Clara Bow survived a childhood filled with neglect, abuse, and mental illness, and built a legendary Hollywood career. In spite of her successes, her past continued to haunt her, often intruding into both her personal and professional life.
The Emotionally Painful Early Years of Clara Bow
Clara Bow was born on July 29, 1905 in the tenements of Brooklyn, New York, to Sarah and Robert Bow. Her mother had epileptic seizures and mental illness resulting from a severe blow to the head suffered as a teen. Clara’s father was often unemployed and rarely at home and Clara was left to care for her mother.
Clara Bow Wins National Contest
Clara viewed the theater as a fanciful reprieve from her miserable home life. When she was sixteen, with encouragement from her father, she entered and won the 1921 Fame and Fortune Contest sponsored by Brewster Publication’s Motion Picture, Motion Picture Classics, and Shadowland Magazines. She was awarded a silver trophy, an evening gown, and the promise of a part in an upcoming film. She was cast in 1922’s Beyond the Rainbow, but her scenes were cut. Undaunted by this setback, she continued to visit the Manhattan film studios. She eventually caught the eye of a D.W. Griffith protégée who cast her in 1922’s Down to the Sea in Ships.
The Tragic Last Years of Sarah Bow
Clara’s mother was deeply troubled by Clara’s flapper image and acting aspirations and she tried to kill Clara in her sleep. Clara woke up in time to save her own life and her mother was committed to an institution. Sarah Bow died from her illness in 1923. In spite of her troubled childhood, Clara was devastated by the loss of her mother, but she continued on with her dream of becoming an actress.
Preferred Pictures Offers Clara Bow a Contract
Clara Bow was offered a three month trial contract with Preferred Pictures. The studio head, B. P. Schulberg, was impressed, but made poor use of her talents. He cast her in a series of small roles and loaned her to other studios. She became popular in spite of this poor treatment and was selected to be one of the WAMPAS Baby Stars of 1924. In three short years, Clara Bow made minor appearances in 29 films. She was finally cast as the lead in the 1925 film The Plastic Age and became a star overnight.
Clara Bow Becomes the “It” Girl
In 1927, Clara played salesgirl Betty Lou Spence, the “It” girl in the film It, a role that made her a Hollywood immortal. In this film, the role of the “It” girl is to explain the attraction between the sexes, and theater goes viewed Clara Bow as the perfect choice. Offstage, the tabloids carried ongoing daily coverage of her affairs with Hollywood’s most popular leading men, including Bela Lugosi, Gary Cooper, and John Wayne.
The First Film to Win Best Picture Oscar Stars Clara Bow
The same year she became the “It” girl, Clara starred in Wings, a war film that was rewritten specifically to include her. Wings won the first Academy Award for Best Picture. For the next three years, Clara Bow would remain one of Paramount's top five box office attractions.
Talking Pictures Bring an End to Clara Bow’s Career
Her first talking movie, 1929’s The Wild Party, was hardly a classic, but the presence of Clara Bow on the screen was enough to pack the theater. Unfortunately, Clara discovered she was afraid of speaking into the microphone and pressures from insensitive studio executives led to an emotional breakdown. In April of 1931, Clara Bow was admitted to a sanatorium. She was also released from her contract with Paramount and soon retired from Hollywood.
Marriage and Another Breakdown for Clara Bow
In 1932, Clara Bow married cowboy actor Rex Bell (George Beldam). They had two sons. Bell was Lieutenant Governor of Nevada, and in 1944 he decided to run for the U.S. House of Representatives. Unable to cope with the stress of re-entering the public life, Clara attempted suicide and was admitted to The Institute of Living. She was given shock treatments to treat chronic insomnia. Bell withdrew from his bid for Representative.
The Death and Legacy of Clara Bow
Clara Bow died of a heart attack on September 29, 1965. Her husband died three years earlier. She is buried in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California. Clara Bow appeared in 58 films during her eleven year acting career. She was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame to honor her contribution to the film industry. In 1994, caricaturist Al Hirschfeld designed a postage stamp using Clara Bow’s image. Max Fleischer's cartoon character Betty Boop was also modeled after Clara Bow.
Resources:
Clara Bow. Internet Movie Database. Retrieved Nov. 1, 2009.
Cramer, William S. Clara Bow: A Short Biography. The Clara Bow Page. Retrieved Nov. 1, 2009.
 |
