REVIEW of The Jean Harlow 100th Anniversary Collection: For the centennial of Jean Harlow in 2011, Warner Archive Collection released this lavish 100th Anniversary Collection of 7 of her MGM films from 1933 until her untimely death in 1937, including her final film, Saratoga with Clark Gable. Three of the missing films were restored and released just a year later - The Secret Six, Red Dust and Hold Your Man. At this time, only 2 films starring Ms. Harlow are missing from digital format - Universal's Iron Man and Fox's Goldie. While not her best or most famous films, all seven titles in this collection are A-pictures from one of the best studios in Hollywood featuring strong support to Jean Harlow from her male leads - Lee Tracy, Franchot Tone, Lionel Barrymore, William Powell, Spencer Tracy, Cary Grant, Robert Taylor, Clark Gable. My favorites here are probably three earlier films that are also available separately - a lone pre-code in this collection Bombshell, The Girl from Missouri and Reckless, but four other films are enjoyable as well and we recommend picking up the whole collection rather than three titles separately - it's a better value.

All seven titles come in a separate keep case on a single-layered made-on-demand disc. 3 of the earliest titles mentioned above were also part of a new restoration. There is still some specs and excessive grain, but they are looking better than ever before on home video. The remaining four titles have their share of marks and specs; Suzy and Saratoga transfers look much softer. They surely show their age, but this is still a nice presentation considering age of the films and the quality of existing film elements. The mono audio is decent. Each film has some kind of added bonus - a Spanish-language trailers for Bombshell and The Girl from Missouri; theatrical trailers for Reckless, Riffraff, Personal Property and Saratoga; Lux Radio Theater Production of Madame Sans-Gene with Harlow and Robert Taylor on Personal Property disc; Radio promotion Leo Is on the Air for Reckless and Suzy; and finally four pre-recording sessions on the MGM stage from Reckless. The boxset also includes a collection of seven MGM publicity photos of Ms. Harlow. To learn more about Jean Harlow, we recommend a Dinner at Eight disc for a TCM documentary Harlow: The Blonde Bombshell (or to learn even less - a very 1960's disappointing biopic with Carol Baker - Harlow. Overall, this is highly recommended release from Warner Archives and would make a great gift for the holiday season.