IT (Paramount, 1927), a Clarence Badger and Elinor Glyn production, directed by Clarence Badger, stars silent screen legend Clara Bow(1905-1965) in her most famous movie that has forever personified her as "The 'It' Girl." And what is IT? Well, not the terror from beyond space. The single pronoun is best described by its author, Madame Elinor Glyn, in its opening passage following the opening credits: "IT is that quality possessed by someone which draws all others with the magnetic force. With IT, you win all men if you are a woman - and all women if you are man. IT can be a quality of the mind as well as a physical attraction." With Clara Bow in the picture and based on her current character roles, it's no doubt a physical attraction for her latest leading man, that being Antonio Moreno.
The story of IT opens at Waltham's, the world's largest store. Cyrus T. Waltham (Antonio Moreno) is first introduced as the new boss of the department store establishment, which has been turned over to him by his father while away in Herrin, Illinois. He's soon congratulated by his closest friend, Monty Montgomery (William Austin). As they tour the store for inspection with other business associates, Betty Lou Spence (Clara Bow), salesgirl in the lingerie department, immediately becomes attracted to her new boss. She does her best to be noticed by him, unaware at the time that he's engaged to Adele Van Norman (Jacqueline Gadsdon), a society girl he has known for many years. Learning that Mr. Waltham is going to be at a social function at the Ritz, Betty influences Monty to be her escort there. While at the gathering, Waltham has the pleasure in meeting and talking to Elinor Glyn, author of her latest magazine story, IT, which she describes as "self-confidence and indifference as to when you are pleasing or not." Before the night is over, Waltham finally notices Betty, much to the dismay of Adele. He's even more surprised the next morning to find the stunning girl works in his store. After an evening together at Coney Island, the two find themselves physically attracted. As things begin looking brighter between boss and employee, complications arise when Waltham is lead to believe Betty to be a single mother with an infant son, when in reality shares her tenement apartment in the poor district of Nolan Street with Molly (Priscilla Bonner), a woman bearing that distinction. With Waltham now acting indifferently towards her, does this mean Betty won't be entitled to her bonus check?
With Clara Bow having a long range of screen credits dating back to 1922s DOWN TO THE SEA IN SHIPS (1922) where she took support under forgotten marque names of Marguerite Courtot and Raymond McKee, no other movie title personifies her best as the one called IT. It may not be her very best film, but her most famous of movie titles. Based on the material presented, IT can be classified as typical Bow formula, poor working girl meets society man. Her character of Betty Lou may be a flirt with the men, but kind-hearted and caring when it comes to helping a friend like Molly. Little is described about Molly except that she's a single mother in need of a friend during her time of need. Antonio Moreno, who sometimes resembles fellow actor, Warner Baxter, in certain scenes, is best described as strong and serious-minded businessman, but weak when it comes to women, especially the flirtatious young flapper. William Austin offers some good comical moments in the Edward Everett Horton manor. Others in the cast include Julia Swayne Gordon (Adele's Mother) and Lloyd Corrigan. Look quickly for a young Gary Cooper, in a minor role as a News Dispatch reporter in a scene involving Bow and a couple of unruly old social workers. It would be his next film, WINGS (Paramount, 1927), also starring Bow, that helped elevate Cooper to popular leading man status along with two Academy Awards in the distant future.
For years, IT have been available through prints from the Paul Killiam FIlm Collection with fine piano scoring by William Perry first presented to public television around the 1980s along with distribution to home video from Blackhawk Films and years later, Kino Video in both VHS and DVD formats. Cable television broadcast history consists of Arts and Entertainment (1987-88, with commercial interruption); American Movie Classics (1997) and Turner Classic Movies. Turner initially presented the 70 minute Killiam copy of IT since 1995. It wasn't until around 2003 when TCM began using prints of IT from the Thames Collection with orchestral scoring by Carl Davis. On a personal level, I very much prefer the one with the William Perry piano score.
