ARLOW: An Intimatc Biography

For any who don't remember, Jean Harlow was the startling, brassy blonde with the pronounced physique whose platinum hair (actually due to albinism) was the icing on the cheesecake. This is an even more startling account revealed through the courtesy of her agent-confidant whom she called ""Pops."" Actually, from time to time, her disastrously squalid story has a parallelism with Monroe's even though it's hard to work up much sympathy for Jean. Or respect. As an actress she never got past her Kansas City twang. However much of it has a certain inflammatory interest largely centered around her marriage to Paul Bern, 42 to her 21. He stood less than five feet in his built-up shoes and turned out to be just as undeveloped elsewhere (there is an extensive documentation of his deficiency). Bern committed suicide, and even Hedda Hopper, who claimed that it had never been fully enough explained to her satisfaction, will find that it has been repugnantly documented here. Before and after the tragedy There was Jean's early marriage at 16; her victimization by her mother and her stepfather-a passionate Italian type, who sponged off her and spent more than she made; the constant caterwauling, strident scenes, drinking, promiscuity, debts, fights with the studio, and the final, unwitting victimization by her mother which caused her death. Mama was a Scientist and refused to call a doctor..... A first edition of 50,000; consider it sold.