Clara Bow
Clara Bow was a prominent American actress and cultural icon of the 1920s, recognized as the quintessential flapper of the era. Born into poverty and facing a challenging childhood with a mentally ill mother and an abusive father, Bow found solace in films and aspired to become a star. She gained fame after winning a talent contest, leading to her first film role in "Beyond the Rainbow." Bow's career took off with her portrayal of the carefree flapper in "Black Oxen," captivating audiences despite the often low quality of her films. While she became Hollywood's leading sex symbol, her personal life was marred by struggles with anxiety and low self-esteem, compounded by public scrutiny over her love affairs and revelations about her past. Despite these challenges, she enjoyed immense popularity, receiving more fan mail than any other Paramount star by 1928. Bow successfully transitioned to sound films, notably with "The Wild Party," but ultimately retired from acting in 1933 due to the toll of her experiences. Her legacy as a pioneer of female emancipation in cinema remains significant, even as many of her films have been lost to time.
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Clara Bow
- Born: July 29, 1905
- Birthplace: New York, New York
- Died: September 27, 1965
- Place of death: Los Angeles, California
Identification: American film star
Clara Bow, the epitome of the 1920s flapper, was among the decade’s most popular stars. A flamboyant redhead with a seemingly enormous zest for life, she in fact suffered from anxiety and chronically low self-esteem. With few exceptions, her movies were unworthy of her talent, and Clara was as well known for her love affairs and personal scandals as for her film work.
Born into extreme poverty to a mentally ill mother and an abusive father, Clara Bow sought refuge at the movies and dreamed of film stardom. She was a regular reader of Motion Picture magazine, and in 1921, she entered and won a Fame and Fortune Contest sponsored by the magazine’s publisher, Brewster Publications. Her prize was a small part in the 1922 film Beyond the Rainbow. Although Bow’s scenes were cut from the final product, she soon signed a contract with producer B. P. Schulberg of Preferred Pictures, later part of Paramount.
In Black Oxen (1924), Bow played a flapper, the iconic madcap 1920s girl who defied social conventions, and her career exploded. Audiences flocked to see her in similar roles, no matter how ridiculous the plot. On-screen, Bow sparkled with vitality; offscreen, Hollywood’s newest sex symbol struggled with low self-esteem.
Although Bow had a starring role in Wings (1927), which won the first Academy Award for Best Picture, her films were generally of low quality. Her offscreen behavior, including numerous love affairs and candid revelations about her horrific childhood, appalled Hollywood society and alienated her from her peers. Her popularity with fans remained undiminished, however, and by 1928, Bow was receiving significantly more fan mail than any other Paramount star. She successfully transitioned to sound in the 1929 film The Wild Party, but years of anxiety and overworking had taken their toll, and she retired from acting in 1933.
Impact
Clara Bow defied social norms and became the reigning sex symbol of her day. In her films, she embodied the exciting idea of female emancipation, though her reality bore little resemblance to this ideal. In 1957, when a group of silent film actors and crew voted for the greatest screen artists of their era, Bow came second only to Greta Garbo and far ahead of the distant third choice. Due to inadequate preservation, few of her films exist today.
Bibliography
Basinger, Jeanine. Silent Stars. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2000.
Morella, Joseph, and Edward Z. Epstein. The “It” Girl: The Incredible Story of Clara Bow. New York: Delacorte Press, 1976.
Stenn, David. Clara Bow: Runnin’ Wild. New York: Doubleday, 1988.