Old Hollywood: Movies, Actresses, and Actors
Clara Bow
One of my favorite actresses is also one of my greatest sources of frustration…. I adore Clara Bow and can get my hands on so few of her films! I want to collect (and see) everything she made, but sadly, it’s impossible.
Frustrating!
As it is, I will enjoy and collect those that I can. She really was a phenomenal actress with an indescribable amount of charisma.
Clara Bow, Call Her Savage
Clara Bow, Robert Agnew, and the Cast of Wine
As I’ve bemoaned before, it is incredibly frustrating when you come across films for favorite stars that are now considered “lost.” It happens fairly often with really early silent films and it always feels like a punch in the spleen.
I want to see them all!
Wine (1924) is one of the Clara Bow films listed as lost. When I look at the promotional photos (here are a few more), it drives me nuts… I want to see this one! Seriously, look at the pictures here… what could be going on?
Clara Bow, Robert Agnew, and Others from Wine
Clara Bow, Wine (1924)
One of the most frustrating things about loving silent films is living with the fact that so many of them are now lost. When you love so many of the stars from this era, you can’t help but feel that you’ve lost something precious. My personal favorite silent era stars are Clara Bow, Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, Georgia Hale, Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks, and Mary Pickford. I want to see everything they ever did!
Wine (1924) is one of the Clara Bow films listed as lost. The promotional photos make me even more anxious to see it!
Clara Bow and Robert Agnew, Wine
Clara Bow, Call Her Savage
As I’ve said before, when you watch a lot of old movies (especially if you cover all genres and all decades!), you pick up new favorites along the way. You’re going along, minding your own business, and BOOM, an actress or actor climbs over hundreds of other names and lands on sacred grounds…. your “ABSOLUTE favorites” or your “Top Ten.”
I’ve always liked Clara Bow, but she recently tromped up my list of favorite stars… curls bouncing fetchingly as she ascended.
Sometimes all it takes for like to grow into love is seeing just one more film… other times you have to see them in just the right role. For me, it was finally having the chance to see her in more than one film! Clara Bow films are hard to come by and they are RARELY shown on television.
Clara Bow
I’ve also found that, very often, the more I learn about an actor or actress, the more I like them. Not only has seeing more Clara Bow films made me love her more, but reading about her colorful personality and vivaciousness has also endeared her to me even more.
If you haven’t had the chance to see Clara Bow films, I hope you will search them out. I have a feeling you’re going to love her as much as I do.
Clara Bow
Clara Bow, The Fleet’s In (1928)
Compared to my “talkie” Old Movie viewing, I’m relatively new to silents. I believe it was a mere 4 years ago when I watched my first silent film, in fact. I started off with Charlie Chaplin’s The Kid and have never looked back.
My favorite silent film stars (so far) are:
But I’m picking up new favorites to add along the way. Having said that, there will never (I’m certain of that) be a silent film star I enjoy any more than I do the wonderful, one-in-a-billion Clara Bow. A few I enjoy as much… but more than??… NEVER!
These great photos are from her film The Fleet’s In (1928) – a movie that is, unfortunately, considered lost. Isn’t that as criminally frustrating as it gets?!
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Clara Bow, Hoopla
The beautiful, colorful, and talented Clara Bow’s last film was Hoopla (1933, directed by Frank Lloyd). She plays Lou, a carnival dancer at a carnival who is bent on seducing Chris Miller, played by Richard Cromwell. After she is paid to make him fall for her… she falls for him.
You can find the photo above as a photo print (perfect for framing) on Amazon. The movie poster is also available on Amazon.
My main goal with Hollywood Yesterday is to keep the names, faces, and films of the stars that mean so much to me shining brightly. When I’m guilty of focusing more time on my personal favorites (such as Olivia de Havilland) than other stars, I hope you’ll forgive me. I am, by all indications, very human!
Also, please know that I try to keep my posts (except for book reviews) short and to the point, so you can enjoy the pictures, grab the information, and get back to your life. I don’t appreciate anything that’s overly wordy, so I don’t want to do that to others. For better or worse, I write as I talk, so if you ever feel like you’re reading the words of someone who’s a cross between Lucy Ricardo, Daisy Duck, and a Jerry Lewis character, that’s just because you are!
Wait. What did I just admit to??
Another personal absolute favorite of mine is Barbara Stanwyck. Not only was she beautiful and outrageously talented, she was exceptionally bright, charismatic, and colorful. This growing collection of Barbara Stanwyck Quotes will give you an idea of just how colorful she was!
There’s nothing quite like watching a movie from the Golden Age of Hollywood. Whether it’s a Musical, Western, Comedy, Romance, Film Noir, or Drama – if it’s on, I’m not too far away… with popcorn and raspberry tea in hand and a couple of cats nearby.
Below are a few Old Hollywood movie reviews I’ve done on the blog. There are, as you’d imagine, a lot more to come. – Joi (“Joy”)
We’re in the Money (Joan Blondell, Glenda Farrell)
The Naked Spur (James Stewart, Janet Leigh)
The Prince and the Showgirl (Marilyn Monroe, Laurence Olivier)
The White Sister (Helen Hayes, Clark Gable)
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (Howard Keel, Jane Powell, Russ Tamblyn, Julie Newmar)
Rio Bravo (John Wayne, Dean Martin, Angie Dickinson, Ricky Nelson, Walter Brennan)
El Dorado (John Wayne, Robert Mitchum, James Caan, Charlene Holt, Michele Carey)
Rio Grande (John Wayne, Maureen O’Hara)
Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein (What is it With Me and These Movies??)
The Stooge (Jerry Lewis’ favorite Lewis and Martin Movie… for good reason.)
Critic’s Choice (Hilarious movie starring Bob Hope and Lucille Ball)
To Please a Lady (Clark Gable and Barbara Stanwyck team up in a fast track movie)
Grand Hotel (Joan Crawford, Greta Garbo, John Barrymore, Lionel Barrymore)
Hearts Divided (Marion Davies, Dick Powell)
The Quiet Man (John Wayne, Maureen O’Hara, Barry Fitzgerald)
More Old Hollywood Movie Reviews
Find out just how much I (truly) Love Lucy in the Lucille Ball category. I’m warning you, I call it an obsession for a very good reason…
