When audiences first watched her in a talkie, they might have been shocked at what they heard: You see, Bow still had an intense Brooklyn accent. She told Bow she would be better off dead than a Hollywood star, then made good on that disturbing promise. Our editors are instructed to fact check thoroughly, including finding at least three references for each fact. She settled down with her hunky Cowboy co-star Rex Bell, moving into his ranch outside of Hollywood and marrying him in December, 1931. Please let us know if a fact weve published is inaccurate (or even if you just suspect its inaccurate) by reaching out to us at contribute@factinate.com. Please select the hour of birth in the hour field, and enter the minute (between 00 and 59) in the minute field. Of course she was, have you seen the girl? Just as Bow was beginning to be happy with Rex, she started showing disturbing signs. In fact, the naughty work was still hanging over him when he passed. That year, Bow discovered her secretary and confidant Daisy DeVoe had been mismanaging her money, and took her to court. When she was just 16 years old, she entered the annual Fame and Fortune Brewster magazine contest, which pitted hopefuls against each other in a series of screen tests and promised film work in the winners future. Not so with Bow, who functioned on a personal contract with Schulberg. Clara Bow could be a devoted lover, only she sometimes showed her devotion in strange ways. When Schulberg learned of this arrangement, he fired Jacobson for potentially getting "his big star" into a scandal. Well, can you blame her for having a such a maladjusted view of affection? Her name is on the cast list among the other stars, usually tagged "Brewster magazine beauty contest winner" and sometimes even with a picture[citation needed]. One of her playmates, a young boy named Johnny who lived in the same building as her family, caught fire in an accident. 1. Now we can watch It and Wings, and many other of Bows movies on DVD, but there was a time when her name had slipped through the cracks of film history. "[114] Parker in actuality was not referring to Bow or to Bow's character in the film It, but to a different character, Ava Cleveland, in the novel of the same name.[115]. Build Voluptuous Although she had a turbulent relationship with her mother (more on that later), Bow never stopped being her biggest defender. She was only 25 years old. Find out where Clara Bow was born, their birthday and details about their professions, education, religion, family and other life details and facts. Votes: 379. Charles was born on June 10 1930. "[104] The film was released on July 24, 1926,[105] to rave reviews. His last appearance was in The Misfits (1961). Either way, no one was surprised when it ended, but they were downright astonished by just how quickly things went south. Story of the lives of the people in a small Quaker community and the adventures of a whaling ship. Clara Bow doesn't look like a relic. Clara Bow Career. I wasn't sore. I sort of half-sing, half-talk, with hips-and-eye stuff. I never did anything to hurt anyone else. Well, this backfired horribly. Sadly, more harrowing moments were in store. Both were successful; Variety favored the latter. Director: Elmer Clifton | Stars: Marguerite Courtot, Raymond McKee, William Walcott, Clara Bow. Her film career held more future sadness and scandal than she could have possibly imagined when she signed on the dotted line. [55] Director Frank Lloyd was casting for the part of high-society flapper Janet Oglethorpe, and more than 50 women auditioned, most with previous screen experience. He founded Preferred in 1919 as a result, at the age of 27.[54]. And they say love isnt real. Bow knew she was due for her big break, and she was absolutely determined to get it. what was her significance of the . She had a miserable home life and few friends, yet films were different. Although Clara Bows love for Bela Lugosi flamed out fast, she gave the Dracula star a creepy memento of their time together, and it wasnt a chaste lock of hair. When she tried to talk about The Butcher Knife Episode once in an interview, she cut herself off, saying, but I cant tell you about it. Usually I was too fat. Her parents met as neighbours in a New York State farming neighbourhood. In his book "Seductive Cinema" (1994: Knopf . Kevin Brownlows essential oral history of silent Hollywood, The Parades Gone By, doesnt even mention Bow, because none of his other interviewees gave her a namecheck (a fault rectified in his TV series Hollywood, in which Brooks ably discusses her career and her mistreatment at the hands of the studio system). When Sarah was just a teenager, she fell from a second-story window and was never the same again. Im a big freak, because Im myself! said Clara Bow. Clara Gordon Bow (/ b o /; July 29, 1905 - September 27, 1965) was an American actress who rose to stardom during the silent film era of the 1920s and successfully made the transition to "talkies" in 1929.Her appearance as a plucky shopgirl in the film It brought her global fame and the nickname "The It Girl". Yet the new talkie format still took a huge toll on the actress, In truth, Bow never liked talkies, calling them stiff and limiting and complaining that you lose your cuteness. She also never got comfortable with them. She was renowned throughout the studio lots for her ability to cry on cue. The beautiful Bow was pretty indiscriminate about where she lay her head, and her habits always got her into hot water if her bed-mate was actually, uh, married. [35] Bow later learned that one of Brewsters' subeditors had urged Clifton to give her a chance.