Clara Bow
Silent film star who personified the Roaring Twenties.
Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons
Clara Gordon Bow (July 29, 1905 – September 27, 1965) was an American actress who became a major star in the silent films of the 1920s and moved successfully into sound films in 1929. She played a spirited shopgirl in the 1927 movie *It*, which made her famous worldwide and earned her the nickname “The It Girl.” Bow became a symbol of the Roaring Twenties and is remembered as its top sex symbol.
Bow made 58 films, with only 11 of them being talkies. Of those, 33 survive completely, 14 are partly lost, and 11 are entirely lost. Her notable hits include *Mantrap* (1926), *It* (1927), and *Wings* (1927). She was the top box-office draw in 1928 and 1929, and the second-highest in 1927 and 1930. Having her in a film nearly guaranteed investors a safe return, with odds of almost two to one. At the height of her fame, in January 1929, she received over 45,000 fan letters in a single month.
Bow married actor Rex Bell in 1931 and stopped acting in 1933. Her last film, *Hoop-La*, came out that same year. She then became a rancher in Nevada and had two children. In September 1965, she died of a heart attack at age 60.
Bow was born in the Prospect Heights section of Brooklyn, New York City, at 697 Bergen Street, in a bleak, sparsely furnished room above a dilapidated Baptist church. Her birth year was 1905, according to the 1910 and 1920 U.S. censuses, which listed her ages as 4 and 14, respectively; the 1930 census gave her age as 23.
She was her parents’ third child. Two older sisters, born in 1903 and 1904, died as infants. Her mother, Sarah Frances Bow (née Gordon, 1880–1923), was warned by a doctor not to get pregnant again, as the next baby might also die. Despite this, she became pregnant with Clara in late 1904. A heat wave hit New York in July 1905, with temperatures near 100°F. Clara later wrote that she and her mother “looked death in the face” the morning she was born, but both struggled back to life.
Bow’s parents were descended from English and Scots-Irish immigrants who arrived in America the previous generation. Bow said her father, Robert Walter Bow (1874–1959), had a quick, keen mind and all the natural ability to succeed, but “everything seemed to go wrong for him.” By the time Clara was four and a half, he was out of work. Between 1905 and 1923, the family moved to 14 different addresses, mostly within Prospect Heights, and her father was often
- born
- July 29, 1905, Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, New York City
- died
- September 27, 1965, age 60, heart attack
- field
- Actress
- nationality
- American
- known_for
- Silent film star, 'The It Girl', box-office draw in 1928 and 1929
Lore & Background
Bow was born in a bleak room above a dilapidated Baptist Church in Brooklyn, the third child of parents descended from English and Scots-Irish immigrants. Her two older sisters died in infancy, and her mother, Sarah Frances Bow, suffered from epilepsy and psychosis, once attacking Clara with a butcher knife. Bow cared for her mother from an early age and later reported being raped by her father at age sixteen. She attended several Brooklyn public schools and planned to become an athletics instructor, winning five medals on the cinder tracks, before entering a magazine acting contest in 1921.
Bow won the 'Fame and Fortune' contest in early 1922, impressing judges with her emotional range, and was cast in Beyond the Rainbow, though her scenes were cut. She went on to appear in 58 films, all but 11 silent, with hits including Mantrap (1926), It (1927), and Wings (1927). At the height of her fame in January 1929, she received over 45,000 fan letters in a single month. She was named the first box-office draw in 1928 and 1929, and her presence in a film was said to ensure investors a safe return by odds of almost two-to-one.
After marrying actor Rex Bell in 1931, Bow retired from acting in 1933, with her final film Hoop-La released that year. She became a rancher in Nevada and had two children. She died of a heart attack in September 1965 at age 60.
Reader's Guide
Clara Bow's significance lies in her embodiment of the 1920s flapper spirit and her status as the first major sex symbol of the silent screen. Her role in It (1927) coined the term 'It Girl' and defined a cultural archetype of the modern, independent young woman. She was a commercial powerhouse, topping box-office rankings in 1928 and 1929 and providing a near-guaranteed return for investors. Her successful transition to talkies in 1929 demonstrated her adaptability, though her career was brief, ending in 1933. Bow's legacy endures as a symbol of the Roaring Twenties and as a pioneer of female stardom in early Hollywood. Her personal story—marked by poverty, family tragedy, and resilience—adds depth to her public image, and her films, many now lost, remain a subject of study for film historians.
Did You Know?
- Bow received more than 45,000 fan letters in a single month, January 1929.
- She was named the first box-office draw in 1928 and 1929.
- Bow's mother attacked her with a butcher knife in February 1922.
- She won five medals on the cinder tracks and planned to become an athletics instructor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Clara Bow?
Clara Gordon Bow was an American actress born in Brooklyn in 1905 who rose to become the defining star of 1920s silent cinema. She is remembered as the era's most iconic sex symbol and a major box-office draw through 1928 and 1929.
What made Clara Bow famous?
Her spirited shopgirl performance in the 1927 film It turned her into a worldwide sensation and earned her the lasting nickname "The It Girl." The role cemented her image as the embodiment of the Roaring Twenties.
How did Clara Bow's career change when sound arrived?
She successfully transitioned into talkies in 1929, though only 11 of her 58 total films were sound pictures. Her peak earning power came in 1928 and 1929, after which her screen presence gradually declined.
How many of Clara Bow's films still exist today?
Of her 58 films, 33 survive in complete form, 14 are only partially preserved, and 11 are lost entirely. Notable surviving hits include Mantrap (1926), It (1927), and Wings.
How did Clara Bow die?
She died of a heart attack on September 27, 1965, at the age of 60. Her legacy endures as the face of silent-film glamour and the cultural icon of the 1920s.
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