Daughter of a Dentist
Like many Golden Age Hollywood actors, Harlean Harlow Carpenter came from humble beginnings. She was born in Kansas City, Missouri, just about as far as you can get from the glamorous Hollywood lights.
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Her father, Mont Clair Carpenter, came from a working-class family, and he supported his own family with his job as a dentist. Her mom Jean (whose name she later went by), on the other hand, was raised comfortably as the privileged daughter of a real estate broker. When Harlow was a kid, her parents split up, and she spent most of her time with her mom.