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Today’s Screen Actor Saturday revolves around a young lady who became synonymous with the term “flapper”. Distinguished readers, meet Clara Bow; the original “It Girl”.
1905 - 1965
IMDb: Clara Bow - IMDb
Clara Gordon Bow was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1905. Her parents had two other children before her, but both of them passed away in infancy. Unfortunately, her childhood was far from happy, as her father was an abusive alcoholic who often abandoned the family, and her mother had untreated mental illness. Years prior, Clara’s mother had fallen from a second story window and severely injured her head. She was diagnosed with psychosis due to epilepsy. From an early age, Clara was her mother’s caretaker, even though no one was taking care of Clara herself.
No one wanted me in the first place. Often I was lonesome, frightened and miserable. I never had a doll in my life. I never had any clothes, and lots of times didn’t have anything to eat. We just lived, and that’s about all.
1917
Young Clara was teased and alienated by the girls in school, as her clothing was worn-out and she had a stammer. The boys often befriended her because they (unlike the girls) didn’t care about her clothes...and they cared a great deal about how well she could punch! Yes, Clara was a tomboy who loved sports, fighting, and was quite a daredevil – as most boys of the time were! For a while, Clara considered becoming an athletics instructor, and won several medals in track and field events. We wonder how much different the movies may have been if Clara had taken the athletic path instead!
1922
As Clara got older, she no longer “fit in” with boys, but was still shunned by her female peers and obviously wasn't safe at home – so she often found comfort in going to the movies. In those days (early 1920s), about half of all Americans attended the movies EVERY. SINGLE. WEEK! Today, many Americans couldn’t AFFORD the luxury, even if they wanted to! Clara would practice acting in front of the mirror, taking on each character she’d seen. In 1921, Clara entered the “Fame & Fortune” nationwide acting contest (sounds like a scam, doesn't it??), which was sponsored by a major magazine - and she won! The judges had this to say about young Clara:
[...] She has a genuine spark of divine fire. The five different screen tests she had, showed this very plainly, her emotional range of expression provoking a fine enthusiasm from every contest judge who saw the tests. She screens perfectly. [...]
The contest promised the winner a role in film – but surprise, surprise – nothing happened! Some things never change, do they? Clara’s father told her to go and “haunt” the magazine office, and eventually her persistence paid off. She got a role in a film – and her big scene was cut from the finished project.
By then, Clara had dropped out of high school and was working an office job. Her father encouraged her to keep looking for more work in films, and amid the endless rejection, she finally got another part in a film (“Down to the Sea in Ships”, 1923). Rave reviews of her acting followed, even though her part was small.
1923
In 1923, Clara was invited to come to Hollywood for a trial period with a smaller studio (Preferred Pictures). Only a month later, she was added to their “permanent stock”. Clara often worked on two or three films at once, sometimes having 18-hour workdays. Not good! In 1924, she asked her father to come to Hollywood. They moved into a house with Clara’s then-boyfriend (who worked at the studio). When the studio head heard about the new arrangement, he fired Clara’s boyfriend for jeopardizing his biggest star’s reputation. Clara, not one to be messed with, tore up her contract in retaliation.
In 1925, Preferred Pictures filed bankruptcy, and their studio head joined Jesse L. Lasky’s Paramount Pictures as an associate producer. Clara’s contract (presumably pasted back together?) was transferred as well. By the following year, she had appeared in 8 new releases and continued receiving praise from audiences and critics alike.
Clara’s methods for film acting were somewhat unconventional, but no one could deny that she was extraordinary in front of the camera. For example, she disliked rehearsing and preferred to improvise. Her creative spontaneity often required extra cameras to capture the action, which directors were happy to obtain. Hey, when you make as much money as Clara did at the box office – extra cameras were an easy ask!
1927
1927 was Clara’s year, without question. One of many films she starred in was the one to give her the everlasting “It Girl” nickname – appropriately titled “It”, based on the novel of the same name. Now, what exactly is “it”? Well, long story short, author Elinor Glyn (who wrote “racy” novels - for their time), said it was an inexplicable magnetism that stemmed from self-confidence. Many would agree that Clara had “it”. In any event, the film did very well, and Clara would be the “It Girl” the rest of her life. But wait – there's more!
Also in 1927, Paramount Pictures re-wrote their war film “Wings”, to include a role for their biggest star (Clara). “Wings” would go on to win the very first Academy Award – but even with all of this success, many stars and filmmakers looked down on Clara because of her rough manners and bold personality. Far from being refined and dignified (as the studio would have preferred), Clara was once again alienated for being different:
"They yell at me to be dignified. But what are the dignified people like? The people who are held up as examples for me? They are snobs. Frightful snobs.”
When the “talkies” hit in 1929, Clara managed to keep her box-office clout, but learning the new way of making movies was difficult and unpleasant for her, and it caused her a lot of anxiety. By 1931, Clara had fallen to 5th at the box office. Being overworked, public scandals and a lawsuit against her secretary (alleging financial mismanagement) spelled disaster for her mental health. Her then-manager referred to her as “Crisis-a-Day Clara”. Yeah, that’s helpful. That year, at the age of 25, Clara requested to go to a sanitarium - and her top-box-office career was essentially over. But wait....there’s (still) more...
1931
As Clara recovered, she met an actor named Rex Bell. They got married at the end of 1931, and Clara moved to his Nevada ranch. The simpler, outdoor life agreed with Clara, and she was happier and healthier. She decided to return to acting on a limited basis, and proved that she still had what it took. She appeared in several films during the early 1930s, and received positive reviews.
circa 1940s
As time went on, Clara began showing signs of mental illness, including a suicide attempt in 1944. 5 years later, she voluntarily went to the Institute of Living, where she received multiple, conflicting diagnoses of several different mental illnesses. Some things don’t change, do they? No one can give a straight answer when you need one the most. Presumably tired of their nonsense, Clara left the hospital but did not return to her family. She instead lived alone in a bungalow in Culver City, CA, under the care of a nurse, remaining there until her death (by heart attack) in 1960. Clara was survived by her husband and two sons.
A longtime associate of Clara’s (Adela Rogers St. Johns) once said:
[...] Clara is the total nonconformist. What she wants she gets, if she can. What she desires to do, she does. She has a big heart, a remarkable brain, and the most utter contempt for the world in general. Time doesn't exist for her, except that she thinks it will stop tomorrow. She has real courage, because she lives boldly. Who are we, after all, to say she is wrong?
Who, indeed. Be sure and watch fellow actress Louise Brooks’ own tribute to Clara below!
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