Happy Birthday: Clara Bow!

Clara Gordon Bow (July 29, 1905 – September 27, 1965), rose to stardom in the silent film era of the 1920s. Her performance in the film, "It" brought her the nickname "The It Girl." Bow came to personify the roaring twenties and is described as its leading sex symbol. She performed in 46 silent films and 11 talkies. Some of her best known films: Mantrap (1926), It (1927) and Wings (1927). Bow ended her career with the film, Hoop-La (1933), and became a rancher in Nevada. In 1931 she married actor Rex Bell, later politician and Lieutenant Governor, with whom she had two sons.

Please click here to learn more about Clara Bow.

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Honors: For her contributions to the motion picture industry, Bow was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

In 1994, she was honored with an image on a United States postage stamp designed by caricaturist Al Hirschfeld.

Fun Facts:
 

Helen Kane

Max Fleischer's cartoon character Betty Boop was modeled after Bow and entertainer Helen Kane (the "boop-boop-a-doop-girl").

 

Silent Film, "It (1927)".

I just finished watching the silent film, "It(1927)"with Clara Bow. I really enjoyed this very fast paced and cute comedy. Clara gives a very cute performance in a scene where she is making funny faces at her friends baby. I also enjoyed The scenes at coney island and the subtitles with the 1920's slang.

Please click here to view Silents, It(1927) movie review.

The Winner Is... Silent Film: Wings (1927). It was the first film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture and the only silent film ever to win Best Picture.

Wings (1927), Silent film about World War I fighter pilots, directed by William A. It was the first film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture and the only silent film ever to win Best Picture. Cast: Clara Bow, Charles "Buddy" Rogers and Richard Arlen. Gary Cooper appears in a scene which helped launch his career in Hollywood and also marked the beginning of his affair with Clara Bow.

In 1917, in a small town, Jack Powell works on his car, while daydreaming about airplanes. Jack names his car the "Shooting Star" while Mary Preston, paints a star on his car. Oblivious to Mary's feelings for him, Jack invites Sylvia Lewis, to join him on the first drive. Sylvia goes along, but she is in love with David Armstrong, who comes from a wealthy family. Later, when the United States enters World War I, Jack and David enlist in aviation school. Before they leave, Sylvia signs a picture of herself and puts it in a locket for David, but Jack thinks it is meant for him, she does not have the heart to tell him the truth. David, is hurt, but Sylvia explains that, although Jack has her picture, David has her heart. Jack almost forgets to say goodbye to Mary, but then runs back to tell her that she can use the car. During basic training, problems come between Jack and David, will they put their differences aside and become friends?

The air battles in this film I thought were amazing.

Jobyna Ralston (November 21, 1900 – January 22, 1967), parents who named her after a famous entertainer of the time, Jobyna Howland. Ralston's mother, a portrait photographer, carefully prepared her daughter for a show business career.

Comedian Max Linder, saw her on stage and thought she would be perfect for Hollywood, where she appeared in a number of his films. She also co-starred in, Humor Risk (1921), the lost comedy short film debut of the Marx Brothers. Soon director Hal Roach began to star the actress in one-reel comedies. She left the stage for the screen in 1922 when her mother's health began to decline and she needed to make more money to help pay the medical bills.

She starred with silent comedian Harold Lloyd in, Why Worry?(1923) and for the next five years appeared in six of Lloyd's films as his leading lady. It is for her onscreen chemistry with Lloyd that she is best remembered today. She would start the trend for romantic comedies with, Girl Shy.

Ralston co-starred with Richard Arlen, in the first Oscar-winning film, Wings (1927), with,Clara Bow, Gary Cooper, and Buddy Rogers. She would star in eleven more films . Her film career ended after when she became a mother. Her last talkie, Rough Waters (1930), with co star, Rin Tin Tin.

Pawsome Pet Pictures: Clara Bow.

Clara Bow Quote: "We had individuality. We did as we pleased. We stayed up late. We dressed the way we wanted. I used to whiz down Sunset Boulevard in my open Kissel, with several red Chow dogs to match my hair. Today, they're sensible and end up with better health. But we had more fun."

Pictures of Silent Film Star: Clara Bow and Arlette Marchal.

This short video is from the silent film, Hula(1927). The daughter of a pineapple plantation owner in Hawaii sets her sights on a married English engineer. Director: Victor Fleming. Writers: Doris Anderson, Ethel Doherty. Cast: Clara Bow, Clive Brook and Arlette Marchal. These film clips are a wonderful showcase of Clara's humor.

Arlette Marchal (29 January 1902 – 11 February 1984) was a French film actress. She performed in 41 films between 1922 and 1951.

Filmography:
Die Sklavenkönigin (1924)
Madame Sans-Gene (1925)
Born to the West (1926)
The Cat's Pajamas (1926)
Diplomacy (1926)
Forlorn River (1926)
Blonde or Brunette (1927)
Le manoir de la peur (1927)
Wings (1927)
Hula (1927)
A Gentleman of Paris (1927)
The Spotlight (1927)
Die Frau von gestern und morgen (1928)
An Ideal Woman (1928)
The Lady with the Mask (1928)
The Elusive Pimpernel (1950)
Sans laisser d'adresse (1951)

Happy Birthday : Clara Bow!

Clara Bow will forever be the "It" girl… She was often cast as a waitress, a manicurist, or a salesgirl. The ever resourceful Clara would set her sights on a handsome man. Armed with her irresistible charm, Clara's character would rise above her problems and obtain her goal where she lit up the screen.

From Clara Bow's film "It". A scene contrasting how she and her romantic rival get ready for a dinner at the Ritz.

