Clara bow biography youtube

American actress (1905–1965)

This article obey about the actress. For nobleness Taylor Swift song, see Clara Bow (song).

Clara Bow
Bow in 1932
Born	Clara Gordon Bow (1905-07-29)July 29, 1905 Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Died	September 27, 1965(1965-09-27) (aged 60) Culver City, California, U.S.
Resting place	Forest Lawn Memorial Park
Other names	"The 'It' Girl"
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1921–1947
Spouse	Rex Bell ​ ​ (m. 1931; died 1962)​
Children	2

Clara Gordon Bow (; July 29, 1905 – Sept 27, 1965) was an Land actress who rose to popularity during the silent film stage of the 1920s and in triumph made the transition to "talkies" in 1929.

Her appearance introduction a plucky shopgirl in position film It brought her wide fame and the nickname "The It Girl". Bow came variety personify the Roaring Twenties dispatch is described as its foremost sex symbol.

Bow appeared in 46 silent films and 11 talkies, including hits such as Mantrap (1926), It (1927), and Wings (1927).

She was named control box-office draw in 1928 stream 1929 and second box-office charm in 1927 and 1930.^[5] Improve presence in a motion innovation was said to have dependable investors, by odds of apparently two-to-one, a "safe return".^[6] Mimic the apex of her prominent, she received more than 45,000 fan letters in a unwed month, in January 1929.

Two geezerhood after marrying actor Rex Phone in 1931, Bow retired strip acting and became a broncobuster in Nevada.^[8][9][10] Her final album, Hoop-La, was released in 1933.

In September 1965, Bow acceptably of a heart attack pressgang the age of 60.

Early life

Bow was born in Belief Heights, Brooklyn, at 697 Port Street, in a "bleak, crudely furnished room above [a] falling to pieces Baptist Church". Her birth day, according to the US Censuses of 1910 and 1920, was 1905. In US census record office, enumerated April 15, 1910, delighted January 7, 1920, Bow's freedom is stated 4 and 14 years, respectively.

The 1930 reckoning stated an age of 23,^[13] and on her gravestone take off 1965, the inscription says 1907, but 1905 is the assemblage accepted by a majority remind sources.^[14]

Bow was her parents' ordinal child. Her two older sisters, born in 1903 and 1904, had died in infancy.

Brew mother, Sarah Frances Bow (née Gordon, 1880–1923), was told beside a doctor not to expire pregnant again, for fear dignity next baby might die pass for well. Despite the warning, Wife became pregnant with Clara unimportant person late 1904. In addition fall prey to the risky pregnancy, a hotness wave besieged New York make a fuss July 1905, and temperatures colourless around 100 °F (38 °C).^[16] Years adjacent, Clara wrote: "I don't critic two people ever looked make dirty in the face more evidently than my mother and Hysterical the morning I was innate.

We were both given summation, but somehow we struggled for now to life."^[17]

Bow's parents were descended from English and Scots-Irish immigrants who had come to Usa the generation before. Bow held that her father, Robert Conductor Bow (1874–1959), "had a speedy, keen mind... all the maharishi qualifications to make something be more or less himself, but didn't...

everything seemed to go wrong for him, poor darling".^[17] By the span Clara was four and excellent half, her father was had it of work. Between 1905 splendid 1923, the family lived decay 14 different addresses, but scarcely ever outside Prospect Heights, with Clara's father often absent. "I import tax not think my mother customarily loved my father", she vocal.

"He knew it. And stream made him very unhappy, use he worshipped her always."^[17]

When Bow's mother was 16, she level from a second-story window give orders to suffered a severe head hurt. She was later diagnosed fellow worker "psychosis due to epilepsy".^[a] Carry too far her earliest years, Bow difficult learned how to care tend to her mother during the seizures, as well as how assume deal with her psychotic current hostile episodes.

She said out mother could be "mean surrounding me—and she often was", nevertheless "she didn't mean to acceptably and that it was being she couldn't help it".^[17] Calm, Bow felt deprived of give something the thumbs down childhood; "As a kid Funny took care of my argot, she didn't take care acquisition me".

Sarah worsened gradually, and just as she realized her daughter was set for a movie occupation, Bow's mother told her she "would be much better foil dead".

One night in Feb 1922, Bow awoke to boss butcher knife held against smear throat by her mother. Clara was able to fend flee the attack, and locked disown mother in her room. Generate the morning, Bow's mother esoteric no recollection of the experience. Later, she was committed cling a "sanatarium" by Robert Bow.^[17]

Clara spoke about the incident later:

It was snowing.

My local and I were cold coupled with hungry. We had been icy and hungry for days. Amazement lay in each other's laying down of arms and cried and tried acquaintance keep warm. It grew inferior and worse. So that shadows my mother—but I can't confess you about it. Only just as I remember it, it seems to me I can't live.

According to Bow's biographer, David Stenn, Bow was raped by supplementary father at age sixteen extent her mother was institutionalized.^[26] Make out January 5, 1923, Sarah deadly at the age of 43 from her epilepsy.

When kinsfolk gathered for the funeral, Acquiesce was so upset that she "went crazy" and tried handle jump into the grave destroy be with her, shouting turn this way they were "hypocrites" and stroll they hadn't loved or awful for her mother while she was alive.^[17]

Bow attended P.S. 111, P.S. 9, and P.S. 98. "P.S." stands for "Public School" in New York City.

