[8][9][10] Her final film, Hoop-La, was released in 1933. In 1931, as "Clara had become more than she was worth," (Stenn, 232) the actress and Paramount came to a mutual settlement to terminate her . According to those close to Bow on her film sets, the actress was hiding a dark secret. Clara Bow Education. Family & Relatives. Learn how and when to remove this template message, Hollywood: A Celebration of the American Silent Film, "Success Did Not Bring Clara Bow Happiness", "Clara Bow Housewife Of Rancho Clarito", Clara Bow: My Life Story as told to Adela Rogers St. Johns, "Alluring 'It' Girl Clara Bow: Tormented Hollywood Outsider", "33 Prospect Place, Passport application, No. Clara was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1905. And it was into this dark existence that one of the world's favourite stars was born. Naturally, Bow wonbut then came the hard part. The director William Wellman described her as mad and crazy, but WHAT a personality!. She screens perfectly. I wish somebody could star Clara Bow. Three children were born to his union - Diane, Tom, Randy - and they farmed, ranched, and milked cows on the family farm until moving to Rapid City, SD, in October 1960. . In the blink of an eye, Bow left everything to travel west to Tinseltownand she soon found out it was a snake pit. Im a curiosity in Hollywood. (Last Update in 2020) she born on 29 Jul 1905 in Brooklyn, New York, the United States, Her home city is Brooklyn, New York and Nationality American . Bow and actor Rex Bell (later a lieutenant governor of Nevada) had two sons, Tony Beldam (born 1934, changed name to Rex Anthony Bell, Jr., died 2011) and George Beldam, Jr. (born 1938). She said about her childhood, "I never had any clothes. In order to manage her deteriorating mental health in the 1940s, Bow checked herself into a sanatorium again, this time with much worse symptoms. Description. As fellow actor Lina Basquette said: She wasnt well liked amongst other women in the film colony. Against her mother's wishes but with her father's support, Bow competed in Brewster publications' magazine's annual nationwide acting contest, "Fame and Fortune", in fall 1921. [21][30][31], In the early 1920s roughly 50 million Americanshalf the population at that timeattended the movies every week. A tabloid called, The lead character of Peppy Miller from the 2011 film, Bow inspired the name of the player character, Bow is the subject of the 1986 song "Clara Bow", by the cult independent pop group, "Clara Bow" is also the title of a song on alternative rock-band, This page was last edited on 1 March 2023, at 06:03. Half her playmates nursed crushes on the young Bow, and one of her best school friends friends even tried to kiss her. "[86], On April 12, 1926, Bow signed her first contract with Paramount: "to retain your services as an actress for the period of six months from June 6, 1926 to December 6, 1926, at a salary of $750.00 per week". Enraptured audiences and critics called her The Brooklyn Bonfire.. Even more scandalously, the OG vampire hung it over his bed for the rest of his life, including through his next two marriages. In late July, Bow entered studio chief B. P. Schulberg's office wearing a simple high-school uniform in which she "had won several gold medals on the cinder track". [16] "I'd go home and be a one girl circus, taking the parts of everyone I'd seen, living them before the glass. Born Clara Gordon BOW American actress Born on July 29, 1905 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA , United States Died on September 27, 1965 in Culver City, California, USA Born on July 29 33 Deceased on September 27 32 Family tree Report an error Bow Elijah 1792 - 1860 ? For all that she hated talkies, she made a cameo as the mystery voice in the 1947 radio show Truth or Consequences in their Mrs. When we do, we depend on our loyal, helpful readers to point out how we can do better. Clara Bow was Hollywood's first sex symbol. [52] Bow signed with Preferred Pictures, also working with other studios. Reviews were nothing less than outstanding: The New York Times said that "(Bow)is vivacious and, as Betty Lou, saucy, which perhaps is one of the ingredients of It. She was only 25 years old. 1,468 Sq. Clara Bow was born into a family of alcoholics and psychologically damaged people. Bow plays a department store worker in hot pursuit of her handsome boss, and Glyn herself has a cameo. Both Clara and her mother nearly didnt make it, and Bow later recalled how the two of them looked death in the face that day. It was shot on location at Pomona College in the summer of 1925, and released on December 15, but due to block booking, it was not shown in New York until July 21, 1926. [145] In 1965, at age 60, she died of a heart attack, which her autopsy attributed to atherosclerosis. 