Clara Bow — Biography

Born Clara Gordon Bow on July 29, 1905, this American actress achieved immense fame during the silent film era of the 1920s. She then proved her talent extended to sound films, making a successful leap in 1929. Her breakout role as a vivacious shopgirl in the movie It cemented her status, earning her worldwide recognition and the lasting moniker "The It Girl." Bow became the very embodiment of the Roaring Twenties, widely recognized as its foremost sex symbol. Throughout her career, she starred in 46 silent pictures and 11 films with sound. Notable successes included Mantrap from 1926, and the highly acclaimed It and Wings, both released in 1927. Her drawing power at the box office was undeniable; she was ranked the top box-office attraction in 1928 and 1929, and held the second position in 1927 and 1930. The market considered a film featuring Bow a sound investment, with odds suggesting a "safe return" for investors at nearly two to one. During the peak of her popularity, she received an astonishing deluge of fan mail, with over 45,000 letters arriving in just one month, January of 1929. Two years after marrying actor Rex Bell in 1931, Bow stepped away from acting to embrace a new life as a rancher in Nevada. Her last screen appearance was in the 1933 film Hoop-La. Clara Bow passed away on September 27, 1965, at the age of 60, following a heart attack.