While there's enough IT to go around, ranging from cameo by its author (Glyn) to the gathering on a cruise ship called ITOLA, there's no IT more satisfying than the 'It' girl herself, Clara Bow. Without her, IT would have banished to obscurity along with many long forgotten silent films of the past featuring many great names of the past, including Clara Bow herself. (***)
The story of IT opens at Waltham's, the world's largest store. Cyrus T. Waltham (Antonio Moreno) is first introduced as the new boss of the department store establishment, which has been turned over to him by his father while away in Herrin, Illinois. He's soon congratulated by his closest friend, Monty Montgomery (William Austin). As they tour the store for inspection with other business associates, Betty Lou Spence (Clara Bow), salesgirl in the lingerie department, immediately becomes attracted to her new boss. She does her best to be noticed by him, unaware at the time that he's engaged to Adele Van Norman (Jacqueline Gadsdon), a society girl he has known for many years. Learning that Mr. Waltham is going to be at a social function at the Ritz, Betty influences Monty to be her escort there. While at the gathering, Waltham has the pleasure in meeting and talking to Elinor Glyn, author of her latest magazine story, IT, which she describes as "self-confidence and indifference as to when you are pleasing or not." Before the night is over, Waltham finally notices Betty, much to the dismay of Adele. He's even more surprised the next morning to find the stunning girl works in his store. After an evening together at Coney Island, the two find themselves physically attracted. As things begin looking brighter between boss and employee, complications arise when Waltham is lead to believe Betty to be a single mother with an infant son, when in reality shares her tenement apartment in the poor district of Nolan Street with Molly (Priscilla Bonner), a woman bearing that distinction. With Waltham now acting indifferently towards her, does this mean Betty won't be entitled to her bonus check?
With Clara Bow having a long range of screen credits dating back to 1922s DOWN TO THE SEA IN SHIPS (1922) where she took support under forgotten marque names of Marguerite Courtot and Raymond McKee, no other movie title personifies her best as the one called IT. It may not be her very best film, but her most famous of movie titles. Based on the material presented, IT can be classified as typical Bow formula, poor working girl meets society man. Her character of Betty Lou may be a flirt with the men, but kind-hearted and caring when it comes to helping a friend like Molly. Little is described about Molly except that she's a single mother in need of a friend during her time of need. Antonio Moreno, who sometimes resembles fellow actor, Warner Baxter, in certain scenes, is best described as strong and serious-minded businessman, but weak when it comes to women, especially the flirtatious young flapper. William Austin offers some good comical moments in the Edward Everett Horton manor. Others in the cast include Julia Swayne Gordon (Adele's Mother) and Lloyd Corrigan. Look quickly for a young Gary Cooper, in a minor role as a News Dispatch reporter in a scene involving Bow and a couple of unruly old social workers. It would be his next film, WINGS (Paramount, 1927), also starring Bow, that helped elevate Cooper to popular leading man status along with two Academy Awards in the distant future.
For years, IT have been available through prints from the Paul Killiam FIlm Collection with fine piano scoring by William Perry first presented to public television around the 1980s along with distribution to home video from Blackhawk Films and years later, Kino Video in both VHS and DVD formats. Cable television broadcast history consists of Arts and Entertainment (1987-88, with commercial interruption); American Movie Classics (1997) and Turner Classic Movies. Turner initially presented the 70 minute Killiam copy of IT since 1995. It wasn't until around 2003 when TCM began using prints of IT from the Thames Collection with orchestral scoring by Carl Davis. On a personal level, I very much prefer the one with the William Perry piano score.
While there's enough IT to go around, ranging from cameo by its author (Glyn) to the gathering on a cruise ship called ITOLA, there's no IT more satisfying than the 'It' girl herself, Clara Bow. Without her, IT would have banished to obscurity along with many long forgotten silent films of the past featuring many great names of the past, including Clara Bow herself. (***)