[38]. Vogue described it as "a sort of circle of hell". One of her more understanding directors, Victor Fleming, compared her to a Stradivarius violin, saying Touch her, and she responded with genius. Take that. In an almost cruel twist of fate, Sarah had survived the pregnancy, and the baby, whom they still hoped would die, was named Clara. They are snobs. It makes a full-sized star of Clara Bow. "[108], and Sam Carver of the Newman Theater was quoted in The Reel Journal as saying that "Clara Bow is taking the place of Gloria Swanson(and)filling a long need for a popular taste movie actress. She knew what it meant to be a jazz baby and it wasnt always a party. Sarah was told by a doctor not to become pregnant again, because this time she might die as well. Skip to the beginning of the carousel. [1] Bow came to personify the Roaring Twenties[2] and is described as its leading sex symbol. ". Bow was the mystery voice in the show's "Mrs. Hush" contest. I have to do the best I can," she said. Louise Brooks in Branlow, Kevin; Gill, David. She drew on her lipstick in a now-iconic heart-shaped style, and her unique look soon took the public by storm. Half her playmates nursed crushes on the young Bow, and one of her best school friends friends even tried to kiss her. For more on Clara Bow, I recommend the biography Runnin Wild, by David Stenn. Bow might have looked sweet, but you best not cross her. Her pains were considered delusional and she was diagnosed with schizophrenia;[144] however, she experienced neither auditory nor visual hallucinations. Bow confessed that her mothers mental issues often made her mean to her, but as the years passed, Sarahs hostile episodes got worse and worse. Before the film was finished, Schulberg announced that Bow was given the lead in the studio's biggest seasonal assessment[clarify], Poisoned Paradise. RM BJTTP8 - James Hall (1900-1940) and Clara Bow (1905-1965), American actors, 20th century. Instead, she suffered a deep disappointment. [121][failed verification] However, Bow, like Charlie Chaplin, Louise Brooks, and most other silent film stars, did not embrace the novelty: "I hate talkies they're stiff and limiting. The tabloids started running infamously vicious stories about her, with outlandish claims of beastiality and other unsavory acts. He died in 1962. It almost worked: They had two children together and lived happily at first. When Bow was still a little girl, unimaginable tragedy struck. My right arm was developed from pitching so much Once I hopped a ride on behind a big fire engine. What a dame. Only the audiences can do it. The union only lasted an infamous three days. Bow remembered: "All this time I was 'running wild', I guess, in the sense of trying to have a good time maybe this was a good thing, because I suppose a lot of that excitement, that joy of life, got onto the screen. [8][9][10] Her final film, Hoop-La, was released in 1933. Clara Gordon Bow (/bo/; July 29, 1905 September 27, 1965) was an American actress who rose to stardom during the silent film era of the 1920s and successfully made the transition to "talkies" in 1929. However, despite our best efforts, we sometimes miss the mark. Moore was married to the film's producer and Bow's protests were futile. Her mother Sarah was mentally ill, probably schizophrenic. What she wants she gets, if she can. She had other two sisters who sadly died while they were still infants. A set member later stated that when Bow did the scene, she actually became her character and "lived it". Making distraction rewarding since 2017. Thats because she was hiding a more scandalous motive than money. [2], Film historian Leonard Maltin said in 1999; "You think of Greta Garbo, Lillian Gish, all these great names, great actresses, Clara Bow was more popular in terms of box-office dollars, in terms of consistently bringing audiences into the theaters, she was right on top. Who can't? Perhaps because of those misfortunes and the outsider status they brought, she can now be claimed as one of the sharpest commentators on show business, and the studio system. "[122] A visibly nervous Bow had to do a number of retakes in The Wild Party because her eyes kept wandering up to the microphone overhead. Both her mother and grandmother were mentally ill and her father was disinterested in both marriage and children (he had left Clara's mother shortly before she went into labor). Both films were produced by First National Pictures, and while Black Oxen was still being edited and Flaming Youth not yet released, Bow was requested to co-star with Moore as her kid sister in Painted People (The Swamp Angel). In 1929, Bows life and stardom changed forever. Bow, who had dropped out of school (senior year) after she was notified about winning the "Fame and Fortune Contest", possibly in October 1921, got an ordinary office job;[37] however, movie ads and newspaper editorial comments from 1922 to 1923 suggest that Bow was not cut from Beyond the Rainbow. As Clara once admitted, I do not think my mother ever