The 1920’s were a time filled with great promise and hope. Everyone had a chance at becoming a star. Hollywood was the style capital of the world and everyone wanted a chance at the glitz-and-glam it provided. The commercial area in California flourished during this time period. As the 1920s progressed it was full of cars, celebrities, clothing shops, restaurants, hotels and theaters. In 1923, Harry Chandler erected the Hollywood (then Hollywoodland) sign to promote his real estate business. The early 1920’s also included the prosperous enterprise of silent films, and in the late 1920’s a new kind of film was introduced: the talkies. (Vintage Hollywood in the 1920s) Clara Bow was known as the Hollywood “It” Girl throughout the 1920’s. All of the women wanted to be her and all of the men wanted her. Bow was born in 1905 in Brooklyn, New …show more content…
In an interview, Bow remarked “All the time the flapper is laughing and dancing, there’s a feeling of tragedy underneath. She’s unhappy and disillusioned, and that’s what people sense.” (Borrelli-Persson) Throughout her career, people speculated about her romantic relationships, and her harsh work schedule and traumatic childhood did not help. In 1931, she suffered from a breakdown and spent some time in a sanitarium. While recovering, she met and wed Rex Bell, whom she had two children with. Although she retired from acting in 1933, her childhood trauma still haunted her. After failing to commit suicide in the mid-1940s, Clara Bow died in 1965 from a heart attack. Clara Bow provided young girls with a sense of ambition and dedication and conveyed that with hard work, will come success. She also humanized the acting industry, showing the world that anyone, even “perfect” famous people, can suffer from a mental illness. Although she is gone, Clara Bow will always be remembered for being America’s original It girl. (“Clara Bow -