Clara Bow

This article is about the actress. For the Taylor Swift song, see Clara Bow (song).

Clara Bow
A black-and-white, soft-focus shot of a dolled-up young woman with short dark hair wearing a polka dot top.
Bow in 1932
Born
Clara Gordon Bow

(1905-07-29)July 29, 1905
Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
DiedSeptember 27, 1965(1965-09-27) (aged 60)
Culver City, California, U.S.
Resting placeForest Lawn Memorial Park
Other names"The 'It' Girl"
OccupationActress
Years active1921–1947
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1931; died 1962)​
Children2

Clara Gordon Bow (/boʊ/; 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".[1] Bow came to personify the Roaring Twenties[2] and is described as its leading sex symbol.[3]

Bow appeared in 46 silent films and 11 talkies, including hits such as Mantrap (1926), It (1927), and Wings (1927). She was named first box-office draw in 1928 and 1929 and second box-office draw in 1927 and 1930.[4][5] Her presence in a motion picture was said to have ensured investors, by odds of almost two-to-one, a "safe return".[6] At the apex of her stardom, she received more than 45,000 fan letters in a single month, in January 1929.[7]

Two years after marrying actor Rex Bell in 1931, Bow retired from acting and became a rancher in Nevada.[8][9][10] Her final film, Hoop-La, was released in 1933. In September 1965, Bow died of a heart attack at the age of 60.

  1. ^ Sherrow 2006, p. 70.
  2. ^ Morella & Epstein 1976, p. 283.
  3. ^ Drowne & Huber 2004, p. 237.
  4. ^ Basinger 1993, p. 509.
  5. ^ "The Big Names of 1927: Feminine". Exhibitors Herald. Chicago, IL, US: Martin J. Quigley: 22. December 31, 1927. OCLC 7632690 – via Internet Archive.
  6. ^ Flowers, George C. (December 10, 1962). "Success Did Not Bring Clara Bow Happiness". Press-Telegram. Long Beach, CA, US: H.H. Ridder. p. B-2. OCLC 232118124 – via Newspaper.com.
  7. ^ Stenn (2000), p. 159.
  8. ^ Lang, Harry (September 1931). "Roughing It With Clara". Photoplay. Vol. XL, no. 4. p. 30. Retrieved September 6, 2020.
  9. ^ Vonnell, Carl (July 1932). "Clara Bow – Housewife Of Rancho Clarito". Photoplay. Vol. XLII, no. 2. p. 28. Retrieved September 6, 2020.
  10. ^ "Historic ranch put up for sale". Las Vegas Sun. November 4, 2000. Retrieved September 6, 2020.