6.1. Her mental health had continued to suffer in her retirement and she attempted suicide when her husband Rex Bell decided to re-enter public life as a politician in the 1940s. [122] In October 1929 Bow described her nerves as "all shot", saying that she had reached "the breaking point", and Photoplay cited reports of "rows of bottles of sedatives" by her bed. Hollywood's first sex symbol, the 'It' girl, Clara Bow was born in the slums of Brooklyn in a family plagued with alcoholism and insanity. [145][146] She did not return to her family. [95] Bow's focal point was the scene, and her creativity made directors call in extra cameras to cover her spontaneous actions, rather than holding her down. Story of the lives of the people in a small Quaker community and the adventures of a whaling ship. Now Clara Bow is 114 years 6 months 28 days old. [45] Three months before Down to the Sea in Ships was released, Bow danced on a table, uncredited in Enemies of Women (1923). [53] Alton and Bow rented an apartment at The Hillview near Hollywood Boulevard. She catapulted to fame after winning Motion Picture magazine's 1921 " Fame and Fortune" contest. "[33] At 16, Bow says she "knew" she wanted to be a motion pictures actress, even if she was a "square, awkward, funny-faced kid."[16]. "[118] MGM executive Paul Bern said Bow was "the greatest emotional actress on the screen", "sentimental, simple, childish and sweet," and considered her "hard-boiled attitude" a "defense mechanism". Well, can you blame her for having a such a maladjusted view of affection? "[110] The Film Daily wrote that "Clara Bow gets a real chance and carries it off with honors(and)she is really the whole show",[111] and Variety said "You can't get away from this Clara Bow girl. [83], Adolph Zukor, Paramount Picture CEO, wrote in his memoirs: "All the skill of directors and all the booming of press-agent drums will not make a star. The shift from silent films to talkies was an enormous sea change in Hollywood that drowned many a starbut contrary to popular belief, our gritty Clara survived and thrived. Even when she has the opportunity to woo the audience by displaying her charms in a comedy such a Mantrap (How she vamps with her lamps, praised Variety), her inveterate flirting condemns her to an unhappy ending. The film proved to be a tremendous box office success that lent Clara Bow the nickname the "It" Girl. As Bow said, they shunned her for her lack of fashion. When she heard they were casting for the film Down the Sea in Ships, she tried to hide her offending youth by marching down to the casting couch in a grown-up dress she borrowed from her mother. Clara Bow was an American film actress who shot to stardom in 1926, then burned out only a few years later. Robert Bow knew of her intentions and posed no objections whatsoever. [95], Bow's bohemian lifestyle and "dreadful" manners were considered reminders of the Hollywood elite's uneasy position in high society. Bow truly loved movies, but her adoration came from an incredibly dark place. . Skip to the beginning of the carousel. Jacobson concluded, "[Clara] was the sweetest girl in the world, but you didn't cross her and you didn't do her wrong. At 25 her career was essentially over. I used to sing at home and people would say, 'Pipe down! The film gave Bow her nickname, "The 'It' Girl." You see, as it turned out, mental problems ran in Bows family, and her breakdowns and crises traced directly back to her mentally-ill mother Sarah. Bow and Rex Bell had two sons, born in 1934 and 1936. Some of her most famous flings included the heartthrob actors Gary Cooper and Gilbert Roland. Below the table, you can find all the information about her birthday. Studio executives tried to manipulate her, calling her a birdbrain and a dumbbell while she continued to make them masses of money at the box office. [35] Preferred Pictures was run by Schulberg, who had started as a publicity manager at Famous Players-Lasky, but in the aftermath of the power struggle around the formation of United Artists, ended up on the losing side and lost his job. Clara Bow attended P.S. She made several talkies, in fact, starting with The Wild Party, a big success that was directed by her friend and champion Dorothy Arzner. "[56] It was released on January 4, 1924. He was the youngest daughter of Robert and Sarah Box. This made Bow the only daughter to survive to the Bow's family. When Bow was 16 and alone, Robert attacked her in the bedroom. The interview also revealed that Bow already was cast in Maytime and in great favor of Chinese cuisine. She became extremely withdrawn and at one point attempted suicide. Bow remembered: "All this time I was 'running wild', I guess, in the sense of trying to have a good time maybe this was a good thing, because I suppose a lot of that excitement, that joy of life, got onto the screen. Lobbycard of the movie"Children of Divorce" with from left, Esther Ralston and Clara Bow, in 1927. She won five medals "at the cinder tracks" and credited her cousin Homer Bakerthe national half-mile (c. 800m) champion (1913 and 1914) and 660-yard (c.600m) world-record holderfor being her trainer. "[68], My life in Hollywood contained plenty of uproar. Unable to cope with the pressures of a public life or work through the traumas of her childhood, she locked herself up in that bungalow for decades, and passed almost entirely alone. Im a big freak, because Im myself!. When she is off, the same is true. In 1924, Bow was on the set ofPainted People with the more famous star Colleen Moore;the still-green Bow was due to play a bit part as Moores kid sister. And a bigger scandal was on the horizon. "I can't do it." Her maid called Bow's fianc, the cowboy film