David Stenn

Such a sad life behind the animated face of the “It” girl, Clara Bow, and David Stenn does a good job telling her story, from beginning to end. Mental illness ran in the family, and it’s hard to fathom traumatizing events of childhood like her mother locking her in a cupboard while she prostituted herself, her mother threatening to kill her when she began trying to get work in show business, or her father raping her when her mother was committed to an asylum. Bow had little education or guidance, and was ill-equipped to handle the fame that grew from her earliest films at around 17, until she was a superstar at 22, in 1927. How she embraced her sexuality and had a sense of independence in her relationships, of which she had several at a time, is refreshing, but some of the reckless things she did invited scandal, and she became a pariah of sorts in Hollywood before retiring from films at age 28 and living the life of a recluse thereafter.

Stenn’s account is well-researched, and the book is full of quotes from interviews and notes which are well documented, something I appreciate. He does make mistakes – for example, in overstating the importance of the Production Code during Bow’s career, when it wasn’t enforced until July, 1934, after she had retired. The book was written in 1988, which might excuse some of his lapses in taste – for example, ridiculously referring to Bow as “fat” a couple of times. On the whole though, he gets so many things right, including Bow’s natural acting ability on the screen, at least in the silent era, and the many conflicts and turmoil off the screen. For anyone interested in understanding more about Clara Bow, or getting a fantastic window into Hollywood during this period, this is an essential read.… (plus d'informations)