DS, signed “Howard R. Hughes, pres.,” two pages, 8.5 x 11, November 11, 1930. Agreement by which Hughes's Caddo Company loans Jean Harlow to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to appear in the classic crime film The Secret Six. In part: "This is to confirm our understanding of the arrangement we have made to loan you the exclusive services of Miss Jean Harlow…to play the part known as 'ingenue lead' in the photoplay entitled 'Secret Six.'" The document outlines the terms and schedule for the agreement. Signed at the conclusion in fountain pen by both Hughes and Louis B. Mayer. Includes a TLS by Arthur M. Landau, December 18, 1930, agreeing to "extend the starting date on the services of Miss Jean Harlow in your production 'Secret Six' from November 25, 1930, to December 15, 1930." In fine condition.
Hughes 'discovered' Harlow in 1929, signing her to a five-year, $100-per-week contract. She made her first major appearance in Hughes's aviation epic "Hell's Angels," which brought her into the international limelight. In 1931, she came to even greater prominence with her "ingenue" role as Anne Courtland in "The Secret Six," which co-starred the likes of Wallace Beery, Lewis Stone, and Clark Gable. Capitalizing on the success brought by the newfound blonde bombshell, MGM purchased Harlow's contract from Hughes in 1932 for $30,000—she soon became one of the studio's biggest stars.
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