Taylor Swift’s song sparks interest in the Hollywood legend

She’s the reason why rising starlets are often called the “cool girl.” She starred in the first film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture. By 1930, she had made 45 films in six years. By 1933, after struggling with men and mental illness, Clara Bow’s Hollywood career was over.

There was a surge of interest in the legendary actress who straddled the silent and vocal eras this week after Taylor Swift revealed the tracklist for her upcoming album Tortured Poets Oath. The final song on side D is titled “Clara Bow”.

Bo, who is from Brooklyn, grew up in poverty and began her artistic career after winning a competition sponsored by a magazine. Her prizes were “an evening gown, a trophy, and a promise to help the aspiring young actress get into the film industry,” according to Bowe’s biography from Turner Classic Movies. Her big break came with a small part in the 1922 film “Beyond the Rainbow.”

Bow continued to work for several independent film companies active in New York at the time. It eventually caught the attention of producer B.B. Schulberg, who at the time headed Preferred Pictures. Bow specialized in playing flappers and spunky young women, reflecting the changing attitudes of the Roaring Twenties. She began developing a following with her signature curly hair and bright red lipstick applied in a heart shape to her upper lip. When Schulberg moved to Paramount Pictures as producer, Poe went with him. At Paramount, Poe had her biggest hit, the 1927 film “It,” based on Elinor Glenn’s famous novel about a poor woman who wins the heart of her wealthy employer. This word turned Bo into a sex symbol, and also greatly increased the turmoil in her private life. In the same year, Poe starred in the acclaimed drama “Wings,” which won the first Best Picture award at the inaugural Academy Awards.

Hollywood historians now believe that Poe may have been suffering from depression and perhaps even bipolar disorder. Her chaotic private life led to widespread rumors about her behavior and sexuality, which sparked aggressive interest from the tabloid press. In these years, Poe continued to make films at an astonishing pace, as noted in the pages of his book diverse. She was one of the few silent film stars who successfully transitioned to talkies. In 1929, she had a major success with The Wild Party, which helped tarnish her off-screen reputation.

In the spring of 1931, Poe requested to be released from her contract with Paramount and was admitted to a sanitarium, according to traditional Chinese medicine. It was around this time that she met and married actor Rex Bell. After her break, she made two more films for Fox Studios (before its merger with Darryl Zanuck’s 20th Century Pictures). She retired from filmmaking after the film ‘Hoopla’ in 1933.

Bow and Bell eventually moved to Bell’s ranch in Nevada. Bo had two children, and also continued to battle mental health problems and attempted suicide in 1944, according to traditional Chinese medicine.

Meanwhile, Bill pursued a career in politics and was elected lieutenant governor of Nevada. After his death in 1962, Poe returned to Los Angeles. She died of a heart attack in 1965 at the age of 60.

A sad end to her once blazing career can be found in the July 9, 1941, issue of the weekly magazine. diverse, as a three-sentence clause at the bottom of page 1 under the heading “Clara Bow’s Short Return.” Unfortunately, the report reinforced the misperception that Poe’s career had been derailed by the advent of audio.

“Clara Bow makes her first film appearance in nine years, and soon in Hedda Hopper’s Hollywood short,” the article reads. The former “It” girl has been living a quiet married life in California since retiring shortly after the talking pictures arrived. Her husband is Rex Bell, a former film player.