[5] The crux of Malin's act was not to impersonate women, but to appear as a flamboyant, effeminate, openly gay male wearing a tuxedo; William Randolph Hearst newspapers' Broadway columnist Louis Sobol described Malin as "a baby-faced lad who lisped and pressed his fingers into his thighs" during performances while another observer called him "a brilliant entertainer, a very funny guy, but risqué".

[6][7] Malin moved on stage and amongst the audience members as an elegant, witty, wisecracking emcee, affecting a broad exaggerated swishing image associated with the "Pansy acts" that followed.

(He once punched a disruptive patron during a performance, prompting Ed Sullivan to write, "Jean Malin belted a heckler last night at one of the local clubs.

After headlining numerous New York clubs such as Paul and Joe's, Malin took his act to Boston and ultimately, in the fall of 1932, to the West Coast, where he was employed at popular nightclubs such as the Ship Café in Venice.

[13] While in Hollywood, he appeared in Arizona to Broadway (1933); in the movie, he portrayed Ray Best, a female impersonator who dressed in the manner of Mae West and sang "Frankie and Johnny".

[14][15] Malin was cast in a third movie, Double Harness (1933), but his performance was discarded and he was replaced by a less effeminate actor; the president of RKO Pictures, B.

Pinned under the steering wheel, Malin was killed instantly; Forlenza sustained a broken collarbone and severe bruising, and Kelly suffered from shock and serious injuries from the submersion in the water.