You’ve probably heard the term "It Girl" tossed around a million times. It’s basically shorthand for every trendy celebrity from the 90s supers to whatever TikToker is currently dominating your feed. But honestly, most people have no clue where it started. It wasn't just a vibe. It was a 1927 silent film called It, and it turned Clara Bow into the first global superstar of the jazz age.
Clara Bow didn't just play a character in the It Clara Bow movie; she defined an entire generation’s rebellion. Before this, movie stars were often these untouchable, Victorian-esque goddesses. Then came Clara. She was messy, energetic, and had this wild, frizzy red hair that looked like she’d just walked through a windstorm.
She was the "real thing" in a town that was already getting pretty fake.
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Why the It Clara Bow Movie Changed Everything
In 1927, Paramount released It. It wasn't some high-brow drama. Honestly, it’s a pretty simple romantic comedy. Clara plays Betty Lou Spence, a shopgirl at a massive department store who has a massive crush on her boss, Cyrus Waltham Jr. (played by Antonio Moreno).
But here's the thing: it wasn’t the plot that made people lose their minds. It was the way Clara looked at the camera.
The concept of "It" was actually popularized by a novelist named Elinor Glyn. She even makes a cameo in the movie to explain it. Basically, "It" is this magnetic force. If you have it, you win everyone over without even trying. You aren't necessarily the most beautiful person in the room, but you’re the one everyone is looking at.
Clara Bow had it in spades.
She was a firecracker on screen. She’d jump on desks, wink at the audience, and cut up her work dress to make an evening gown for a fancy date at the Ritz. People had never seen a woman act like that. She wasn't waiting to be rescued; she was the one doing the hunting.
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The Famous Coney Island Date
One of the best parts of the It Clara Bow movie is the date scene at Coney Island. It’s chaotic. It’s loud (even though it’s silent). You see Clara and Antonio Moreno riding the "Social Whirl" and getting tossed around.
It felt modern.
While other stars were posing in still, perfectly lit frames, Clara was moving. She was sweaty. She was laughing. She was human.
The Dark Side of the "It Girl" Legend
It’s easy to look back at the 1920s and think it was all flappers and champagne. But Clara’s life was anything but easy. She grew up in a tenement in Brooklyn. Her childhood was basically a horror movie. Her mother suffered from severe mental illness and once even held a knife to Clara’s throat because she didn't want her daughter to become an actress.
When she finally made it to Hollywood, the industry treated her like a product.
They worked her to the bone. She made something like 15 movies in 1925 alone. Can you imagine that? The studio heads—the "suits in LA"—knew she was a cash cow. They paid her a fraction of what she was worth while they raked in millions.
And then there was the gossip.
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Because Clara lived her life out in the open, the tabloids went after her. They made up insane stories about her personal life. They called her "low class" because she refused to hide her Brooklyn accent or pretend to be someone she wasn't. It’s the same stuff we see today with stars like Taylor Swift, who actually wrote a song titled "Clara Bow" on her The Tortured Poets Department album specifically about this cycle of fame.
The Misunderstood Motherhood Plot
In the movie, there's a huge misunderstanding where the hero, Cyrus, thinks Betty Lou (Clara) is an unwed mother. Back in 1927, that was a massive scandal.
Betty Lou is actually just protecting her sick roommate’s baby from being taken away by welfare workers. Instead of clearing her name immediately, she gets rightfully pissed off that Cyrus thinks so little of her. She decides to teach him a lesson by pretending to be a high-society woman on a yacht.
It’s hilarious, but it also shows the "It" girl's edge. She wasn't just a pretty face; she was smart and a little bit vengeful.
How to Watch the It Clara Bow Movie Today
If you want to actually see what the fuss is about, you can find It fairly easily.
- YouTube: Several high-quality restorations are floating around for free.
- The Criterion Channel: They often feature Clara Bow collections.
- Silent Film Festivals: If you're lucky enough to live near a city with a vintage theater (like the Castro in San Francisco), seeing it with a live organist is a whole different experience.
When you watch it, look at her eyes. Most silent film actors had to use huge, dramatic gestures to get their point across. Clara didn't. She could tell a whole story just by twitching her lip or shifting her gaze.
Actionable Next Steps for Classic Film Fans
If you're ready to move beyond the Taylor Swift song and dive into the real history, here is how to do it:
- Watch the movie It (1927) first. It’s the essential entry point. It's only about 72 minutes long, so it's a quick watch.
- Check out Wings (1927). This was the first movie to ever win the Oscar for Best Picture. Clara is the lead, and the aerial dogfight scenes are still mind-blowing even by today's standards.
- Read Clara Bow: Runnin' Wild by David Stenn. This is the definitive biography. It’s heartbreaking but gives you the full picture of the woman behind the "It Girl" mask.
- Explore the "Talkies." Watch The Wild Party (1929) to hear Clara's real voice. People were terrified her Brooklyn accent would ruin her career, but it actually made her even more relatable to her fans.
Clara Bow wasn't just a movie star. She was the prototype for every independent woman in entertainment who followed. She showed that you could be "It" without losing your soul—even if the world tried its best to take it from you.