Bombshell
Director: Victor Fleming
Year Released: 1933
Rating: 3.0
Jean Harlow battles her press agent in this early satire of fame in Hollywood and the difficulty of living a private life - her every move and association is taken out of context by the media, and the P.R. people turn against their own clients for big headlines. Shows the studios as being just as conniving and ruthless as the studios today for attention and revenue, though the focus is really on Harlow's need to avoid the insanity (she comes up with a plan to adopt a child and alter her reputation as a runaround though that plan is expectedly ruined). The ingenuity of the screenplay and skillful repartee make up for a lagging middle act and Harlow's screechy, pampered character.
