- Born:
- July 29, 1905, Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
- Died:
- September 27, 1965, Los Angeles, California (aged 60)
Clara Bow
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Who was Clara Bow?
Clara Bow (1905–1965) was an American actress who epitomized the vivacious, emancipated flapper of the 1920s.
Born into poverty in Brooklyn, New York, Bow endured a difficult childhood, but her career took off after winning a beauty contest held by Motion Picture Classic magazine while still in high school. Her role in It (1927) earned her the nickname “The ‘It’ Girl” and cemented her status as a Jazz Age icon. She starred in Wings (1927), which won the first Academy Award for best picture. Bow successfully transitioned to talkies but retired after scandals and mental health challenges. She made two more films before spending her later years on a Nevada cattle ranch with her husband, Rex Bell.
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What made Clara Bow famous in the 1920s?
Clara Bow rose to fame in the 1920s, epitomizing the vivacious, emancipated flapper of the Jazz Age. Her role in It (1927), a popular silent film, earned her the title “It” Girl and made her a box-office sensation from 1927 to 1930.
Bow starred in films such as The Plastic Age (1925), Mantrap (1926), and Dancing Mothers (1926), often portraying flappers. In 1927, she starred in Wings, which won the first Academy Award for best picture. Bow successfully transitioned to talkies with The Wild Party (1929), but scandals and mental health issues led to her retirement after two more films.
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What is Clara Bow’s nickname, and why was she called that?
Clara Bow's nickname was the "It" Girl. She gained this moniker after starring in It (1927), a popular silent film based on Elinor Glyn's novel of the same name. Bow embodied the beauty, abandon, and sex appeal of the Jazz Age for moviegoers, personifying the vivacious, emancipated flapper of the 1920s.
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How did silent movies and early talkies affect Clara Bow's career?
Clara Bow, the "It" Girl, thrived in the silent film era, becoming a major Hollywood box-office draw from 1927 to 1930. She made the transition to talkies with The Wild Party (1929), her strong Brooklyn accent not hindering her.
However, Bow's career was affected by highly publicized scandals and a mental health crisis, which led to her retirement after two more films, Call Her Savage (1932) and Hoopla (1933). Technical limitations in early sound films initially caused disruptions in production, but these were largely resolved by 1933.
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What challenges did Clara Bow face in her personal and professional life?
Clara Bow, the "It" Girl, faced numerous challenges in both her personal and professional life. Born into poverty, she endured sexual abuse from her father and neglect from her mentally ill mother.
Despite these hardships, Bow became a Hollywood actress after winning a beauty contest. She made a successful transition from silent films to talkies; however, highly publicized scandals, including her secretary's theft trial that exposed details of Bow's private life, and a mental health crisis during the making of Kick In (1931), led to her retirement. After two more films, she lived quietly on a Nevada ranch with her husband, Rex Bell, and suffered from psychiatric problems in her later years.
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How did Clara Bow influence Hollywood and popular culture?
Clara Bow significantly influenced Hollywood and popular culture, personifying the vivacious, emancipated flapper of the 1920s. After starring in It (1927), she became known as the "It" Girl, embodying beauty, abandon, and sex appeal for Jazz Age moviegoers. From 1927 to 1930, she was a top box-office draw in Hollywood. Bow successfully transitioned to talkies with The Wild Party (1929), despite her strong Brooklyn accent. Bow's image captured the era's spirit, leaving a lasting impact on the perception of women in film and society.
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Clara Bow (born July 29, 1905, Brooklyn, New York, U.S.—died September 27, 1965, Los Angeles, California) was an American motion-picture actress, called the “It” Girl after she performed in It (1927), the popular silent-film version of Elinor Glyn’s novel of that name. She personified the vivacious, emancipated flapper of the 1920s. From 1927 to 1930 she was one of the top five Hollywood box-office attractions.
(Read Lillian Gish’s 1929 Britannica essay on silent film.)
An early short starring Clara Bow, The Pill Pounder (1923), was lost for decades and only rediscovered in Omaha, Nebraska, in 2023.
Clara Bow was born into a poor family; she was sexually abused by her father and neglected by her mother, who suffered from mental illness. She became a Hollywood actress while still in high school by way of a beauty contest held by Motion Picture Classic magazine. Her first part was a small role in Beyond the Rainbow (1922), but her scenes were cut out of the release print. (After Bow became a star, the film was rereleased with her scenes restored.) A supporting role in the whaling drama Down to the Sea in Ships (1922) brought her considerable attention. She had prominent roles, usually as a flapper, in such films as The Plastic Age (1925), Mantrap (1926), Kid Boots (1926), and Dancing Mothers (1926).
In 1927 Bow was chosen by Glyn to star in It, which proved a tremendous box-office success. Thereafter known universally as the “It” Girl, Bow was the embodiment of beauty, abandon, and sex appeal for the moviegoers of the Jazz Age. She starred in the World War I drama Wings (1927), the first film to win the Academy Award for best picture. Others of the 30-odd movies in which she starred include Rough House Rosie (1927; now lost), Ladies of the Mob (1928; now lost), Three Week Ends (1928; now lost), Dangerous Curves (1929), and The Saturday Night Kid (1929).
“All the time the flapper is laughing and dancing, there’s a feeling of tragedy underneath. She’s unhappy and disillusioned, and that’s what people sense.”—Clara Bow
Bow made the transition from silent movies to talkies in The Wild Party (1929), directed by Dorothy Arzner and the first sound film from Paramount. Although she had a strong Brooklyn accent, she was able to make the transition from silent to sound. However, because of some highly publicized scandals, particularly the theft trial of her secretary and close friend Daisy DeVoe, in which many details of Bow’s private life were revealed, and a mental health crisis during the making of Kick In (1931), she retired. However, she did come back to Hollywood to make two more films, Call Her Savage (1932) and Hoopla (1933), after which she spent most of the rest of her life living quietly on a Nevada cattle ranch owned by her husband, former cowboy star Rex Bell, whom she had married in 1931. In her later years she suffered from psychiatric problems.