Clara Bow became a major movie star in the late 1920s, and It played a major role in that stardom. What are some of the techniques used in the film that emphasize and create the idea of her stardom? How does the camera treat her differently from other characters?
9 thoughts on “It and Stardom”
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“Self-confidence and indifference as to whether you are pleasing or not — and something in you that gives the impression that you are not all cold. That’s ‘IT’! “If you have ‘IT’ you will win the girl you love.”
Clara Bow plays the role of the “perfect” character. She knows when to be quite and reserved, but also charms men into loving her. The camera accentuates all of her strong points and portrays her character as confident and cunning. The camera never seems to show her flaws or her awkward interactions. The above quotation suggests that a man must act in a certain way to achieve ‘IT’. Yet, ‘IT’ isn’t the girl, but rather the man’s ability to interact in a social setting. Clara Bow’s confidence allows her to wait for the man who carries ‘IT’. The camera shows the other characters imperfection and makes them seem less appealing and less confident. Clara Bow role in it ‘IT’ illustrates the importance of the role of the pretty girl and her greater chance at success.
The Film “It” portrays the main character, Bow, as having that “it” factor that can never really be put into words. Clarence Badger, the director, uses many close up shots and uses the camera in an intimate manner while filming Bow. There are multiple close ups and personal shots like the one Sammy talked about above with her getting undressed. Also, the way her body is used makes her seem appealing. In the scene when Bow and Cyrus are on their date to Coney Island, they seem to keep falling into one another’s arms ride after ride, and Bow just appears like this playful yet stunningly beautiful women while not being intimidating.
Her character is also portrayed in an idealistic way. She seems to be able to be completely morally virtuous which we as viewers find very attractive, but at the same time she always seems to be doing what she wants to do. I think this is the “it” factor–the combination of being not morally compromised yet at the same time making it look easy.
Clarence Badger’s film “It” put lead actress Clara Bow in the spotlight and gave her an identity new to the 1920s. She is a strong woman who is beautiful, flirtatious, and has a certain sex appeal; she has “it”. She is one of those women who you can’t seem to get out of your mind. In the film she is able to attract the attention of a man of much higher class than she, and has him beckoning to her every call. She is given plenty of screen time with close ups, angles, and lighting all highlighting her beauty. Everything she does makes her more desirable in the eyes of the viewer. She plays a sort of hard to get, not easily sucumbing to her bosses desires or letting him call all the shots. The scene where she cuts away part of the fabric to her dress to show more skin also adds to her sexy, out-there and fun personality. Watching the film all these qualities the director highlights made me think of Clara Bow as a similar actress to Marilyn Monroe and I see how she could become wildly popular in the same way.
Clara Bow is clearly the star of “It” and her “It” factor is essentially what drives the movie. In the world of silent films, the camera angles, and images on the screen are the only features which matter. While clearly Bow is portrayed as a beautiful woman, the “It” factor was about more than just looks. “It” was about charm and personality. Bow portrays all of these characteristics when she’s on screen and the other actors, and the audience watching cant keep their eyes off her. Bow’s “it” ness is by displayed in every frame and is evidenced by the amount of light on her face in comparison with other characters, and the fact that she is usually the centered image of the frame. What makes Bow such a star is her overall level of naturalness in which she does things and without her “It” factor, this movie just wouldn’t work.
The movie “It” shows the emergence of a “new era” that saw the birth of modern key features of modern life. The decade of the 1920’s became a time when a dissolution of ancient habits and traditionalist views took over the culture of urban middle and upper class Americans. Clara Bow represents the “new woman” in the new modern culture in the city. Throughout the film, the audience can see the “it” factor of Clara Bow as she highlights most of the scenes with her new sexual behavior that draws in the male figures of the movie. The “stardom” element of Clara allows her to be the focus of the social scene as well as the surroundings of new modern american culture. Her new style of clothing with shorter dresses and the new idea of the “flapper” which gave women of the time more sex appeal and the “it factor.” With Clara’s behavior and dress, this new “it” factor gives Clara a vibrant feel that everybody is interested in.
I believe that what the film “It” did best to distinguish Clara Bow from the rest of the actors, was to make her desirable to all of the other characters. The film highlights her stunning features by giving her more closeup head shots than anyone else in the entire film. These closeup shots help to emphasize her make up. Additionally, Bow does not play the classic damsel in distress, she makes the men that are so enamored with her work for her attention. Bow plays a very spunky character. I think her work in “It” probably spoke to a large audience because of its ability to take a working class girl and introduce her to leisure class society much like a Cinderalla story. From dates at Coney Island to leisurely dinners, the film is able to incorporate the type of lifestyles that all social classes could enjoy and learn about the other from. All of these artistic decision I bleive are what lead to Clara Bow’s stardom.
Clara Bow epitomizes the qualities of female stardom in the 1920’s. While no dialogue exists when Clara is on the screen her appearance and the focus of other characters show how she is the star. Her stardom exists because of her youth and beauty, as well as her access to privilege and the excess that the decade of the 20’s is so well noted for. Her social climb that takes place is viewed as the greatest existence for a young lady of the 1920’s. She is representative of what young girls should strive to be – even if it is a shallow existence. She is always the center of attention as everybody is drawn to her.
The film, “It,” serves to highlight Clara Bow’s character as a star as well as an idol for many young women during the 1920’s. Firstly, the title of the film itself, makes Bow’s character the center of attention, and provokes the viewer to focus on her “It” qualities. Going off what Ryan said, the film also emphasizes Bow’s middle class status, and through her uncanny ability to gain attention and social mobility, the film makes her a star among young, working-class women. For instance, like many other young women in the city, Clara Bow works a wage-earning job at a store. However, she is able to gain the attraction of older men, and enjoys evenings typically reserved for upper-class women, like an invitation to the Ritz for dinner. Next, through making her the center of attention in most camera views, the film is able to capture her sexuality in some scenes, like the one in which she changes for dinner. Finally, the camera stays focused on her facial expressions and dramatic movements to express her confident, and out-going personality, even though the movie is silent.
“It” portrays Clara Bow as an ideal, a young shopgirl who falls in love with and eventually ensnares her handsome, wealthy boss. Betty Lou Spence (Bow) is clearly the star of the film, a beautiful face that captures audiences throughout the silent film. The camera gravitates towards Bow, as she radiates throughout each scene and outshines all others in the frame. The camera often seems positioned to center Bow in the shot, exemplified in the scene where she encounters her roomate’s baby and pulls a variety of funny faces while still remaining to look beautiful. The film also creates an idea of stardom surrounding Bow, portraying her in chic clothing, elegant surroundings, and on point socially. She wiggles her way into otherwise exclusive events, charming those around her with her beauty and wit. “It” creates Bow as somewhat of an idol for women of the era to strive to embody.