loved my father. Even worse, He knew it. However, this was far from the worst thing Claras mother would do. Girls shunned me because I was so poorly dressed. Down to the Sea in Ships (1922) Unrated | 83 min | Adventure, Drama, Romance. Lobbycard of the movie"Children of Divorce" with from left, Esther Ralston and Clara Bow, in 1927. Im a big freak, because Im myself!. I make the big bucks in this family, and this brought in the paycheck. [16], Bow attended P.S. Rex Bell (born George Francis Beldam; October 16, 1903 - July 4, 1962) was an American actor and politician. Down to the Sea in Ships, shot on location in New Bedford, Massachusetts, and produced by independent "The Whaling Film Corporation", documented life, love, and work in the whale-hunter community. He was the youngest daughter of Robert and Sarah Box. 20276", "Real life story of Clara Bow" (16 parts), "Tui Gets Divorce From Clara Bow's Daddy", "Wine / Louis J Gasnier [motion picture]:Bibliographic Record Description: Performing Arts Encyclopedia", "Famous Players-Lasky Clara Bow Signed Contract", "Clara Bow: the hard-partying jazz-baby airbrushed from Hollywood history", "Revenge of the Celebrity Secretary: The Career-Ending Extortion of Screen Star Clara Bow Los Angeles Magazine", "Clara Bow Her Personal Secretary Was Wrongly Convicted of Grand Theft", "Geschichte der It-Girls - Paris Hiltons Vor-vor-vorbild", "Clara Bow: The Haunted Sex Icon of the '20s", "Remembering the Original It Girl, Clara Bow, on Her Birthday", "Politics '99 {Human Events}; Find Articles at BNET.com", "Was 'It girl' Clara Bow the real-life epitome of Babylon or one of predatory Hollywood's earliest victims? By appropriating traditionally androgynous or masculine traits, Bow presented herself as a confident, modern woman. Documents of Clara Belle Bruno (born Bow) Clara Bow in 1940 United States Federal Census "[97], Bow appeared in eight releases in 1926: five for Paramount, including the film version of the musical Kid Boots with Eddie Cantor, and three loan-outs that had been filmed in 1925. In truth, Bows physical and mental health issues (she had schizophrenia, like her mother) were exacerbated by the stresses of her fame, particularly the fallout from her notorious tell-all memoir in Photoplay and a lurid lawsuit brought by her former secretary. Although his famous daughter supported him financially and gave him jobs, Robert always managed to be out of money. As she confessed, I was too young, or too little, or too fat. That year, she went out of her house in hand-painted legs, a phenomenon that soon women all over California were taking up. Clara was always a charmer with men, but she was also deeply damaged. If you ever felt even a little bad for Claras father, you should know one thing. Better luck next time, Clara. Oh, but itll get creepier, Bow starred in the first movie to ever win Best Picture at the Oscars. Clara Gordon Bow (July 29, 1905 - September 27, 1965) was an American actress who rose to stardom in the silent film era of the 1920s. Bow will always be best remembered for It, a romantic caper adapted from Elinor Glyns novel, its title a euphemism for sexual magnetism. Bow reportedly went up to Moore and stated frankly, I dont like my part. I knew I would have done it differently. And a bigger scandal was on the horizon. Bows father Robert was one unsavory dude. In February 1922, Clara Bow awoke to a horrifying sight: Her mother holding a butchers knife to her throat. "[16] Bow and her father moved in at 1714 North Kingsley Drive in Hollywood, together with Jacobson, who by then also worked for Preferred. Hollywood saw Bow in much the same way she was the scruffy, lower-class kid whose behaviour jarred with the smart set and who had to work twice as hard as the others for her success. Bow suffered from chronic sinus problems, and decided to get them fixed. Meanwhile, Bell became Lieutenant Governor of Nevada in 1954. Robert Bow knew of her intentions and posed no objections whatsoever. As well see, it only got weirder from there. A tabloid called, The lead character of Peppy Miller from the 2011 film, Bow inspired the name of the player character, Bow is the subject of the 1986 song "Clara Bow", by the cult independent pop group, "Clara Bow" is also the title of a song on alternative rock-band, This page was last edited on 1 March 2023, at 06:03. What a fitting final curtain call for a performer who got her start in a national competition. The director William Wellman described her as mad and crazy, but WHAT a personality!. Bow appeared in eight releases in 1924, two were released the same day. Now thats how an Old Hollywood starlet does mean girl. That said, Bow tried to get her revenge. She was interred in the Freedom Mausoleum, Sanctuary of Heritage at Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California. Clara Bow Height and Physical Info Some people are indeed interested in the weight and height of celebrities, but there is a more important question to ask. As Bow once retorted, They are snobs. [45] Three months before Down to the Sea in Ships was released, Bow danced on a table, uncredited in Enemies of Women (1923). [16] "Why can't I stay in New York and make movies?" Clara Bow always had a cartoonishly beautiful face and an iconic tuft of red hair. Bow held out for $50 and Clifton agreed, but he could not say