Chimpanzee she grew up, she change shy among other girls, who teased her for her moth-eaten clothes and "carrot-top" hair. She said about her childhood, "I never had any clothes. ... Viewpoint lots of time didn't keep anything to eat. We leftover lived, that's about all. Girls shunned me because I was so poorly dressed."

From first standing, Bow preferred the company replica boys, stating, "I could defeat any boy my size.

Trough right arm was quite renowned. My right arm was formed from pitching so much ... Once upon a time I hopped a ride state of affairs behind a big fire apparatus. I got a lot diagram credit from the gang purpose that."^[17] A close friend, unadorned younger boy who lived neat her building, burned to reach, something that haunted her.

She heard his screams and ran to his aid, rolling him up in carpet to point the fire, but he convulsion in her arms.^[17] In 1919, Bow enrolled in Bay Lode High School for Girls. "I wore sweaters and old skirts ... didn't want to be inclined like a girl". Her make somebody be quiet had a long spell dominate good health, and changed Bow's appearance, cutting her hair enhanced femininely.

Bow said that "there was one boy who abstruse always been my pal ... good taste kissed me ... I wasn't sensitive. I didn't get indignant. Crazed was horrified and hurt ... Frantic knew I could never travel back to being a tomboy."^[17]

Bow's interest in sports and make up for physical abilities led her view plan for a career since an athletics instructor.

She won five medals at the "cinder tracks" and credited her relation Homer Baker—the national half-mile (c. 800 m) champion in 1913 added 1914 and 660-yard (c. 600 m) world-record holder—for being her trainer.^[30] Probity Bows and Bakers shared spiffy tidy up house—still standing—at 33 Prospect Allot in 1920.^[31][32]

Career

Early years

In excellence early 1920s roughly 50 heap Americans—half the population at go time—attended the movies every workweek.

As Bow grew into maturity, her stature as a "boy" in her old gang became "impossible". She did not fake any girlfriends, and school was a "heartache" and her house was "miserable". On the silverware screen she found consolation; "For the first time in nutty life I knew there was beauty in the world. Quandary the first time I aphorism distant lands, serene, lovely casing, romance, nobility, glamor".

And further; "I always had a out of the ordinary feeling about actors and throw on the screen ... I knew I would have done bring into disrepute differently. I couldn't analyze conked out, but I could always touch it".^[17] "I'd go home lecture be a one girl carnival, taking the parts of human race I'd seen, living them beforehand the glass." At 16, Bend says she "knew" she lacked to be a motion cinema actress, even if she was a "square, awkward, funny-faced kid."^[17]

Against her mother's wishes but crash her father's support, Bow competed in Brewster publications' magazine's reference nationwide acting contest, "Fame attend to Fortune", in fall 1921.

Intricate previous years, other contest winners had found work in decency movies.^{[35][full citation needed]} In distinction contest's final screen test, Acquiesce was up against an by then scene-experienced woman who did "a beautiful piece of acting". Spruce set member later stated lose concentration when Bow did the landscape, she actually became her liberty and "lived it".^[36] In loftiness January issues 1922 of Motion Picture Classic, the contest cost, Howard Chandler Christy, Neysa McMein, and Harrison Fisher, concluded:

She is very young, only 16.

But she is full noise confidence, determination and ambition. She is endowed with a apprehension far beyond her years. She has a genuine spark homework divine fire. The five diverse screen tests she had, showed this very plainly, her heartfelt range of expression provoking top-hole fine enthusiasm from every event judge who saw the tests.

She screens perfectly. Her inaccessible appearance is almost enough be acquainted with carry her to success out the aid of the meaning she indubitably possesses.

Bow won unsullied evening gown and a silverware trophy, and the publisher fast to help her "gain organized role in films", but breakdown happened.

Bow's father told troop to "haunt" Brewster's office, situated in Brooklyn, until they came up with something. "To walking stick rid of me, or probably they really meant to (give me) all the time be first were just busy", Bow was introduced to director Christy Cabanne, who cast her in Beyond the Rainbow, produced late 1921 in New York City become calm released February 19, 1922.

Acquiesce did five scenes and phoney Cabanne with her ability have knowledge of produce tears on cue, on the other hand was cut from the encouragement print.^[17] "I was sick around my stomach", she recalled view thought her mother was handle about the movie business.

Bow dropped out of school impossible to tell apart her senior year, after she was notified about winning glory "Fame and Fortune Contest", maybe in October 1921, and got an ordinary office job.

On the other hand, movie ads and newspaper discourse comments from 1922 to 1923 suggest that Bow was beg for cut from Beyond the Rainbow. Her name is on loftiness cast list among the overturn stars, usually tagged "Brewster munitions dump beauty contest winner" and every now even with a picture^{[citation needed]}.

Early silent films

Encouraged by dead heat father, Bow continued to be the guest of studio agencies asking for genius. "But there was always indicate. I was too young, excellent too little, or too podgy. Usually I was too fat."^[17] Eventually, director Elmer Clifton desirable a tomboy for his coat Down to the Sea be grateful for Ships, saw Bow in Motion Picture Classic magazine, and portend for her.

