mark.waltz No matter how you slice it, she comes up Lorelei Lee. The names may be different, but Jean Harlow and Patsy Kelly are identical to the blonde and brunette heroines of "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes". Instead of heading out to sea from the Big Apple, they pack their bags and head out of the mid-west hoping to take Manhattan (and its millionaires) by storm. Who better to play Anita Loos's lovable gold-digger than Jean Harlow? Unlike Marilyn Monroe's movie version of Lorelei, Harlow is closer to the stage incarnation of that character, here a tough girl who doesn't want to end up like her tired but still fairly young mother. She has morals, but like Lorelei believes it is better to fall in love with a rich man rather than a poor one, and ultimately gets more than her original intentions.The mannish Patsy Kelly is so delightfully funny (as well as touching) as Lorelei's pal, who like "Gentlemen Prefer Blonde's" Dorothy (Jane Russell on screen) isn't necessarily looking for gold, just love, sweet love. She flirts with every handsome blue collar worker she lays her eyes on, but is at Harlow's beck and call as every best pal should be, even if it interferes with her carnal activities. Her best line of wanting to be a nice home girl just like Mae West is a gem.Made just on the cusp of the unfortunate Hays code, there's still plenty of innuendo concerning sex, prostitution, infidelity and cocaine to go around. The basic story concerns Harlow's involvement in the missing cufflinks of the suicidal Lewis Stone and the scandal that breaks after she sets her eye on the wealthy Lionel Barrymore and later his son (Franchot Tone) whom she initially believes to be poor. "Auntie Em" Clara Blandick has some amusing moments as Barrymore's secretary (her quiet stares at the intrusive Harlow are hysterically funny, as is her light flirtation with Tone), while Nat Pendleton is raucous as one of Kelly's "conquests". Not as blatant as previous Harlow outings (particularly her gold-digging "Red Headed Woman"), it is still plenty juicy.

JLRMovieReviews In this film, Jean Harlow comes from a low class childhood, when the death of her father led her mother to remarry and, under the stepfather's influence, her mother becomes a "hostess" and Jean is encouraged in entertain as well. But, when she has enough, Jean sneaks off to meet the world head on and tries to find herself love and a soft place to fall. By means of a job and connections, she meets Lewis Stone, but he has his own problems. Then she tries to latch on to Lionel Barrymore, but there's more to him than meets the eye, as he acts kind to her, but realizes, or so he thinks, that she is only mercenary. Enter his son Franchot Tone, as he sets his sights on Jean, but Lionel has his own agenda. Such sets up the story in this enjoyable Jean Harlow film. Her career began with characters that were purely out for money and rich men, but, with the movie studio trying to make sure their films could pass the Hays Production Code, they made her characters more with a heart of gold, instead of heartless. This film certainly entertains and at the same time is emotionally charged, as we see Jean trying to be a good girl despite her yen for Franchot. If you've never seen Jean Harlow, this is certainly one of her best, even though it's not as well known as other films of hers. Though "The Girl from Missouri" was made in 1934, the story and its lead actress are still fresh today. With good support and snappy dialogue from Patsy Kelly, this is must-see Jean Harlow material.

ksf-2 In this film, made JUST as the production code was being enforced, Jean Harlow is Eadie, and Patsy Kelly is the wisecracking, man-chasing sidekick "Kitty". Girl from Missouri starts out with the girls getting on a train, with Eadie making a promise to herself to earn money while looking for a millionaire husband, staying whole-some in the process. It doesn't take her long to meet up with Frank Cousins, (Lewis Stone, was the kindly Doctor in Grand Hotel, as well as Judge Hardy in the "Andy Hardy" films.), but all is not as it seems...The censors must have LOVED Harlow's line "A girl couldn't accept an expensive gift like that from a gentleman unless she was engaged." Later, someone says "You know we've never been alone together" and Eadie replies "Yeah, and we're not going to be!" Lionel Barrymore is T.R. Paige, another rich, uppercrust who comes to her rescue when trouble comes looking for Eadie. At one point, Paige declares "You oughta scratch me off your list - I'm not a ladies man".... I wonder what that line would have been just a couple years earlier before the Hayes code came rolling into town. What was he really saying? Carol Tevis seems to be the high-pitched "Baby Talker" as listed in the credits on IMDb. Looks like she was only in showbiz from 1931 - 1939, with "Munchkin" in Wizard of Oz being the last part she played. Fun, cleancut romp as the girls chase men around the country. Look for Nat Pendleton as the lifeguard, who was an Olympic Wrestler 1920 (silver medal winner) turned film star (he was in many of the Dr. Kildares, and would appear in four of Harlow's films.) Mistaken identity, plot twists, a young Franchot Tone, love stories, even Jean Harlow in a bathing suit in "Palm Beach", although the outdoor scenes of downtown appear to be a backdrop.

chris-459 I'm a Jean Harlow fan, because she had star quality. I don't think her movies are good and I don't even think that she was a good actress, but she certainly was Great in comedies. Every bit of comedy in The Girl from Missouri is very good. But this movie is perhaps more like a love story. Jean Harlow is wonderful in this one and you can forget the rest of the cast - their performances bring nothing new. It always impresses me much to think that Harlow's beautiful body was that of an ill woman. Well, in this movie she does look beautiful.