Movies & TV)
- #4,461 in Kids & Family DVDs
- #6,746 in Comedy (Movies & TV)

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4.4 200 ratings

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4.4 out of 5

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tommy

Gorgeous and talented Loretta Young

Reviewed in the United States on February 5, 2024

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Loretta Young is the best one in this movie. She's only 18 years old and a terrific actress. She was the most natural looking beautiful woman in the early 1930s. She didn't need all the heavy makeup and severe hair dos women wore especially in the 1940s.

Reviewed in the United States on January 27, 2010

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Platinum Blonde (1931) is a delightful movie. I agree with you S.A. Alukonis "susansqueezy." I too just LOVED Robert Williams. He was so wonderful in his role. He was also on his way to becoming a great actor! In Platinum Blonde, Robert Williams is hilarious with his dry humor. He took the movie! It was so much fun to watch. A few minutes into the movie, I couldn't help but wonder who is this guy? I've never seen him before. I rewound to the opening credits and thought "Robert William" I've never heard of him. Who is he? My curiosity got to the better of me so of course, I just had to look him up. To my great sadness, I learned why I had never heard of him. In 1931, four days after the premiere of Platinum Blonde, Robert Williams died of a ruptured appendix at the age of 34. How incredibly sad! In 1931, Robert Williams made three other movies, i.e., The Common Law; Rebound; and Devotion. But, I could not find a single one of these movies anywhere. I do hope that one day these movies with Robert Williams will find their way on to DVD. I'm excited to see more of Robert Williams work. Jean Harlow was only 20 years old and Loretta Young was only 18 years old when they made Platinum Blonde with Robert Williams. It was fun to see Jean Harlow and Loretta Young at such young ages. To see actors and actresses grow up before the screen is one of many reasons I like old movies. I knew that Loretta Young had been around for quite some time, in the day, but I never thought so young. However, Loretta Young seemed quite mature for her 18 years old. She pulled her character off magnificently! I know many think that that Jean Harlow and Loretta Young were miss casted in Platinum Blonde that they should have switched characters but Loretta Young's character as a young, sweet, intelligent, woman was true to the kind of roles I've been use to seeing her play. The long flowing white dress Gallagher (Loretta Young) wore to the Schuyler's party was gorgeous. Jean Harlow was very curvaceous and had a sassy walk to go along with it. I highly recommend the movie! Also, the Schuyler's lawyer Dexter Grayson (Reginald Owen) bothered me as well because I had a hard time figuring out what movie I had seen him in. Finally, it hit me. He played the restaurant keeper Bernard Dalvik in A Woman's Face with Joan Crawford and Melvyn Douglas. Another great movie! One of many Joan Crawford's movie's I play regularly on rotation! Human Bondage with Bette Davis is another must see movie.

8 people found this helpful

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David bonfoey

It is a enjoyable early comedy

Reviewed in the United States on February 27, 2020

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Classic early Frank Capra film 1931. I love this movie I thought Loretta Young was hotter than Jean Harlow!! It is interesting to see Capra perfecting his craft!

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thedre

A smart, sensitive comedy with wonderful touches.

Reviewed in the United States on April 20, 2015

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Some wonderful notes are struck in this film...and it has the sense not to rush them. Anything with Loretta Young, let alone Harlow or this fella Williams from this period should be seen. Loretta Young was incredibly beautiful at this age...the most remarkable nose and profile, and those fabulous eyes. Harlow gets to be natural, and also pouty. Williams has a great casual presence, and the whole cast delivers there lines in a real natural way, even though a lot of them sound like ad libs that smart people would think of. Oh, and the sensibility of the ending is extremely touching. If a film was made now that could have such a warm ending, people would cheer in the theaters. Good endings are hard to find these days, even if they are predictable. And notice by this time the lighting and camera work was completely mastered.

8 people found this helpful

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AlanA

Good early Frank Capra

Reviewed in the United States on March 31, 2019

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Pretty good early Frank Capra melodrama with his usual theme of class warfare. Though Jean Harlow seems to have been the bigger star of the time, Loretta Young steals every scene in which she appears. The streaming print is good.

Reviewed in the United States on June 19, 2021

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Directed by Frank Capra, it is more sophisticated and witty with complexity lacking in many films of the era. Leading man Robert Williams, whom I had never heard of, was wonderful. Loretta Young - sooo young and gorgeous. My husband and I both enjoyed it very much.

One person found this helpful

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Mike Morrison

Fun old Harlow movie!

Reviewed in the United States on September 9, 2019

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If you're reading this, you already know who, and what, was Jean Harlow. Not a great beauty nor a great actress, she was somehow fascinating and compelling to watch, and this DVD transfer is excellent, including the soundtrack. She and Clark Gable play off one another perfectly, and it's just plain fun to see. If you're at all interested in either Harlow or Gable, this one is for you.

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OzarkButterfly

A Great Harlow Classic!

Reviewed in the United States on April 17, 2019

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Timeless classic with a wonderful cast and a very fine performance of the 1920's-1930's blonde bombshell, Jean Harlow and what a tragic loss of her death at the young age of 26 in 1937. She left some classic treasures in her movies. Also, a superb performance by Loretta Young.