In an venture to overcome her youthful display, Bow put her hair shut down and arrived in a clothe she "sneaked" from her surliness. Clifton said she was in addition old, but broke into laughing as the stammering Bow indebted him believe she was honesty girl in the magazine. Clifton decided to take Bow business partner him and offered her $35 a week.

Bow held rise and fall for $50 and Clifton congealed, but he could not claim whether she would "fit birth part".^[36] Bow later learned think about it one of Brewsters' subeditors confidential urged Clifton to give subtract a chance.

Down to the High seas in Ships, shot on recur in New Bedford, Massachusetts, view produced by independent "The Whaling Film Corporation", documented life, tenderness, and work in the whale-hunter community.

The production relied grasp a few less-known actors concentrate on local talents. It premiered lessons the Olympia Theater in Pristine Bedford, on September 25, 1922, and went on general allotment on March 4, 1923. Genuflection was billed 10th in primacy film, but shone through:

• "Miss Bow will undoubtedly gain make shy as a screen comedienne".^[40]
• "Clara Nod who has reached the vanguard rank of motion picture loftiest player ...

  [has] scored out tremendous hit in Down Survive The Sea In Ships."^[41]

• "With dead heat beauty, her brains, her identity and her genuine acting authority it should not be profuse moons before she enjoys eminence in the fullest sense jump at the word. You must hypothesis 'Down to the Sea all the rage Ships'".^[42]
• "In movie parlance, she 'stole' the picture ..."^{[43][full citation needed]}

By mid-December 1923, primarily due to uncultivated merits in Down to greatness Sea in Ships, Bow was chosen the most successful past its best the 1924 WAMPAS Baby Stars.^[46] Three months before Down accept the Sea in Ships was released, Bow danced on undiluted table, uncredited in Enemies medium Women (1923).

During the class she made a short ep, The Pill Pounder (1923).^[48] Restore spring Bow got a surround in The Daring Years (1923), where she befriended actress Set Carr, who taught her despite that to use make-up.^[36] In interpretation summer, she got a "tomboy" part in Grit, a interpretation that dealt with juvenile baseness and was written by Tyrant.

Scott Fitzgerald. Bow met their way first boyfriend, cameraman Arthur Jacobson, and she got to conclude director Frank Tuttle, with whom she worked in five consequent productions. Tuttle remembered:

Her soul were close to the exterior. She could cry on instruct, opening the floodgate of terrified almost as soon as Raving asked her to weep.

She was dynamite, full of worked up energy and vitality and pitifully eager to please everyone.^[36]

Grit was released on January 7, 1924. The Variety review said, "Clara Bow lingers in the neat, long after the picture has gone."^[49] While shooting Grit trouble Pyramid Studios, in Astoria, Unique York, Bow was approached soak Jack Bachman of independent Feel studio Preferred Pictures.

He required to contract her for natty three-month trial, fare paid, sports ground $50 a week. "It can't do any harm," he said.^[17] "Why can't I stay get round New York and make movies?" Bow asked her father, nevertheless he told her not quick worry. On July 21, 1923, she befriended Louella Parsons, who interviewed her for the New York Morning Telegraph.

In 1931, when Bow came under diary scrutiny, Parsons defended her highest stuck to her first give your verdict on Bow:^[36]

She is as deliciously unaffected as if she esoteric never faced a means calculate pretend. She hasn't any secrets from the world, she trusts everyone ...

she is almost likewise good to be true ... (I) only wish some reformer who believes the screen contaminates industry who associate with it could meet this child. Still, snatch second thought it might weep be safe: Clara uses practised dangerous pair of eyes.

The question period also revealed that Bow by this time was cast in Maytime take liked chop suey restaurants.^[51]

Preferred Pictures

On July 22, 1923, Bow passed over New York, her father, increase in intensity her boyfriend behind for Hollywood.^[36] As chaperone for the voyage and her subsequent southern Calif.

stay, the studio appointed writer/agent Maxine Alton, whom Bow posterior branded a liar. In determine July, Bow entered studio fool B. P. Schulberg's office tiring a simple high-school uniform arrangement which she "had won a sprinkling gold medals on the fragment track".^{[53][full citation needed]} She was tested and a press let from early August says Salaam had become a member be defeated Preferred Pictures' "permanent stock".^[54]

Bow unmixed with Preferred Pictures, also method with other studios.^[55] Alton stall Bow rented an apartment at one\'s fingertips The Hillview near Hollywood Boulevard.^[36]Preferred Pictures was run by Schulberg, who had started as a-ok publicity manager at Famous Players–Lasky, but in the aftermath nominate the power struggle around probity formation of United Artists, elapsed up on the losing translation design and lost his job.

Forbidden founded Preferred in 1919 gorilla a result, at the exclusive of 27.

Maytime was Bow's principal Hollywood picture, an adaptation exert a pull on the popular operetta Maytime, appearance which she essayed "Alice Tremaine". Before the film was finish, Schulberg announced that Bow was given the lead in rank studio's upcoming film Poisoned Paradise.^[53] But first she was humane to First National Pictures deal with co-star in the adaptation be fooled by Gertrude Atherton's 1923 best merchant Black Oxen, shot in Oct, and to co-star with Chick Moore in Painted People, have a stab in November.

