The iconically seductive silent film star Clara Bow is being further immortalized courtesy of a festival at New York City’s Film Forum.
1920s superstar Bow, who recently inspired a track named after her on Taylor Swift’s “Tortured Poets Department” album, is at the center of a career retrospective screening series at the New York City indie theater. Deemed the very first “It Girl,” Bow starred in films such as “Wings,” “The Saturday Night Kid,” and short “The Pill Pounder” which was recently rediscovered and subsequently restored after 101 years.
Bow’s turn in silent comedy “It” also inspired the very term “It Girl,” which refers to “sex appeal” as coined by British author Elinor Glyn, who also appears in the feature as well as a young Gary Cooper.
The festival will run on most Mondays at Film Forum from October 7 to December 30, with an additional screening on Thursday, October 17. Most shows in the festival will be introduced by David Stenn, author of the definitive biography ”Clara Bow: Runnin’ Wild.” Stenn has previously written and produced series such as “Boardwalk Empire” and “The L Word.”
Silent films for the festival will be accompanied by a live piano played by Steve Sterner.
Bow’s legacy began as she reached movie stardom at the age of 20 amid the Jazz Age. F. Scott Fitzgerald applauded Bow for being “someone to stir every pulse in the nation,” and while her career was essentially over by age 28, her fame continued for decades. Marilyn Monroe even posed as Bow for a LIFE magazine spread photographed by Richard Avedon in 1958. “Babylon” writer/director Damien Chazelle later based Margot Robbie’s character Nellie LaRoy on Bow as well. And that’s all before Swift included her among her “Tortured Poets” muses.
The Clara Bow festival has been programmed by Film Forum Repertory Artistic Director Bruce Goldstein and David Stenn.
Check out the full lineup below.
IT
U.S., 1927
Directed by Clarence G. Badger
With Clara Bow, Antonio Moreno, Gary Cooper
Based on the novel by Elinor Glyn
Approx. 72 min. Restored DCP.
with
THE PILL POUNDER
U.S., 1923
Directed by Gregory La Cava
With Clara Bow, Charles Murray
Approx. 20 min. Restored DCP courtesy San Francisco Silent Film Festival.
Monday, Oct 7 at 6:00
♪ With live piano accompaniment by Steve Sterner
THE SATURDAY NIGHT KID
U.S., 1929
Directed by A. Edward Sutherland
With Clara Bow, Jean Arthur, Jean Harlow, James Hall
Approx. 63 min. 35mm.
Thursday, October 17 at 6:00
MY LADY OF WHIMS
U.S., 1925
Directed by Dallas M. Fitzgerald
With Clara Bow, Donald Keith
Approx. 70 min. Restored DCP courtesy UCLA Film and Television Archive.
Monday, October 21 at 6:00
♪ With live piano accompaniment by Steve Sterner
THE WILD PARTY
U.S., 1929
Directed by Dorothy Arzner
With Clara Bow, Fredric March
Approx. 77 min. 35mm.
Monday, October 28 at 6:15
HER WEDDING NIGHT
U.S., 1930
Directed by Frank Tuttle
With Clara Bow, Ralph Forbes, Charles Ruggles
Approx. 75 min. 35mm.
Monday, November 4 at 6:00
CALL HER SAVAGE
U.S., 1932
Directed by John Francis Dillon
With Clara Bow, Gilbert Roland
Approx. 88 min. Restored 35mm print courtesy MoMA.
Monday, November 11 at 6:00
KICK IN
U.S., 1931
Directed by Richard Wallace
With Clara Bow, Regis Toomey
Approx. 75 min. 35mm.
Monday, November 18 at 6:00
WINGS
U.S., 1927
Directed by William A. Wellman
With Clara Bow, Charles “Buddy” Rogers, Gary Cooper
Winner of first Academy Award for Best Picture (then called “Best Production”)
Approx. 114 min. Restored DCP.
Monday, November 25 at 7:00
♪ With live piano accompaniment by Steve Sterner
MANTRAP
U.S., 1926
Directed by Victor Fleming
With Clara Bow, Ernest Torrence
Based on the novel by Sinclair Lewis
Approx. 86 min. 35mm print courtesy UCLA Film and Television Archive.
Monday, December 2 at 6:20
♪ With live piano accompaniment by Steve Sterner
THE PLASTIC AGE
U.S., 1925
Directed by Wesley Ruggles
With Clara Bow, Donald Keith, Gilbert Roland, Clark Gable (bit part)
Approx. 73 min. 35mm print courtesy UCLA Film and Television Archive.
Monday, December 9 at 6:30
♪ With live piano accompaniment by Steve Sterner
KID BOOTS
U.S., 1926
Directed by Frank Tuttle
With Eddie Cantor, Clara Bow
Approx. 77 min. Restored DCP courtesy the Film Preservation Society.
Monday, December 16 at 6:00
♪ With live piano accompaniment by Steve Sterner
DANCING MOTHERS
U.S., 1926
Directed by Herbert Brenon
With Clara Bow, Alice Joyce.
Approx. 65 min. Restored DCP courtesy San Francisco Silent Film Festival.
with
RED HAIR Fragments
U.S., 1928
Directed by Clarence G. Badger
With Clara Bow
Approx. 35mm print courtesy UCLA Film and Television Archive.
Monday, December 23 at 6:00
♪ With live piano accompaniment by Steve Sterner
HOOPLA
U.S., 1933
Directed by Frank Lloyd
With Clara Bow, Preston Foster, Richard Cromwell
Approx. 85 min. Restored 35mm print courtesy MoMA
with
SCREEN SNAPSHOTS
short featuring the last footage of Bow
U.S. 1949
Approx. 10 min.
Monday, December 30 at 6:30
♪ With live piano accompaniment by Steve Sterner
