Clara Bow papers
Catalogued by Sin, Lauren; Catalogued by Francis, Allison
Margaret Herrick Library. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
333 S La Cienega Blvd
Beverly Hills, CA 90211
Published January 2023
Descriptive Summary
Abstract: The collection includes clippings, reviews, and publicity materials for CALL HER SAVAGE (1932), DANGEROUS CURVES (1929), HOOPLA
(1933), IT (1927), MANTRAP (1926), THE PLASTIC AGE (1926), RED HAIR (1928), and WINGS (1927). The subject files consists of
clippings, correspondence, and fan mail. Of particular interest is Bow’s fan mail, ranging in years from 1926 to 1965.
Collector:
Bow, Clara
Dates: 1926-1965
Dates: 1926-1935
Dates: 1950-1964
Collection number: 511
Collection Size:
3.5 linear ft. of papers
Repository:
Margaret Herrick Library. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Languages:
Languages represented in the collection:
English
Access
Available by appointment only.
Publication Rights
Property rights to the physical object belong to the Margaret Herrick Library. Researchers are responsible for obtaining all
necessary rights, licenses, or permissions from the appropriate companies or individuals before quoting from or publishing
materials obtained from the library.
Preferred Citation
Clara Bow papers, Margaret Herrick Library, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Acquisition Information
Gift of Rex Bell Jr., 2002
Collection Scope and Content Summary
The Clara Bow papers span the years 1926-1965 (bulk 1926-1935 and 1950-1964) and encompass approximately 3.5 linear feet.
The collection includes production and subject files. The production files contain clippings, reviews, and publicity materials
from some of Bow’s biggest box office and critical successes, including CALL HER SAVAGE (1932), DANGEROUS CURVES (1929), HOOPLA
(1933), IT (1927), MANTRAP (1926), THE PLASTIC AGE (1926), RED HAIR (1928), and WINGS (1927). The subject files consist of
clippings, correspondence, and fan mail. The clippings, both domestic and foreign, include articles, portraits, and magazine
covers with annotations by Bow. There are also clippings regarding the trial of Daisy DeVoe, Bow’s former assistant, and clippings
from the "Los Angeles Examiner" of a multi-part biography of Bow written by Louella O. Parsons in 1931. Also included are
non-career related clippings that Bow collected during her life. Among the correspondence are cards and letters from Clarence
Badger, Harry Richman, Gilbert Roland, Barbara Stanwyck, and Bow’s husband, actor Rex Bell. Of particular interest is Bow’s
fan mail, ranging in years from 1926-1965.
The photograph series of the Clara Bow papers includes production, biography, and subject series. The majority of materials
are photographic prints, but there are also 40 postcards across all series. The motion picture production series contains
37 items from a wide range of films, including RED HAIR (1928), DANGEROUS CURVES (1929), and WINGS (1927). The biography series
contains 121 items, the bulk of which is Clara Bow and her family, including husband, actor Rex Bell. Other notable people
include James Garner and President Dwight D. Eisenhower. The subject series contains 31 photos of residences, pets, and the
1939 World’s Fair.
Biography
Clara Bow (1905-1965) was born Clara Gordon Bow in Brooklyn, New York. An American silent film actress, Bow embodied the Roaring
Twenties and was personified as “The It Girl.” Bow’s acting career began in January 1921 after she won a movie role in the
"Fame and Fortune Contest" sponsored by "Motion Picture Magazine." Even though Bow’s part in the film BEYOND THE RAINBOW (1922)
was cut, she continued to pursue an acting career. Bow’s screen debut arrived with her next film, DOWN TO THE SEA IN SHIPS
(1923). Although Bow was only a supporting player, many New York film critics singled her out for her exceptional performance.
Shortly thereafter, Jack Bachman, a partner with B.P. Schulberg in Preferred Pictures, an independent production and distribution
company based in Hollywood, offered Bow train fare to California and a three-month trial at $50 a week. A week before her
18th birthday, Bow departed New York's Grand Central Station for Hollywood. Initially unimpressed by Bow’s looks, B. P. Schulberg
reluctantly granted Bow a screen test, but her natural acting ability changed his mind. In 1924 Bow was named a WAMPAS baby
star by the Western Association of Motion Picture Advertisers, the highest honor of the day for an aspiring screen actress.