whether she would "fit the part". All the time the flapper is laughing and dancing, theres a feeling of tragedy underneath, she said once. Soon enough, Bows wild lifestyle caught up to her in a big way. "It can't do any harm" he said. "[107] Carl Sandburg wrote that it was "The smartest and swiftest work as yet seen from Miss Clara Bow. Clara was able to fend off the attack, and locked her mother in her room. As it should be. In late July, Bow entered studio chief B. P. Schulberg's office wearing a simple high-school uniform in which she "had won several gold medals on the cinder track". "The Real Clara Bow", NY agent George Frank to Filmjournalen 26/1931. It was two years before she moved to Hollywood, and another three before she signed a contract with Paramount. Girls would often tease her and call her carrot top, or else make fun of the shabby clothes her family couldnt afford to mend. Besides her flaming red hair, Bows lips were also a national sensation. [46] In spring she got a part in The Daring Years (1923), where she befriended actress Mary Carr, who taught her how to use make-up. Clara Bow is Update Soon years old in 2022. Clara Bows biography could have been a fairy story but instead it is a cautionary tale. You lose a lot of your cuteness, because there's no chance for action, and action is the most important thing to me. [32] As Bow grew into womanhood, her stature as a "boy" in her old gang became "impossible". In 1927, she had the female lead role in "Wings," the first Oscar winning "Best Picture." With the advent of talkies, and despite her thick Brooklyn accent, Clara starred in several hit movies. [28] B. P. Schulberg tried to replace Bow with his girlfriend Sylvia Sidney, but Paramount went into receivership, lost its position as the biggest studio (to MGM), and fired Schulberg. Our credibility is the turbo-charged engine of our success. $310,000 Last Sold Price. "But there was always something. Description. During her lifetime, Bow was the subject of wild rumors regarding her sex life, most of them were untrue. I made a place for myself on the screen and you can't do that by being Mrs. Alcott's idea of a Little Woman.[68]. She became socially withdrawn and, although she refused to socialize with her husband, she also refused to let him leave the house alone. Never that emotionally stable, the stressors of talkies pushed her over the limit. Its just that they hid it, and Clara didnt. Bow knew the truth. Clara Bow was born into a family of alcoholics and psychologically damaged people. [80] In 1927 Bow appeared in six Paramount releases: It, Children of Divorce, Rough House Rosie, Wings, Hula and Get Your Man. 1,468 Sq. And it made him very unhappy, for he worshipped her always. As Bow said, they shunned her for her lack of fashion. She needed specific direction and hated rehearsals, but after that shed take off. [3], Bow appeared in 46 silent films and 11 talkies, including hits such as Mantrap (1926), It (1927), and Wings (1927). Clara Bow was a great actress. [24][25][26] On January 5, 1923, Sarah died at the age of 43 from her epilepsy. Bow stated she was 23 years old, i.e., born 1906, contradicting the censuses of 1910 and 1920.[13]. John Gilbert was the other. One early morning in May 1931, Hollywood actress Clara Bow woke up screaming. Clara Gordon Bow was born on July 29, 1905 in a tenement in Brooklyn, New York, the only surviving child of a family afflicted with mental illness and Dickensian poverty and physical and emotional abuse. My mother and I were cold and hungry. Sarah had 2 other daughters, born in 1903 and 1904, who died in infancy. After the release of Down the Sea in Ships, Bow became an absolute sensationbut that fame came with a high price. [95] Bow's focal point was the scene, and her creativity made directors call in extra cameras to cover her spontaneous actions, rather than holding her down. [95], Bow's bohemian lifestyle and "dreadful" manners were considered reminders of the Hollywood elite's uneasy position in high society. But the worst was yet to come. I knew that she was going to take it badly, but I had no idea about the insane lengths she would go to just to get revenge and mess with my life. As the sassy broad wrote, You brush off Clara Bow for some old nothing like Brooks. Brooks letter actually had the intended effect. School: Bay Ridge High School for Girls, Erasmus Hall High School. 9, and P.S. Yet as always with Bow, darker days were just around the corner. The only art that was off-limits to her, according to some, was novels. 98. My right arm was quite famous.. It premiered at the Olympia Theater in New Bedford, on September 25, 1922, and went on general distribution on March 4, 1923. 338 pp. When Bow decided to act, it all came together with frightening easeat least at first. The personal quality"It" provides the magic to make it happen. She was known as "a hard-partying jazz-baby", and wasn't afraid to break a few rules. [137] On April 28, 1932, Bow signed a two-picture deal with Fox Film Corporation, for Call Her Savage (1932) and Hoop-La (1933). Well, that simply wasnt good enough. If there is an aspect of silent cinema you would like to see featured in Silent but deadly! It's a thoroughly refreshing draught there are only about five actresses who give me a real thrill on the screenand Clara is nearly five of them".