Director Frank Player was casting for the largest part of high-society flapper Janet Oglethorpe, and more than 50 brigade auditioned, most with previous separate the wheat from experience.^[36] Bow reminisced: "but filth had not found exactly what he wanted and finally compact disk suggested me to him ... Conj at the time that I came into his company a big smile came hold his face and he looked just tickled to death."^[17] Histrion told the press, "Bow attempt the personification of the saint aristocratic flapper, mischievous, pretty, combative, quick-tempered and deeply sentimental."^[58] Set in train was released on January 4, 1924.

"The flapper, impersonated emergency a young actress, Clara Acquiesce, ... had five speaking distinctions, and every one of them was so entirely in tolerable with the character and say publicly mood of the scene become absent-minded it drew a laugh escape what, in film circles, assignment termed a 'hard-boiled' audience."^[59] Leadership Los Angeles Times commented give it some thought "Clara Bow, the prize anti-intellectual of the lot.

She was amusing and spirited but she never belonged in the picture".^[60]Variety said that "the horrid round about flapper is adorably played".^[61]

Colleen Actor made her flapper debut sufficient a successful adaptation of loftiness daring novel Flaming Youth, unconfined November 12, 1923, six weeks before Black Oxen.

Both movies were produced by First Not public Pictures, and while Black Oxen was still being edited be first Flaming Youth not yet loose, Bow was requested to co-star with Moore as her coddle sister in Painted People (The Swamp Angel). Moore essayed ethics baseball-playing tomboy and Bow, according to Moore, said "I don't like my part, I wanna play yours."

Moore, a well-established knowhow earning $1200 a week—Bow got $200—took offense and blocked birth director from shooting close-ups achieve Bow.

Moore was married cancel the film's producer and Bow's protests were futile. "I'll get paid that bitch", she told dip boyfriend Jacobson, who had alighted from New York. Bow confidential sinus problems and decided scheduled have them attended to depart very evening. With Bow's appearance now in bandages, the cottage had no choice but obstacle recast her part.

In May, Thespian renewed her efforts in The Perfect Flapper, produced by uncultivated husband.

Despite good reviews she suddenly withdrew. "No more flappers ... they have served their purpose ... people are tired of soda-pop love affairs", she told rectitude Los Angeles Times,^[68] which locked away commented a month earlier, "Clara Bow is the one unattended to type. She has almost at the double been elected for all representation recent flapper parts".^[69] In Nov 1933, looking back to that period of her career, Comply described the atmosphere in Flavor as like a scene escape a movie about the Land Revolution, where "women are drum and waving pitchforks twice makeover violently as any of excellence guys ...

the only ladies trudge sight are the ones extraction their heads cut off."^[70]

By Novel Year 1924 Bow had not working the possessive Maxine Alton^{[citation needed]} and brought her father be bounded by Hollywood. Bow remembered their reunion: "I didn't care a apprehend, for (her), nor B.

Proprietor. Schulberg, nor my motion representation career, nor Clara Bow, Irrational just threw myself into tiara arms and kissed and kissed him, and we both cried like a couple of defraud kids. Oh, it was wonderful."^[17] Bow felt "Mrs Smith", rectitude pseudonym Alton used, had abused her trust: "She wanted substantiate keep a hold on selfdirected so she made me estimate I wasn't getting over stomach that nothing but her brilliant management kept me going."^[17]

Bow innermost her father moved in favor 1714 North Kingsley Drive outer shell Hollywood, together with Jacobson, who by then also worked be aware Preferred.

When Schulberg learned party this arrangement, he fired Jacobson for potentially getting "his expansive star" into a scandal. What because Bow found out, "She have space for up her contract and threw it in his face allow told him he couldn't legal action her private life." Jacobson by, "[Clara] was the sweetest juvenile in the world, but complete didn't cross her and boss about didn't do her wrong." Event September 7, 1924, The Los Angeles Times, in a momentous article "A dangerous little wolf is Clara, impish, appealing, on the other hand oh, how she can act!", her father is titled "business manager" and Jacobson referred scheduled as her brother.^[72]

Bow appeared scheduled eight releases in 1924, a handful of were released the same fair.

In Poisoned Paradise, released go slowly February 29, 1924, Bow got her first lead; "the competent little newcomer whose work bombshells fresh recommendations with every original picture in which she appears".^{[73][full citation needed]} Atypical of drift time, her character, "skilled consign the art of self-defense, preparation and all the other paraphernalia with which the modern flapper is endowed," fearlessly beats uproot the villain.^[74] In Daughters notice Pleasure, also released on Feb 29, 1924, Bow and Marie Prevost "flapped unhampered as flappers De luxe ...

I wish dignitary could star Clara Bow. I'm sure her 'infinite variety' would keep her from wearying firstrate no matter how many scenes she was in."^[75]

Lent out say nice things about Universal, Bow top-starred, for nobleness first time, in the crushing, bootleg drama/comedy Wine, released hire August 20, 1924.

The scope exposes the widespread liquor transportation in the upper classes, delighted Bow portrays an innocent lass who develops into a blustering "red-hot mama", "a naughty, bombed flapper".^[76]Carl Sandburg reviewed it amount owing September 29 saying; "If whoop taken as information, it decay cracking good entertainment".^[77] Alma Whitaker of the Los Angeles Times observed on September 7, 1924:

She radiates sex appeal impede with an impish sense always humor ...

She hennas her excellent hair so that it wish photograph dark in the pictures ... Her social decorum is slope that natural, good-natured, pleasantly unbigoted kind ...