Bow worked constantly over the next few years, making more than 20 films before THE PLASTIC AGE (1926) made her a star. In
1926, when Schulberg was appointed head of productions at Paramount Pictures, he brought Bow with him and paired her with
top talent and better directors. Her big break came with MANTRAP (1926), directed by Victor Fleming, which opened to rave
reviews and big box office. Paramount then signed Bow to a five-year contract. Bow reached the height of her popularity as
a shopgirl who seduces her employer in IT (1927), adapted from Elinor Glyn's novella. Bow was consequently dubbed “The It
Girl”- “It” being a euphemism for sex appeal. Bow's next film, WINGS (1927), became one of the biggest successes of the silent
era, winning the first Academy Award® for Best Picture. Although Bow was one of Paramount’s biggest silent film stars, her
fame waned after she appeared in Paramount's first sound film, THE WILD PARTY (1929). At the height of her career, Bow was
besieged by fan mail, with thousands of letters arriving each month. The media documented her numerous personal problems including
her broken engagements and a damaging public court trial involving her former assistant, Daisy DeVoe. In 1931, Bow took a
one-year hiatus from acting and married actor Rex Bell. Bow signed a two-picture deal with Fox Film Corporation in 1932 and
returned to the screen with two successful films: CALL HER SAVAGE (1932) and HOOPLA (1933). Bow then retired from the screen
at age 28 and devoted the rest of her life to her husband and two sons.
Arrangement of the Collection
1. Production files; 2. Subject files; 3. Oversize
Indexing terms
Bow, Clara
Actresses
folder 1
BLACK LIGHTNING--clippings
1926--1926
Record ID: 71430272
folder 2
CALL HER SAVAGE--clippings and reviews
1932--1932
Record ID: 71430359
folder 3
CAMILLE--program
1927--1927
Record ID: 71430876
folder 4
CAPITAL PUNISHMENT--clippings
Circa 1925--1925
Record ID: 71430360
folder 5
CHILDREN OF DIVORCE--clippings
1927--1928
Record ID: 71430361
folder 6
CITY STREETS--clippings
1930--1930
Record ID: 71430544
folder 7
DANGEROUS CURVES--clippings and reviews
1929--1930
Record ID: 71430362
folder 8
DOWN TO THE SEA IN SHIPS--clippings
Circa 1922--1922
Record ID: 71430548
folder 9
THE FLEET'S IN--clippings and reviews
1928--1928
Record ID: 71430363
folder 10
THE FLEET'S IN--publicity
Circa 1928--1928
Record ID: 71430364
folder 11
FORGOTTEN WOMEN--reviews
1931--1931
Record ID: 71430745
folder 12
GET YOUR MAN--clippings and reviews
1927--1927
Record ID: 71430365
folder 13
HER WEDDING NIGHT--clippings and reviews
1930--1930
Record ID: 71430366
folder 14
HOOPLA--clippings and reviews
1933--1933
Record ID: 71430367
folder 15
HULA--clippings
1928--1928
Record ID: 71430368
folder 16
IT--clippings
1926--1926
Record ID: 71430370
folder 17
THE KEEPER OF THE BEES--clippings
Circa 1925--1925
Record ID: 71430372
folder 18
KICK IN--clippings
1931--1931
Record ID: 71430374
folder 19
KID BOOTS--clippings
1926--1926
Record ID: 71430375
folder 20
LADIES OF THE MOB--clippings and reviews
1928--1928
Record ID: 71430376
folder 21
LOVE AMONG THE MILLIONAIRES--clippings
1930--1930
Record ID: 71430377
folder 22
MANTRAP--clippings
1926--1926
Record ID: 71430379
folder 23
MY LADY OF WHIMS--clippings and reviews
1928--1928
Record ID: 71430555
folder 24
NO LIMIT--clippings and reviews
1931--1931
Record ID: 71430380
folder 25
PARAMOUNT ON PARADE--clippings
1930--1930
Record ID: 71430382
folder 26
THE PLASTIC AGE--clippings and reviews
1926--1926
Record ID: 71430383
folder 27
RED HAIR--clippings and reviews
1928--1928
Record ID: 71430384
folder 28
ROUGH HOUSE ROSIE--clippings
Circa 1927--1927
Record ID: 71430385
folder 29
THE SATURDAY NIGHT KID--clippings
1930--1930
Record ID: 71430387
folder 30
THE SECRET CALL--clippings
1931--1931
Record ID: 71430388
folder 31
THEY HAD TO SEE PARIS--clippings
Circa 1929--1929
