Oh hello, my dear neglected blog. I love writing. I love writing about people who inspire me. I don’t know why sometimes it seems that keeping up a blog becomes a task not well handled. But, here I am and I’m gonna get to work. Right. Now.
Clara. Clara. Dearest Clara Bow. You were one of the first funny ladies to grace the silver screen with comedic timing and sex appeal. You were beautiful, cute, and a brilliant actress with impeccable comedic timing. You paved the way for funny ladies everywhere with your ability to make us laugh and fall in love with you in a single frame.
It Girl is my favorite of all favorite Clara Bow films. It’s short, sweet, and you can’t keep your eyes off of her. Clara plays a youthful sales clerk who has “it”. She has the charm, the ability to light up a room, and make every man fall in love with her and every woman want to be her. Her character is smart (let’s the lowly man take her to the fancy restaurant in order to catch her sexy boss’ eye), crafty (she cuts up her equally fabulous work dress to create a very sexy number to entice her man of interest), and courageous (taking responsibility for her roommate’s illegitimate child despite obvious repercussions from society).
Here’s actually the brilliant clip of her transforming her dress within minutes and supporting her struggling roommate:
One of my favorite scenes is when she allows her boss to take her to a boardwalk carnival where a sequence of flirtatious escapades occurs. She’s undeniably charming in her sweater, scarf, beret outfit, and plays with the best of them. The “Social Mixer” ride has to be my favorite part, where she eventually gets thrown off and her date is soon to follow her in a sweet embrace. The rides become highly intimate and physical (the moving tunnel?!) and as a performer, she simply does not hold back.
Here is the video of this whole sequence! I love YouTube and the people who post on it.
Clara had a vivacious career until the talkies came about. Her thick Brooklyn accent shocked her fans and made it difficult for her to transition. She was also haunted by the looming microphone overhead and during a breakdown, found herself in a boxing match until her fists were bloody.
She was also one of the first women to be torn apart by the tabloids for her personal life. Clara was as free and vivacious off screen as she was on. Her relationships with men were highly scrutinized (not only did she pave the way for women in comedy, but she paved the way for women in the sexual revolution) and eventually she was ripped to shreds.
Her career and contributions to women everywhere were astounding. I could write about her all day, but for now, this will suffice. Thank you, Clara!