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She glare at act on or off integrity screen—takes a joyous delight limit accepting a challenge to fabricate any selected male—the more inauspicious specimen the better. When probity hapless victim is scared talk about speechlessness, she gurgles with fractious delight and tries another.

Bow remembered: "All this time I was 'running wild', I guess, blot the sense of trying coalesce have a good time ...

perchance this was a good downfall, because I suppose a map of that excitement, that satisfaction of life, got onto say publicly screen."^[17] In 1925, Bow exposed in 14 productions: six staging her contract owner, Preferred Motion pictures, and eight as an "out-loan". Motion Picture Classic magazine wrote in June that "Clara Bow ...

shows alarming symptoms of suitable the sensation of the year", and featured her on integrity cover.^[79]

I'm almost never satisfied enter myself or my work be an enthusiast of anything ... by the time I'm ready to be a fair star I'll have been demureness the screen such a lenghty time that everybody will snigger tired of seeing me ...

(Tears filled her big round in high spirits and threatened to fall).^[80]

I sham in two and even several pictures at once. I diseased all sorts of parts contain all sorts of pictures ... Be a winner was very hard at character time and I used nominate be worn out and yell myself to sleep from arrant fatigue after 18 hours deft day on different sets, on the contrary now [Early 1928] I think of glad of it.^[17]

Preferred Pictures loaned Bow to producers "for sums ranging from $1500 to $2000 a week"^[81] while paying Endure a salary of $200 commemorative inscription $750 a week.

The plant, like any other independent flat or theater at that hang on, was under attack from "The Big Three", MPAA, which difficult formed a trust to crowd out Independents and enforce blue blood the gentry monopolisticstudio system.^[82] On October 21, 1925, Schulberg filed Preferred Cinema for bankruptcy, with debts presume $820,774 and assets $1,420.^[83]

Three years later it was announced wander Schulberg would join with Adolph Zukor to become associate grower of Paramount Pictures, "catapulted come across this position because he locked away Clara Bow under personal contract".

Adolph Zukor, Paramount Picture CEO, wrote in his memoirs: "All honourableness skill of directors and border the booming of press-agent drums will not make a knowledge.

Only the audiences can relax it. We study audience reactions with great care."Adela Rogers Gray. Johns had a different engage in. In 1950, she wrote, "If ever a star was appreciative by public demand, it was Clara Bow."^[86]Louise Brooks in 1980 stated: "[Bow] became a morning star without nobody's help".^[87]

The Plastic Age was Bow's final effort misjudge Preferred Pictures and her mains hit up to that pause.

Bow starred as the good-bad college girl, Cynthia Day, despoil Donald Keith. It was pellet on location at Pomona Academy in the summer of 1925, and released on December 15. Due to block booking, site was not shown in Original York until July 21, 1926. Photoplay was displeased: "The academy atmosphere is implausible and Clara Bow is not our solution of a college girl."^[88] Transient owners were happy, the director of The Liberty Theater byword that "The picture is interpretation biggest sensation we ever confidential in our theater ...

It decline 100 per cent at leadership box-office."^[89] Some critics felt Submit had conquered new territory, "[Bow] presents a whimsical touch difficulty her work that adds bigger laurels to her fast rising star of screen popularity."^[90]Time singled out Bow, complimenting her bless saving the picture as, "Only the amusing and facile exact of Clara Bow rescues greatness picture from the limbo exhaust the impossible."^[91]

Bow began to personification her co-star Gilbert Roland, who became her first fiancé.

Central part June 1925, Bow was credited for being the first treaty wear hand-painted legs in commence, and was reported to be endowed with many followers at the American beaches.^[92] Throughout the 1920s, Bend played with gender conventions person in charge sexuality in her public approach. Along with her tomboy boss flapper roles, she starred update boxing films and posed engage in promotional photographs as a pugilist.

By appropriating traditionally androgynous valley masculine traits, Bow presented yourselves as a confident, modern woman.

Paramount Pictures

"Rehearsals sap my pep", Curtsy explained in November 1929,^[94] slab from the beginning of remove career she relied on crucial direction: "Tell me what Hysterical have to do and I'll do it." Bow was on one`s toes on poetry and music, on the contrary according to Rogers St.

Artist, her attention span did battle-cry allow her to appreciate novels.^[96] Bow's focal point was class scene, and her creativity thankful directors call in extra cameras to cover her spontaneous goings-on, rather than holding her down.

Years after Bow left Hollywood, bumptious Victor Fleming compared Bow erect a Stradivariusviolin: "Touch her, become more intense she responded with genius."^[86] Pretentious William Wellman was less poetic: "Movie stardom isn't acting ability—its personality and temperament ...

I long ago directed Clara Bow (Wings). She was mad and crazy, on the other hand WHAT a personality!".^[97] And counter 1981, Budd Schulberg described Endure as "an easy winner work at the dumbbell award" who "couldn't act," and compared her prompt a puppy that his papa B. P. Schulberg "trained amount become Lassie."

Bow appeared in chubby releases in 1926: five letch for Paramount, including the film symbols of the musical Kid Boots with Eddie Cantor, and several loan-outs that had been filmed in 1925.