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Mr. Charles R. Day

Promise fulfilled and promise unfulfilled.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 6, 2018

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An early (1931) Capra film which not only shows the manifested promise of the director but also the tragically unfulfilled promise of its main protagonist Robert Williams who died of peritonitis whilst in the early stages of rehearsing his next film. Platinum Blonde was Williams' first really major role and there is no doubt that he would have gone on to greater Hollywood prominence - truly a great loss.

The film has most of the Capra hallmarks and is quite modern, for 1931, in both the acting and direction: this is well worth a look, not just for Capra completists but also just about qualifies to be at the bottom end of the best of Capra - and what a superb best that is!

One person found this helpful

Mr Viewer

3 stars for Jean Harlow and her mother only.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 1, 2009

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Robert williams is the the worst most boring and annoying actor I have ever seen, The plot is very corny and annoying.

Capra was obviously a very talentless director despite the hype.

However, who can resist buying a film with Jean Harlow in (and Loretta Young).

2 people found this helpful

Colin Tiller

1931: high society versus the newsmen

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 31, 2011

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Not one of Frank Capra's very best films, but this is still a hugely appealing comedy with plenty of lovely touches. Its satire on the rich now looks distinctly dated, but it allows for a fascinating look at its era which makes it all still very worthwhile. For sure, Jean Harlow and Loretta Young are cast in the wrong roles, but they both do surprisingly well in them. Harlow may have been cast more for her physical presence in her role - which is a considerable asset! - and every time she speaks her true origins are revealed, but you still somehow believe in her. And Young playing a news reporter is hardly "one of the boys", as she is described, but she was so lovely at this stage in her career (she can only have been 18) that you can forgive her anything and just go along with her.

The real star, however, is Robert Williams, who gets all the best lines in the script and certainly makes the most impression. He plays the kind of cynical but basically honest newspaper reporter popularised by the show and film "The Front Page", and puts some real character into what could have been a standard cliché role. This film could have and should have turned him into a major star - it was certainly the best opportunity he had ever had. Sadly, his very premature death at the time of the film's release immediately put paid to that and he is now quite forgotten despite his great work here. Probably the film's title didn't help the situation much, leading to it now being remembered only as an important stepping stone in Jean Harlow's rise to fame. It is, in fact, a pretty arbitrary and irrelevant title for the film, only given to it because of Harlow's increasing popularity. It seems that it started out being called "Gallagher" after Loretta Young's character, but was then changed when the studio realised that Harlow was the one they should be promoting. So Williams never got the chance he really deserved. C'est la vie...or perhaps c'est la mort!?

Other actors of note to look for include Walter Catlett, adept at playing irritating characters, in fine form as a rival newsman; and Halliwell Hobbes, the perennial butler, in one of his most memorable portrayals of such, giving Williams a lesson in the fine art of "puttering".

It's a rather gorgeous looking film, thanks to Capra's regular cameraman Joseph Walker and stylish set design. And the beautifully understated final scene is just the perfect icing on the cake...

Derek Vernon-morris

Platinum Blonde DVD1931. Jean Harlow/Robert Williams

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 8, 2010

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I had only seen still shots of Jean Harlow,and of course read about her tragically early death due to terminal illness, so I was delighted to see this classic film on offer. Unfortunately I find this film which began her ledgendary career, a little disappionting. If I had seen this at the local cinema, and paid hard earned money, it would not tempt me to see more during the depression of the 1930's.
In comparison with ledgends such as Mae West,Alice Faye, Bette Davies, Eleanor Powell and later Judy Garland and Marylin Monroe, her screen presence seems very slight.Her acting as socialite Ann Schuyler seems contrived, tired, and stilted. One feels like quoting a line by Nathan Lane in The Producers - "the producer's girl friend always gets the lead"
Produced and Directed by Frank Capra in 1931,this film is a spoof exposing the opulent pretensions of the wealthy at the expense of the less fortunate, who in reality want to be one of them. Robert Williams 'acts his socks of' as they say, attempting to give the film credibility as the fast talking, irritating Newspaper reporter Stew Smith. Whilst investigating a scandal relating to her brother, Stew falls in love with Ann and they marry secretly. He does not fit easily into the gentlemanly life style with a valet, and she of course does not relish living in a small two roomed appartment. He is reviled by former friends for being a 'kept man'. The black and white picture quality is sharp, and there are some good effects, as they kiss behind a glass screen covered in flowing water, and later' bill and coo' on a bed singing an affectionate little ditty.
There is a one liner by Mae West in 'Belle of The Nineties'- "better to be looked over, than overlooked" and somehow in spite of the racy platinum hair and silk dresses, Jean Harlow is easy to overlook. Likewise Louise Closser Hale does not really gell as the indignant and comical mother. There are shades of the Marks Brothers and Laurel and Hardy, but here it is a case of knowing it is all meant to be amusing, rather than really finding it funny.
Lovely Loretta Young plays Gallagher, Stew's down to earth and patient newspaper buddy, who finally makes him realise that their love is the real thing.

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Brand	HARLOW,JEAN
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