POSTCARD 1 (SOLD)
POSTCARD 2 (SOLD)
This uncommon vintage real photo postcard (Postcard 1) features silent film icon, Clara Bow (1905-1965 ). She successfully made the transition to talkies in 1929. Bow appeared in 46 silent movies and 11 talkies. She was known as the “It Girl” during the golden age of Hollywood. She was known for her vivacious energy, mesmerizing on-screen presence, and her impressive talent. She was born in Brooklyn, New York and grew up in the borough’s tenements. Both of her parents had mental health issues and she grew up in an unstable and chaotic environment. She was a resilient and determined child and she took on a caretaker role for her younger siblings. She was responsible and mature beyond her years. Despite her humble background, she became a very influential figure in cinema history. Her rise from poverty to stardom, and her groundbreaking portrayals of independent and liberated women, helped her gain an enduring legend of the silver screen. Clara Bow was discovered in 1922 when she participated in a magazine contest searching for new talent. Her photographs were seen by film producer B. P. Schulberg who saw her potential and offered her a screen test. Her screen presence was impressive and she signed a contract with Paramount Pictures. In her earliest films, her versatility was was obvious as she transitioned effortlessly between dramatic and comedic roles. It was the 1927 film, “It” that made Clara Bow a superstar and earned her the nickname of “The It Girl”. She was viewed as modern, charismatic, and sexually liberated. Bow was also successful in “talkie” films, despite her Brooklyn accent. While Bow was successful professionally, her personal life was a “hot mess”. She had a long term troubled marriage to actor Rex Bell (m.1931) and she battled her own mental health issues, including anxiety and depression. In 1933, Bow retired from acting and became a rancher. This vintage real photo postcard was published by Ross Verlag (Germany) as part of a series (No.3394/1). Bow is wearing a grass skirt, a Hawaiian Lei, and holding a ukulele. She is showing her bare legs. The card is risque for it’s era. The logo for Paramount Pictures can be found in the images bottom right hand corner. SOLD
Postcard 2 was published by Ross Verlag (Germany) as part of a series (No.4480/1). Bow is wearing a short skirt. She is showing her bare legs. The card is risque for it’s era. The logo for Paramount Pictures can be found in the images bottom right hand corner. SOLD
POSTCARD 1
POSTCARD 2
THE CABINET CARD GALLERY 
Interesting postcard today.
Clara Bow is, figuratively, close to my heart: I was the resident Caretaker and unofficial historian at the Walking Box Ranch for a few wonderful years. Also, my second Mother, Barbara, who was a script girl and then Assistant Film Editor for DeMille in the 20s, had a mutual friend with Clara – actress Tui Lorraine (Clara eventually convinced Tui to marry her father, Robert Bow.)
Couple of corrections:
Clara had no siblings. She did look after her younger neighbors, one of whom died tragically in a fire.
She enjoyed the ranch at first; but it was really the dream of her cowboy star husband, Rex Bell. The WBR was and is an isolated place. The solitude was probably one reason for her emotional problems – basically past tragedies which could surface in that quiet place. Yet, she did not “go insane” and after treatment, moved to a suburban home in Culver City where at least one of the neighbor kids remembered her as a kind, friendly person, loved Christmas and celebrated it with a great, generous passion.
Whatever her ups and downs, she was a remarkable, even heroic person. She survived the tenement culture, shaped Hollywood in ways that we still see; and, then, when the ghosts came back to haunt her, marched through that desert and won that battle.
It was an honor to be part of the Clara Bow story, even if it was long after she passed on. In those days of my residency, the ranch was developing interpretive materials; and as a former NPS “Naturalist” I well knew the importance of getting the story of the place, and Clara, straight; and with the help of those involved in the project (like Paula Garrett and the others of UNLV’s Public Lands Institute and UNLV professors Julian Kilker, Andy Kirk, and Deirdre Clemente ) did what I could – and can, as this email shows – to make sure the story of the place and its people is well shared.
Cheers,
Donald M. Scott, WBR Caretaker 2011-14
Thanks so much for the interesting and informative comment. I really appreciate you taking the time and making the effort to provide information from your experience as a participant in the “Clara Bow story”. I do have a question for you, if you don’t mind. After reading some articles about Clara Bow, I became curious about her relationship with her mother and father. I am a clinical psychologist and I am interested in how her relationship with her parents shaped her in her adult life. Thanks again.