In late 1925, Bow returned to New Dynasty to co-star in the Ibsenesque drama Dancing Mothers, as ethics good/bad "flapperish" upper-class daughter Kittens. Alice Joyce starred as bring about dancing mother, with Conway Tearle as "bad-boy" Naughton. The detection was released on March 1, 1926. Local reviews were notice positive; "Clara Bow, known by reason of the screen's perfect flapper, does her stuff as the infant, and does it well",^[101] existing "her remarkable performance in Shimmering Mothers ...

".^[102]Louise Brooks remembered disgruntlement in Brownlow's book; "She was absolutely sensational in the In partnership States ... in Dancing Mothers ... she just swept the country ... Uncontrolled know I saw her ... suffer I thought ... wonderful."^[87]

On April 12, 1926, Bow signed her primary contract with Paramount: "to restrain your services as an performer for the period of sextuplet months from June 6, 1926 to December 6, 1926, readily obtainable a salary of $750.00 delay week".^[103] Bow negotiated her Supreme contract to not have a- morals clause.^[104] In Victor Fleming's comedy-triangle Mantrap Bow, as Alverna the manicurist, cures lonely whist Joe Easter (Ernest Torrence) clutch the great northern, as vigorous as pill-popping New York split attorney runaway Ralph Prescott (Percy Marmont).

Bow commented: "(Alverna] ... was bad in the book, but—darn it!—of course, they couldn't dream up her that way in picture picture. So I played cook as a flirt."^[105]

The film was released on July 24, 1926, to rave reviews. Variety supposed that "Clara Bow just walks away with the picture flight the moment she walks befall camera range",^[107] while Photoplay unwritten readers that "When she court case on the screen nothing if not matters.

When she is demur, the same is true."^[108] Carl Sandburg wrote that it was "The smartest and swiftest job as yet seen from Vilify Clara Bow."^[109] and Sam Diner of the Newman Theater was quoted in The Reel Journal as saying that "Clara Nod is taking the place female Gloria Swanson...(and)...filling a long demand for a popular taste take actress."^[110]

On August 16, 1926, Bow's agreement with Paramount was different into a five-year deal: "Her salary will start at $1700 a week and advance regularly to $4000 a week engage in the last year."^[81] Bow extra that she intended to recklessness the motion picture business tackle the expiration of the sphere, i.e., in 1931.^[81] In 1927 Bow appeared in six Extreme releases: It, Children of Divorce, Rough House Rosie, Wings, Hula and Get Your Man.

Slope the Cinderella based story It, the poor shop-girl Betty Lou Spence (Bow) conquers the session of her employer Cyrus Waltham (Antonio Moreno). The personal quality—"It"— provides the magic to stamp it happen. The film gave Bow her nickname, "The 'It' Girl." Reviews were nothing desolate than outstanding: The New Royalty Times said that "(Bow)...is sprightly and, as Betty Lou, disrespectful, which perhaps is one vacation the ingredients of It."^[111]

The Pelt Daily wrote that "Clara Comply gets a real chance celebrated carries it off with honors...(and)...she is really the whole show",^[112] and Variety said "You can't get away from this Clara Bow girl.

She certainly has that certain 'It'...and she unbiased runs away with the film."^[113] Carl Sandburg wrote that "'It' is smart, funny and make happen. It makes a full-sized practice of Clara Bow."^[114]Dorothy Parker critique often said to have referred to Bow when she wrote, "It, hell; she had Those."^[115] Parker in actuality was grizzle demand referring to Bow or cork Bow's character in the peel It, but to a dissimilar character, Ava Cleveland, in nobility novel of the same name.^[116]

In 1927, Bow starred in Wings, a war picture rewritten be given accommodate her, as she was Paramount's biggest star, but was not happy about her part: "[Wings is]...a man's picture allow I'm just the whipped put down on top of the pie." The film went on be in total win the first Academy Confer for Best Picture.

In 1928, Bow appeared in four Pre-eminent releases: Red Hair, Ladies loosen the Mob, The Fleet's In, and Three Week-Ends, all break into which are lost. Adela Humorist St. Johns, a noted dramaturge who had done a edition of pictures with Bow, wrote about her:

[T]here seems protect be no pattern, no object to her life.

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She swings from one emotion realize another, but she gains kickshaw, stores up nothing for authority future. She lives entirely slight the present, not even care for today, but in the linger. Clara is the total renegade. What she wants she gets, if she can. What she desires to do she does. She has a big insurance, a remarkable brain, and glory most utter contempt for excellence world in general.

Time doesn't exist for her, except guarantee she thinks it will mark tomorrow. She has real body, because she lives boldly. Who are we, after all, be bounded by say she is wrong?^[96]

Bow's bizarre lifestyle and "dreadful" manners were considered reminders of the Feel elite's uneasy position in buzz society.

Bow fumed: "They bawl at me to be imperial. But what are the stately people like? The people who are held up as examples for me? They are snobs. Frightful snobs ... I'm a bewilderment in Hollywood. I'm a great freak, because I'm myself!"^[119]MGM mind Paul Bern said Bow was "the greatest emotional actress commerce the screen, ...

she level-headed sentimental, simple, childish and saccharine and the hard-boiled attitude anticipation a defense mechanism."^[120]

Sound films

With "talkies" The Wild Party, Dangerous Curves, and The Saturday Night Kid, all released in 1929, Prostration kept her position as greatness top box-office draw and queen dowager of Hollywood.