Clara Bow "The Plastic Age" (1925)

"The Plastic Age" (1925) is a silent romantic comedy starring Clara Bow, Donald Keith, and Gilbert Roland. Directed by Wesley Ruggles and adapted from the novel by Percy Marks, this film is a portrayal of college youth during the Jazz Age. The story begins with Hugh Carver, played by Donald Keith, a high school athletic star, going off to Prescott College. Before he leaves home, his father explains sex to him, but Hugh looks confused. When he arrives at Prescott College, Hugh is shocked to know that his roommate Carl Peters, played by Gilbert Roland, is quite the ladies man and party animal. With little or no experience with girls, Hugh encounters the "hotsy-totsy" Cynthia Day, played by Clara Bow, while invading a sorority house during his freshman hazing. Inflamed by hormones, Hugh decides to start smoking. When the 440 yard race comes up, he comes in dead last. When Hugh's parents visit the campus, his father tells him not to return home until he "has made good." Hugh doesn't seem to care. Cynthia has become his first priority in life and he is deep into the party scene. This causes a fight between Hugh and Carl, ending their friendship. Realizing that her partying lifestyle is hurting Hugh, Cynthia tells him they can't see each other any more. "The Plastic Age" was a huge hit. Even though Clara Bow had appeared in more than two dozen films up to that time, it is this film that is credited with elevating her to the ranks of superstardom. Bow's performance and on-screen magnetism rather than the story line accomplished this feat. However, the film was released at the height of the flapper age so the timing was perfect. Bow expresses the youthful energy and playfulness that made her an icon of the era. Bow's Cynthia Day is Betty Boop in the flesh. With her bobbed hair, big eyes, and boop-a-doop personality, she is so cute and lovable. Every time she comes on the screen she lights up everything around her. It is clearly hinted that Cynthia is a playful sexual aggressor, but she is virtuous enough. Donald Keith is very credible in the role of Hugh Carver. His infatuation with Cynthia comes across quite well. A nineteen year old Luis Antonio Damaso Alonso, who was renamed Gilbert Roland, was signed for the second lead as Carl Peters. Roland's physical appearance certainly fits the role of the handsome college man. Fans of Clark Gable may find the film worthwhile just for taking a glimpse of him in several scenes as an athlete. Although "It" was the film that sparked Bow's nickname, "The Plastic Age" was the one in which she played her first flapper and made the role her own.

THE PLASTIC AGE (1925) MOVIE CLIP.

CLARA BOW: Fun Facts

Clara Gordon Bow (July 29, 1905 – September 27, 1965) Rose to stardom in the silent film era of the (1920s). She won a photo beauty contest which started a movie career of 56 films. She reached the top as the "It Girl" in (1927). She married cowboy star Rex Bell at age 26 and retired from the screen at age 28.


She worked at a hot dog stand on Coney Island as a teenager, run by a man named Nathan Handwerker, who later founded Nathan's Franks.

Pictured on one of ten 29¢ US commemorative postage stamps celebrating stars of the silent screen, issued 27 April 1994. Designed by caricaturist Al Hirschfeld, this set of stamps also honored Rudolph Valentino, Charles Chaplin, Lon Chaney, John Gilbert, Zasu Pitts, Harold Lloyd, Theda Bara, Buster Keaton, and the Keystone Kops.

Mother of actor Rex Bell Jr.

"It" (1927) - Clara Bow

"It" (1927) is one of my favorite romantic comedies of the silent era. Directed by Clarence Badger and adapted from the novel by Elinor Glyn which created the catch phrase for sex appeal, the film is actually a Cinderella story where the girl becomes the pursuer instead of being pursued. Clara Bow plays Betty Lou Spence, a beautiful, bold and self-confident sales girl at the Waltham Department Store who swoons over Cyrus Waltham, played by Antonio Moreno, the handsome owner. Cyrus, however, does not even notice Betty Lou. Hoping she can attract Cyrus' attention, Betty Lou accepts a date with his best friend Monty on the condition that they dine at the Ritz where Cyrus is dining that evening. Monty believes that Betty Lou is loaded with "it." Cyrus finally notices Betty Lou's many charms and becomes interested in her. They do go out on a date and have a marvelous time together. In no time at all, Betty Lou and Cyrus are contemplating marriage. However, the romance chills when a newspaper reporter writes a story describing Betty Lou as an unwed mother. Can Betty Lou regain Cyrus' love for her? You will have to watch the film to find out.

"It" is not an important film in the development of cinema in terms of technique or theme. Instead, it is the signature film of Clara Bow, one of the top box office stars of the late silent era; the one that sparked Bow's nickname, "the 'It' Girl." Bow was the first mass-marketed sex symbol and many of her films were vehicles specifically to show her off. Hollywood was determined to use her sexual presence to elevate her. I love the film because it is so enjoyable to watch. Bow had great comedic timing and a magnetic presence that simply lights up the screen. She had beautiful expressive eyes, facial expressions and physical gestures that were so appropriate for silent films. One of the most touching scenes is when Cyrus offers Betty Lou something less noble than the marriage she wants from him. Her eyes registered so much pain that it pulled at my heart. The scenes of Betty Lou and Cyrus' date at Coney Island are so fun to watch. Antonio Moreno, an exceedingly handsome leading man during the silent era, gives a top-notch performance as Betty Lou's love interest. What I love most about the film is that it touches on social issues of the times. Films, like "It," made during the 1920's helped free women from the restrictive Victorian era morals. It became more acceptable for women to pursue men and acknowledge their sex appeal.