Record ID: 71430558
folder 32
THREE WEEK-ENDS--clippings and reviews
1928--1929
Record ID: 71430389
folder 33
TRUE TO THE NAVY--clippings and reviews
1930--1930
Record ID: 71430390
folder 34
TRUE TO THE NAVY--publicity
1930--1930
Record ID: 71430391
folder 35
THE WILD PARTY--clippings and reviews
1929--1930
Record ID: 71430392
folder 36
WINGS--clippings
1926--1928
Record ID: 71430394
folder 37
Bell, George
1964--1964
Record ID: 71430457
folder 38
Bell, Rex--clippings
1932--1932
Record ID: 71430428
folder 39
Bell, Rex--correspondence
Record ID: 71430458
folder 40
Bell, Rex and Clara Bow
1930--1935
Record ID: 71430557
folder 41
Bell, Rex Jr.--clippings
1934--1936
Record ID: 71430875
folder 42
Bell, Rex Jr.--miscellaneous
1983--1983
Record ID: 71430430
folder 43
Birthday cards
Record ID: 71430431
folder 44
Caesar, Sid
Record ID: 71430432
folder 45
Christmas cards
1930--1930
Record ID: 71430433
folder 46
Christmas cards
Record ID: 71430434
folder 47
Christmas cards--notables
Record ID: 71430435
folder 48
Clippings
1924--1933
Record ID: 71430441
folder 49
Clippings
1935--1965
Record ID: 71430442
folder 50
Clippings
Record ID: 71430443
folder 51
Clippings
Record ID: 71430444
folder 52
Clippings
Record ID: 71430445
folder 53
Clippings
Record ID: 71430446
folder 54
Clippings
Record ID: 71430447
folder 55
Clippings--family
Record ID: 71430798
folder 56
Clippings--foreign
1928--1933
Record ID: 71430436
folder 57
Clippings--foreign
1930--1931
Record ID: 71430437
folder 58
Clippings--foreign (miscellaneous)
1928--1930
Record ID: 71430438
folder 59
Clippings--miscellaneous
1961--1964
Record ID: 71430449
folder 60
Clippings--miscellaneous
Record ID: 71430881
folder 61
Clippings--pictorial
1928--1930
Record ID: 71430440
folder 62
Correspondence
1931--1944
Record ID: 71430450
folder 63
Correspondence
1951--1959
Record ID: 71430451
folder 64
Correspondence
1960--1965
Record ID: 71430453
folder 65
Correspondence
Record ID: 71430456
folder 66
Correspondence--notables
1931--1964
Record ID: 71430455
folder 67
Daisy DeVoe case
1930--1931
Record ID: 71430448
folder 68
Dempsey, Jack
1947--1947
Record ID: 71430460
folder 69
Drawings
1930--1931
Record ID: 71430461
folder 70
Fan letter response
Record ID: 71430462
folder 71
Fan mail
1926--1929
Record ID: 71430463
folder 72
Fan mail
1930--1932
Record ID: 71430464
folder 73
Fan mail
1950--1959
Record ID: 71430465
folder 74
Fan mail
1960--1965
Record ID: 71430466
folder 75
Fan mail
Record ID: 71430467
folder 76
Fleming, Victor
1926--1926
Record ID: 71430792
folder 77
Get-well cards
Record ID: 71430468
folder 78
Horse racing
Record ID: 71430801
folder 79
Louella O. Parsons serial
1931--1932
Record ID: 71430439
folder 80
Memorial service
1965--1965
Record ID: 71430469
folder 81
Miscellaneous
1930--1930
Record ID: 71430470
folder 82
Music
1928--1928
Record ID: 71430471
folder 83
Notes
1951--1962
Record ID: 71430472
folder 84
Pamphlets
1933--1941
Record ID: 71430473
folder 85
Political
1953--1961
Record ID: 71430474
folder 86
Postcards
1951--1951
Record ID: 71430475
folder 87
Restaurant menus
1932--1933
Record ID: 71431161
folder 88
Richman, Harry--clippings
1930--1930
Record ID: 71430799
folder 89
Richman, Harry--correspondence
1935--1935
Record ID: 71430459
folder 90
Scrapbook leaves
1923--1930
Record ID: 71430476
folder 91
Song lyrics
Record ID: 71430477
folder 92
Story
Record ID: 71430478
folder 93
Valentine's Day cards
Record ID: 71430479
folder 94
Will (trust)
1960--1960
Record ID: 71430480
folder 95
Hollywood Picture News Service
1929--1929
Record ID: 71431099
folder 96
Magazine covers
1927--1938
Record ID: 71431140
folder 97
Magazine covers--foreign
1927--1930
Record ID: 71431135
folder 98
Magazines
1927--1952
Record ID: 71431141
folder 99
Magazines--foreign
1927--1931
Record ID: 71431139
folder 100
Newspapers
1931--1934
Record ID: 71431123
folder 101
Scrapbook leaves
1928--1931
Record ID: 71431124