My friend, Reg, currently has this wonderful publicity photo of Jean with some unidentified ladies, taken in 1934, up for auction on eBay.
Do you recognize any of these women? Please leave your insights and/or educated guesses in the comments section below and help solve the mystery. Thanks!
Laura Wagner (Classic Images ) offers these very good suggestions for the first three ladies (L-R): Arline Judge, Claire Trevor and Patricia Ellis....
More updates! Harlow biographer David Stenn agrees about Arline Judge, and Harlow historian, Darrell Rooney, fills out the line up for us by naming all the ladies (L-R):
Arline Judge, Claire Trevor, Esther Ralston, Jean (of course!) and Lois Wilson. Darrell told me that the afternoon luncheon was hosted by Jean in her own home.
Here are photos of Esther and Lois:
Additionally, fellow Harlow historian and Platinum Page contributor, Dennis Cleven, confirmed the names today via a post to the Jean Harlow Yahoo! Group where this has also been a topic of conversation. Dennis further shared that, according to an article published about the luncheon, it was held at what is commonly known as Jean's "Big White House" (214 S. Beverly Glen) and that Gloria Swanson, though not pictured, also attended.
A big THANKS all around to everyone who helped solve the mystery!
7/29/07 - Harlow collector Wayne Murray shares with us even intriguing background information about this photograph. Wayne writes:
"Just a little more nickel knowledge on Jean's luncheon. If you look again at the photo Jean is supporting herself with a cane, she had sprained or fractured her ankle, and had some down time from the studio to entertain. How much truth there is to her reasons for walking out with MGM at the time is the question. It was more like she hobbled out to recuperate."
Thanks, Wayne!
Hi Vincent! Great guess, but it turns out not to be Doris. Thank you so much for sharing the link to your Carole Lombard site, how wonderful! I look forward to popping in from time to time. Lisa
Posted by: Lisa Burks | July 28, 2007 at 07:31 PM
The facial structure of the woman second from left suggests Doris Duke, but she stood about 6-foot-1 and would have towered over these ladies, so it clearly isn't her.
Great blog, by the way. I run something similar for Carole Lombard, and you are invited to check it out at
http://community.livejournal.com/carole_and_co/
Posted by: Vincent | July 28, 2007 at 08:31 AM