# Jean Harlow and Lucille Ball **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** actor-characters\ **Created:** [February 16, 2023, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jean-harlow-and-lucille-ball/979896 "2023-02-16T16:09:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![salinqmind1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@salinqmind1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind1)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2023, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jean-harlow-and-lucille-ball/979896/1 "2023-02-16T16:09:22Z")
I don’t know if anyone watches old movies on TCM. They’re showing a screwball comedy from early 30’s starring Jean Harlow, and she has quite a loud irritating voice here in ‘Bombshell’. When she gets on a rant, doesn’t she sound almost exactly like Lucille Ball, when she gets on a tear? Also, Jean Harlow somewhat resembles the early Lucille Ball in some publicity pictures. I thought both actresses were quite wonderful. Dinner At Eight for Jean, and The Big Street for Lucy. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2023, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jean-harlow-and-lucille-ball/979896/2 "2023-02-16T19:42:08Z")
Harlow was definitely great in _Dinner at Eight,_ but Marie Dressler topped her. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/r3luYMGZhvo/hqdefault.jpg "Dinner At Eight (1933) -- Reading") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3luYMGZhvo) ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2023, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jean-harlow-and-lucille-ball/979896/3 "2023-02-16T20:22:37Z")
Lucille Ball could sound brassy when she wanted to, but even in her younger years her voice was pitched a good third lower than Harlow’s. Then later on she got that smoker’s or whiskey-drinker’s voice which dropped her from alto to baritone. For Harlow movies, I also recommend Libeled Lady and Wife vs. Secretary, both also shown from time to time on TCM. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2023, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jean-harlow-and-lucille-ball/979896/4 "2023-02-16T21:27:10Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > Lucille Ball could sound brassy when she wanted to, but even in her younger years her voice was pitched a good third lower than Harlow’s. Then later on she got that smoker’s or whiskey-drinker’s voice which dropped her from alto to baritone. I once saw Lucille opposite Red Skelton in a comedy set at a resort. Her voice was positively mellifluous, and her legs were gorgeous! (She spent the whole movie in shorts.) She could easily have become a sex symbol herself ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@salinqmind1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind1)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2023, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jean-harlow-and-lucille-ball/979896/5 "2023-02-16T22:32:07Z")
Marie Dressler was a treasure! 😀 the most popular actress of her time, I read. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@salinqmind1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind1)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2023, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jean-harlow-and-lucille-ball/979896/6 "2023-02-16T22:36:25Z")
Not arguing! She had every element to be a sex symbol, but like Bette Davis, she wanted to better herself, and she certainly rose above ‘sex symbol’.