Book Reviewed: Clara Bow by David Stenn
This is a fascinating story of one of the greatest stars of Hollywood. The story is beautifully narrated and the book reads effortlessly. It covers much of her career and her battles with demons, both personal and public.
During her lifetime, Bow was the subject of wild rumors regarding her sex life; most of them were untrue and the author describes the history wonderfully. The Coast Reporter, a tabloid published lurid allegations about her in 1931, accusing her of exhibitionism, incest, lesbianism, bestiality, drug addiction, alcoholism, and having contracted venereal disease. The publisher of the tabloid then tried to blackmail Bow, offering to cease printing the stories for $25,000, which led to his arrest by federal agents and later an eight-year prison sentence for the editor.
Unpretentious and unaffected as she was, Clara could not live obvious to her fame, nor did she want to. In five years she had made 37 movies and in her professional opinion, renown was simply a reward for hard work. Still Clara could not help viewing her stardom is too good to be true. The childhood fantasies that had relieved the reality of her family’s poverty, her father’s abuse and her mother’s seizers had been fulfilled beyond her wildest dreams. Though she was thrilled but she was also frightened. She was known to be a supremely confident “It” girl was in reality a slum girl devoid of self-esteem. She desperately tried to be a good mother for her children and devout wife of her husband despite the fact that her childhood was traumatic. She felt that life had played a cruel trick on her. She had pictured marriage and motherhood as an ideal, idyllic existence and in fact found it even more stressful than stardom. She was sure that she was a failure both as a Hollywood star and as a mother and that added to her depression score. Her insomnia was her greatest enemy which prevented her to relax and ease tensions and insecurities of life. Her father, cousin, and business manager were bleeding Clara dry and her house at Beverly Hills was way behind mortgage payments and the house looked shabby. The lawsuit against her secretary, Daisy DeVoe was very public scandal which broke her apart physically and mentally.
She was publicly engaged to Victor Fleming and privately promised to Gilbert Roland, nothing happened until after few months she started having an affair with Gary Cooper which became the talk of the town. Women were crazy about Cooper, and Paramount star Evelyn Brent cherished her affair with him for the rest of her life. Tallulah Bankhead was literally chasing into his dressing room. Clara increased her list of male lovers that included actors John Gilbert, Norman Kerry and Warren Burke. Her reputation started slipping and gossips whispered that Clara has more ID than “It.” In 1927, rumor linked not to one lover but the entire lineup of USC football team including John Wayne. She attended every home game in Los Angeles followed by regular entertainment at 512 Bedford Drive, Beverly Hills. Food and entertainment were provided. Her friends like Lina Basquette and Joan Crawford were always in attendance at these parties.
Clara Bow had a very tender and caring side for others. Once a young boy from Long Beach wrote to her about his parents, both ill and he was selling candied popcorn to pay their medical bills He wanted her to visit his store. She accepted his invitation immediately and replied that she was ion her way. She stood next to him and sold popcorn to her fans to help the boy raise money for the treatment of his parents’ illness.
When Clara left Paramount for the last time, discarded and disgraced, she was only 25. She said that Rex Bell was her man and she worships him. She was devoted to her husband and children and tried desperately to be an ideal mother. Her insomnia and constant ailments recurred with vengeance when her husband declared candidacy for the congressional seat from NV.
This book is a great read and watching her movies on TCM cable channel is rewarding. I recommend this book to all the fans of Clara Bow and also anyone interested the history of Hollywood.
No comments:
Post a Comment