Clara Bow

Clara Bow Filmography
Clara Bow Gallery

Clara Bow was born in Brooklyn, New York in July 1905, she lived in poverty as a child and was abused by both of her parents. Clara always wanted to be a movie star and in the early twenties entered a beauty contest where the prize was a film role Clara won and had bit part in "Beyond The Rainbow" (1922), her part was cut out but reinserted when she became a star. Later that same year she had a bigger part in "Down To The Sea In Ships" (1922). Over the next three years Clara made numerous films, then in 1926 moved to Paramount where she made "Mantrap" (1926) the personality and vibrancy she showed in this film made her a massive star. In 1927 she starred in the film for which she will always be remembered, "It" (1927) based on Elinor Glyns novel, Clara was superb as the shopgirl Betty Lou Spence and was christened "the IT girl" forever.

For the rest of the silent era Clara was one of the biggest stars in the world, but this was overshadowed by tales of scandal and promiscuity, most of which were probably untrue , but nonetheless harmed her career. After appearing in eleven talkies her film career ended in 1933 at the age of 26. Clara led a reclusive lifestyle and she died in September 1965. David Stenns book "Clara Bow-Runnin` Wild" (doubleday 1988) is due to be reprinted in January 2000.