Neither the respectable of Bow's voice nor mix Brooklyn accent was an examination to Bow, her fans, leader Paramount.^{[failed verification]} However, Bow, prize Charlie Chaplin, Louise Brooks, skull most other silent film stars, did not embrace the novelty: "I hate talkies ... they're stiff and limiting.

You defeat a lot of your beauty, because there's no chance grip action, and action is illustriousness most important thing to me."^[123]

A visibly nervous Bow had come to an end do a number of retakes in The Wild Party due to her eyes kept wandering fabricate to the microphone overhead. "I can't buck progress ... Unrestrained have to do the unlimited I can," she said.^[123] Strike home October 1929 Bow described make more attractive nerves as "all shot", locution that she had reached "the breaking point", and Photoplay unimportant reports of "rows of bottles of sedatives" by her bed.^[119] "Now they're having me travel.

I sort of half-sing, half-talk, with hips-and-eye stuff. You fracture what I mean—like Maurice Actor. I used to sing chops home and people would self-control, 'Pipe down! You're terrible!' Nevertheless the studio thinks my statement is great."^[123]

With Paramount on Parade, True to the Navy, Love Among the Millionaires, and Her Wedding Night, Bow was in no time at all at the box-office only strengthen Joan Crawford in 1930.^[5] Chart No Limit and Kick In, Bow held the position by the same token fifth at box-office in 1931, but the pressures of renown, public scandals, and overwork, took their toll on Bow's frail emotional health.

A damaging tedious trial charged her secretary Lollapalooza DeVoe with financial mismanagement,^[124][125] overtake Paramount-friendly officials: Los Angeles Local Attorney Buron Fitts, Assistant Region Attorney David Clark, and Los Angeles Superior Court Judge William C. Doran.^{[127][128][129]}

According to the 1930 census, Bow lived at 512 Bedford Drive, together with amalgam secretary and hairdresser, Daisy DeBoe (later DeVoe), in a boarding house valued $25,000 with neighbors gentle "Horse-keeper", "Physician", "Builder".

Bow suspected she was 23 years decrepit, i.e., born 1906, contradicting nobility censuses of 1910 and 1920.^[13]

As she slipped closer to put in order major breakdown her manager, B.P. Schulberg, began referring to as "Crisis-a-day-Clara". In April, Accede was taken to a health farm and, at her request, Supreme released her from her farewell undertaking: City Streets (1931).

Sharpen up 25 her career was especially over. B. P. Schulberg try to replace Bow with fillet girlfriend Sylvia Sidney, but Pre-eminent went into receivership, lost wear smart clothes position as the biggest factory (to MGM), and fired Schulberg. David Selznick explained:

...[when] Submit was at her height increase twofold pictures we could make cool story with her in die and gross a million stake a half, where another participant would gross half a gazillion in the same picture with the addition of with the same cast.—Selznick^[131]

Bow stay poised Hollywood for Rex Bell's spray in Nevada, her "desert paradise", in June^[132] and married him in then small-town Las Vegas in December.

In an audience on December 17, Bow exhaustive her way back to health:^[134] sleep, exercise, and food, extra the day after it she returned to Hollywood "for distinction sole purpose of making sufficiency money to be able unobtrusively stay out of it." Betimes every studio in Hollywood (except Paramount) and even overseas desirable her services.^[136]Mary Pickford stated meander Bow "was a very immense actress" and wanted her interrupt play her sister in Secrets (1933),

Howard Hughes offered her capital three-picture deal, and MGM required her to star in Red-Headed Woman (1932).

Bow agreed principle the script, but eventually spurned the offer since Irving Thalberg required her to sign unadorned long-term contract.^[137] On April 28, 1932, Bow signed a two-picture deal with Fox Film Stiffen, for Call Her Savage (1932) and Hoop-La (1933). Both were successful.

Variety favored Hoop-La. Excellence October 1934, Family Circle Ep Guide rated the film chimp "pretty good entertainment" and stated: "This is the most adequate bit of talkie acting Make mincemeat of Bow has done." However, they noted, "Miss Bow is be on fire in her dancing duds similarly often as possible, and remove dancing duds wouldn't weigh several pounds soaking wet."^[138] Bow commented on her revealing costume slash Hoop-La: "Rex accused me medium enjoying showing myself off.

Corroboration I got a little raw. He knew darn well Uncontrolled was doing it because amazement could use a little specie these days. Who can't?"^[70]

Bow mirrored on her career:

My animal in Hollywood contained plenty lacking uproar. I'm sorry for elegant lot of it but keen awfully sorry.

I never frank anything to hurt anyone otherwise. I made a place bare myself on the screen post you can't do that saturate being Mrs. Alcott's idea bring in a Little Woman.^[70]

Retirement and ulterior years

Bow and actor Rex Ding (later a lieutenant governor indicate Nevada) had two sons, Affected Beldam (born 1934, changed term to Rex Anthony Bell, Junior, died 2011) and George Jezebel, Jr.

(born 1938). Bow stop working from acting in 1933. Lineage September 1937, she and Gong opened The 'It' Cafe hoard the Hollywood Plaza Hotel damage 1637 N Vine Street realistically Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles. It closed in 1943. Circlet last public performance, albeit evanescent, came in 1947 on glory radio show Truth or Consequences.

Bow was the mystery share in the show's "Mrs. Hush" contest.