star Rex Bell, who came over, and realizing the seriousness of the situation, drove Bow to a hospital where doctors determined the actress was suffering from "shattered nerves . Once Bow faced a threat of $150,000 in damages from a disgruntled wife, charged a former friend and secretary Daisy DeVoe with fraud, and defamation by the The Coast Reporter; Paramount had enough. [32] As Bow grew into womanhood, her stature as a "boy" in her old gang became "impossible". In a purely-postage world, thats a lot of licked stamps. Girls shunned me because I was so poorly dressed. In fact, the naughty work was still hanging over him when he passed. [67] In November 1933, looking back to this period of her career, Bow described the atmosphere in Hollywood as like a scene from a movie about the French Revolution, where "women are hollering and waving pitchforks twice as violently as any of the guys the only ladies in sight are the ones getting their heads cut off. You lose a lot of your cuteness, because there's no chance for action, and action is the most important thing to me. Bow always did know how to hustle. Documents of Clara Belle Bruno (born Bow) Clara Bow in 1940 United States Federal Census Yet the new talkie format still took a huge toll on the actress, In truth, Bow never liked talkies, calling them stiff and limiting and complaining that you lose your cuteness. She also never got comfortable with them. She was born into abject poverty. After this blow, all her inner torment reached a terrifying climax. Oh, it was wonderful. Sadly, more harrowing moments were in store. Her birthplace is Brooklyn. Clara Gordon Bow (July 29, 1905 - September 27, 1965) was an American actress who rose to stardom in the silent film era of the 1920s. Throughout her entire careerand particularly during her tragic endBow was incredibly emotionally fragile. Her pains were considered delusional and she was diagnosed with schizophrenia;[144] however, she experienced neither auditory nor visual hallucinations. Never that emotionally stable, the stressors of talkies pushed her over the limit. [29] The Bows and Bakers shared a housestill standingat 33 Prospect Place in 1920. Clara was always a charmer with men, but she was also deeply damaged. Her acting artistry and high spirits made her the premier flapper and the film It (1927) made her world famous. Only when I remember it, it seems to me I cant live. No wonder Clara Bow lived like she was running out of time. Clara Bow was unwanted and unloved by her parents. Bow became a personality of the 1920s. But sadly, the glitz and glamour of Tinseltown quickly turned sour, and the starlet suffered a downfall that was as tragic as it was legendary. Sarah was told by a doctor not to become pregnant again, because this time she might die as well. [46] In spring she got a part in The Daring Years (1923), where she befriended actress Mary Carr, who taught her how to use make-up. Claras Bows final public performance was not on the silver screen, but on the radio. In 1929, Lugosi tied the knot with wealthy socialite Beatrice Weeks. The picture was released on March 1, 1926. At Factinate, were dedicated to getting things right. Although his famous daughter supported him financially and gave him jobs, Robert always managed to be out of money. American actress Clara Bow. Bow might have looked sweet, but you best not cross her. [citation needed] Brownlow made up for this omission by including an entire segment about Bow in his television documentary Hollywood: A Celebration of the American Silent Film (1980), for which he interviewed Brooks. Clara passed away on month day 2013, at age 74 at death place, Michigan. SOLD FEB 15, 2023. In US census records, enumerated April 15, 1910, and January 7, 1920, Bow's age is stated 4 and 14 years, respectively. During her lifetime, Bow was the subject of wild rumors regarding her sex life, most of them were untrue. In his book "Seductive Cinema" (1994: Knopf . [citation needed]. ? Well, this backfired horribly. The Legacy Of Clara Bow, America's First Sex Symbol. Schulberg. They are snobs. Her nerves were all shot, and Photoplay even reported sightings of bottles of sedatives by her bed in one long row. Votes: 379. Despite the warning, Sarah became pregnant with Clara in late 1904. Clara Bow Career. Her costumes in the film were so scarce, one magazine noted they wouldnt weigh two pounds soaking wet. Maybe more scandalously, Bows new husband Rex Bell was less than pleased about her giving away the goods. She was one of the most iconic It Girls of her dayin fact, she practically invented the term. [51] But first she was lent to First National Pictures to co-star in the adaptation of Gertrude Atherton's 1923 best seller Black Oxen, shot in October, and to co-star with Colleen Moore in Painted People, shot in November. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. ] she did not return to her family, Robert always managed to be out of time of... The stressors of talkies pushed her over the limit and the film were so scarce, one magazine they... Few years later was released on January 4, 1924 girls of her handsome boss, and Glyn has. The actress was hiding a dark secret, we depend on our loyal, helpful to... 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