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Clara Bow: the First “It Girl”

TV & Film

October 11, 2024

During Hollywood’s Golden Age Clara Bow was the girl everyone wanted to be. She was the face of the ‘20s, the epitome of the flapper trope, and her style was replicated by millions of women in America. While her career might’ve only lasted around a decade, her impact on Hollywood was immense, appearing in 57 films and being the first woman to be dubbed an “it girl.”

While so many Old Hollywood stars have come and gone, Clara’s legacy continues to live far past her death. She partially inspired Betty Boop, and Margot Robbie’s character “Nellie Laroy” in the movie Babylon was a fictionalized take on Bow. Most recently, Taylor Swift’s eleventh album The Tortured Poets Department has a song named after the Hollywood legend.

But what makes Clara Bow so iconic, and how has she captivated people’s attention for nearly a century?

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Little Girl Lost

Clara Bow’s early childhood was a far cry from the luxurious lifestyle she’d later enjoy. But even in those early years, it became clear that her life would be a roller coaster that was far from boring.

She was born Clara Gordon Bow to an alcoholic father and a schizophrenic mother in Brooklyn, New York. She had two older sisters, both of whom had died in infancy, leading to doctors telling her mother Sarah to stop having children. The year of Clara’s birth is unclear, with the US Census of 1910 and 1920 placing it in 1905, but the 1930 Census and her tombstone reading 1907 (though it’s most likely 1905). Clara would later recall being born in a heat wave so intense that it nearly killed her and her mother.

Life didn’t get much easier for young Clara. Her father couldn’t hold a job, leaving the family in extreme poverty. Moreover, Clara often had to take care of her mother who often lashed out against the family, and she later recalled feeling that Sarah didn’t love her or her father. Her father Robert was also abusive and combined with her mother’s frequent outbursts created an impossible home life.

At school, girls teased Clara for her “carrot-top” hair, skinny figure, and worn-out clothing. So she spent most of her time playing sports with boys and was regarded as a tomboy. Tragedy struck when Clara was 10 and watched one of her best friends die in her arms after his clothes caught on fire. This incident triggered weeks of nightmares, and she later recalled that when she needed to cry on cue for a scene she’d think back to this memory.

Growing up Clara was a highly athletic kid who enjoyed, running, playing tennis, baseball, and skating, and considered becoming an athletic instructor. But once she hit puberty her guy friends started to treat her differently, once again making Clara feel alone.

She described school as miserable, her home as unloving, and she could no longer retreat to the comfort of playing sports with her guy friends. Clara turned to the movies, a popular pastime during the 1920s (about half of America’s population attended movie theaters once a week).

Clara said that the movies showed her that there was beauty in the world, and she dreamed of the glamorous lifestyles the stars lived. Although she couldn’t define it, she felt that if she were acting she’d do something differently than all the other actresses. At 16, although she had no prior acting experience, and didn’t consider herself attractive, Clara decided that she was going to become a movie star.

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Teenage Starlet

In 1921, 16-year-old Clara submitted her photo to “Fame and Fortune,” a nationwide acting contest held by Brewster’s Magazine. She endured numerous audition rounds against much older and more experienced actresses. But against all odds Clara won after five screen tests, stunning the judges with her confidence and emotional range. Her prize was an evening gown, a trophy, and the promise of a budding career.

But things soon grew cold with no new projects coming Clara’s way. Her father even pushed for her to “haunt” the publisher’s office until they lived up to their promise. Ultimately she was given a small role in the film Beyond the Rainbow, although all five of her scenes were cut in the final release.

Clara was devastated that her scenes had been cut and feared that she had no future in the entertainment industry. Her mother wasn’t supportive of her dreams, and on one occasion she attacked her daughter with a butcher’s knife but had no recollection of the incident the next day.

She dropped out of high school and began to work an office job while unsuccessfully auditioning for projects. Clara was told that she was too young and criticized for her weight, either being told that she was too small or too big. Finally, she was cast in 1922’s Down to the Sea In Ships where she portrayed a rebellious tomboy, a role she related to.

Baby Star

In 1923 Clara left behind her family and boyfriend in New York to relocate to Los Angeles where she was signed to Preferred Pictures. The same year she appeared in her first Hollywood film, Maytime, and in 1924 she was dubbed a “baby star” by the Western Association of Motion Picture Advertisers.

In 1925 she appeared in 15 movies and was signed to Paramount Pictures the next year. Her work ethic continued to push her career, and she was known in Hollywood for studying how to work with the lights and cameras while also coming in early and leaving late for work.

The It Girl

Clara was the face of the 1920s flapper movement and F. Scott Fitzgerald (author of The Great Gatsby) described her as the epitome of a flapper. In 1927 author Elinor Glyn coined the term “it girl”- describing the “it” factor as someone who’s self-confident and indifferent about how they’re perceived. She was the epitome of the modern woman, someone who had fun, flirted, and didn’t care about other’s opinions, signifying the changing standards for women.

At the peak of her career, Clara received over 35,000 letters of fan mail per week, and sales of henna tripled when it was revealed that Bow used it to get her signature red hair.

Clara epitomized the “it girl” title by refusing to change herself, even when Hollywood executives pressured her to change her body or drop her Brooklyn accent. She was one of the studio’s most bankable stars and, as a result, was hounded by the press, which was fixated on her love life. At one point, the slanderous stories got so intense that she sued Frederic Girnau, who was later convicted of libel and served eight years in prison.

Burn Out

Since Paramount knew that any film Clara was in would be popular they put little effort into her roles and reduced her to the same party-girl trope. She was often overworked and underpaid.

While the public might’ve loved her, Hollywood was getting fed up with Clara. This anger stemmed from her refusal to conform to their standards and her outspoken, non-conformist personality. At the time movies were dictated by strict moral codes and actors were expected to adhere to these purity laws, but Clara continued with her excessive partying.

By the start of the new decade, Clara was starting to fade away. The media harassment, stress from the long work hours, pressure from Hollywood, and the pains of her past led to a mental breakdown that led to numerous hospital stays. For the rest of her life, Clara’s mental health would be a battle.

In 1931 Clara married Rex Bell, and her final film, Hoop-La was released in 1933. In 1937 she and Rex opened the ‘It’ Cafe which closed in 1943, and in 1947 she was a mystery voice in a contest for the radio show Truth or Consequences.

In the late 1940s after numerous psychological evaluations, Clara left her family and lived alone in a bungalow, rarely leaving it until her death in 1965.

Timelessness

Clara’s onscreen performances, although one hundred years old, have a touch of modernness that resonates with people even today. During an era when acting was often over the top and cartoonish, Clara always carried herself in a natural way, and could even cry on cue. Even when playing the same role time and time again she always brought a sensitivity and liveliness to every film she was in.

Most importantly Clara Bow’s story is one of being unapologetically oneself. Throughout Clara’s life, she was mocked for her accent and told to change her appearance, but she never caved in.

She was a girl who grew up in an unloving home and stricken with poverty but through hard work, luck, and the “it” factor, Clara transformed herself into a defining face of Hollywood’s Golden Age, enduring tragedy after tragedy until her death. Her tumultuous life, lively spirit, and non-conformist confidence make her an icon who continues to resonate with audiences long after her prime.

Image Credits: D.D. Teoli Jr via Wikimedia

Amy Guerin
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Writer since Jul, 2024 · 13 published articles

Amy is a high school junior who writes for her school newspaper and plays varsity water polo. In her free time she enjoys spending time with her friends, reading, and sewing. Her interests include history, fashion, and vintage pop culture.

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