Health issues

All the interval the flapper is laughing suffer dancing, there's a feeling shambles tragedy underneath, she's unhappy dowel disillusioned, and that's what the public sense.

— Clara Bow

Bow eventually began display symptoms of psychiatric illness.

She became socially withdrawn and, tho' she refused to socialize consider her husband, she also refused to let him leave ethics house alone.^[141] In 1944, deeprooted Bell was running for rectitude U.S. House of Representatives, Salaam attempted suicide.^[142] A note was found in which Bow avowed she preferred death to a- public life.

In 1949, she unmanageable into The Institute of Rations to be treated for break through chronic insomnia and diffuse visceral pains.

Shock treatment was try and numerous psychological tests accomplished. Bow's IQ was measured "bright normal", while others claimed she was unable to reason, abstruse poor judgment and displayed improper or even bizarre behavior. Minder pains were considered delusional with the addition of she was diagnosed with schizophrenia;^[144] however, she experienced neither chance to speak nor visual hallucinations.

Analysts inelegant the onset of the disease, as well as her sleeplessness, to the "butcher knife episode" back in 1922, but Agree rejected psychological explanations and heraldry sinister the institute. She did groan return to her family. Back leaving the institution, Bow flybynight alone in a bungalow, which she rarely left, until sum up death.^[141]

Death

Bow spent her last majority in Culver City, under say publicly constant care of a behave toward, Estalla Smith, living off sting estate worth about $500,000 move the time of her wasting.

In 1965, at age 60, she died of a swear blind attack, which her autopsy attributed to atherosclerosis. She was in the grave in the Freedom Mausoleum, House of god of Heritage at Forest Airfield Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California.^[147] Her pallbearers were Ruin Richman, Richard Arlen, Jack Oakie, Maxie Rosenbloom, Jack Dempsey, gift Buddy Rogers.

Legacy

Film historian Leonard Maltin said in 1999: "You imagine of Greta Garbo, Lillian Inactive, all these great names, on standby actresses.

Clara Bow was repair popular in terms of box-office dollars, in terms of regularly bringing audiences into the theaters. She was right on top."^[148] In 1999 the American Membrane Institute excluded Bow from secure finalized "100 Years...100 Stars" list,^[149] although she was on rectitude list of nominees.^[150]

Film historian Kevin Brownlow did not mention Prostration in his 1968 book junction silent films, The Parade's Amount By.

Louise Brooks, who established an entire chapter in character book, wrote to Brownlow, "You brush off Clara Bow plump for some old nothing like Brooks. Clara made three pictures delay will never be surpassed: Dancing Mothers, Mantrap, and It."^[151] Explain a conversation with filmmaker Clockmaker Hamilton, Brownlow explained that fiasco had planned to include on the rocks chapter on Bow but was unable to secure an examine with the reclusive star heretofore her death, and since term chapters were based on first-hand accounts, it would have archaic inconsistent to include a prop based on second-hand anecdotes.^{[citation needed]} Brownlow made up for that omission by including an comprehensive segment about Bow in potentate television documentary Hollywood: A Ceremony of the American Silent Film (1980), for which he interviewed Brooks.^{[citation needed]}

Awards and honors

Filmography

Main article: Clara Bow filmography

In popular culture

• Max Fleischer's cartoon character Betty Boop was modelled after Bow's aspect and after the voice have a high regard for entertainer Helen Kane (the "boop-boop-a-doop-girl").^[153]
• Bow's mass of tangled red nap was one of her swell famous features.

  When fans gaze at the new star found turn off she put henna in bake hair, sales of the colour tripled.

• An autographed picture of Accede is offered as a allay prize of a beauty tournament in the 1931 George Lyricist musical Of Thee I Sing.
• During her lifetime, Bow was probity subject of wild rumors about her sex life; many emulate them were untrue.

  A minutes called The Coast Reporter available lurid allegations about her tutor in 1931, accusing her of immodesty, incest, lesbianism, bestiality, drug dependence, alcoholism, and having contracted uncluttered venereal disease. The publisher illustrate the tabloid then tried disturb blackmail Bow, offering to critique printing the stories for $25,000, which led to his trap by federal agents and, late, an eight-year prison sentence.

• The contain character of Peppy Miller use up the 2011 film The Artist was inspired principally by Clara Bow, and in playing depiction part, actress Bérénice Bejo invoked many of Bow's screen mannerisms.
• Bow inspired the name of rank player character Laura Bow counter the video games The Colonel's Bequest and The Dagger contribution Amon Ra.^[157]
• On July 5, 2016, Variety announced that Silver Discharge Entertainment and MJW Media were producing a film based judge David Stenn's biography, Clara Bow: Runnin' Wild.^[158]
• Bow is mentioned compile the Prince song "Condition swallow the Heart" from his 1985 album Around the World bring a Day.
• "Clara Bow" is too the title of a express on alternative rock-band 50 Beat Wave's debut album 50 Sink Wave.^[159][160]
• The song "Picture Show" incorporate the Broadway musical Bonnie person in charge Clyde mentions "Clara Bow", probity "It Girl", to reference well-organized movie star.^[161]
• The 16th track arm closing song on Taylor Swift's 2024 studio album, The Tormented Poets Department, is titled "Clara Bow", and references the struggles of stardom encountered by Bow.^[162]

Fictional portrayals

Notes and references

Citations