Quiz

The dress worn by Poppy Montgomery in the 'Gentleman Prefer Blondes' scene is the same replica dress worn by Madonna in her Marilyn inspired 'Material Girl' video.

It is said in the mini-series of Marilyn's original name that the Jean(e) in Norma Jeane is after Jean Harlow. This can't be the case. Marilyn was born in 1926. Jean Harlow's first film appearance was in 1928 and she had bit parts until her first starring role in 1930 with Hell's Angels. Therefore, Harlow would not have been in mother Grace's consciousness in 1926 for her to choose the name Jean(e) for her daughter. Harlow herself was originally named Harlean Carpentier so she may not even have been called Jean in 1926. The Norma purportedly came from silent star Norma Talmadge who's career began in 1910 and she was still appearing in movies by 1926, therefore that could indeed be true. Where the Jeane actually came from is a mystery. Marilyn was photographed as Jean Harlow in 1958 for Life magazine by Richard Avedon for a shoot of herself as other famous women (including Clara Bow, Dietrich, Theda Bara). It has been written that Jean Harlow was an idol of Marilyn's and that she was working with Sidney Skolsky to make a biopic of the actress, even going as far as to ask Harlow's mother for her blessing, but Marilyn died before it could go into production. There are many parallels between Jean and Marilyn's lives (brought up as Christian Scientists, had three husbands, final films were with Clark Gable to name just a few coincidences). Perhaps all of these instances of Harlow's life overlapping and influencing Marilyn's is what has led to the falsehood that Jean Harlow was Norma Jeane's namesake.