CLARA BOW : AMERICAN SILENT FILM ACTRESS : “THE IT GIRL” : RISQUE 

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

Published in: on May 7, 2024 at 12:00 pm  Comments (2)  
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ESTHER RALSTON: TALENTED FILM AND EARLY TELEVISION ACTRESS

This vintage real photo postcard features beautiful actress Esther Ralston (1902-1994). She was born in Bar Harbor, Maine and was active in acting between 1915 an 1962. Her career started while she was still a child. She appeared in a family vaudeville act called “The Ralston Family with Baby Esther, America’s Youngest Juliet”. By the time she was 18, she was appearing in silent films including “Huckleberry Finn” (1920) and “Peter Pan” (1924). In the late 1920’s she appeared in many films for Paramount Pictures. She was successful enough to earn as much as eight thousand dollars per week Although she received good reviews for dramatic roles, Ralston primarily appeared in comedies, often in the role of spirited society girls. Esther’s image was initially “wholesome and fun-loving”. Florenz Ziegfeld Jr repackaged her as “The American Venus” after she appeared in the role of a beauty queen in the film, “American Venus” (1926). Miss Ralston made a successful transition to sound pictures but by the mid 1930’s she was usually appearing in supporting roles. Her final starring role was in “To the Last Man (1933) and her final film was “Tin Pan Alley (1940). That same year she retired from film and focused on stage and radio through the 1940’s. With the advent of television, Ralston spent time appearing in this new medium. Esther Ralston was married three times and divorced three times. All of her husbands worked in the entertainment industry. The imdb lists Ralston as having 108 credits as an actress. She certainly made an impact in the entertainment world and this is reflected by the fact that she has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Esther Ralston’s obituary can be found at the web site of  “The Independent”. The obituary states that she was a “captivating blond beauty with an engaging sense of humor”. The article tells the story of Ralston’s reaction to co-starring with Clara Bow and Gary Cooper in “Children of Divorce” (1927) while Bow and Cooper were having an affair. In regard to Clara Bow, Ralston stated “I didn’t really dislike her, but she was pretty loose and I’d been brought up differently”. This photo postcard was pubished by Ross Verlag, a postcard publishing company based in Berlin, Germany. The postcard was produced for Paramount Pictures and is part of a series (No. 3393/1).

Published in: on May 26, 2017 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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