It

I first saw "It" last year at a mini-festival at the Kemper Museum in Kansas City. The audience was about equally middle-aged (50's, 60's; I'm 63) and young (many 20's and early 30's). Everybody roared with laughter and delight throughout the film.

This is not only a sweet, wacky comedy (with a strong ending--how I wish current filmmakers could learn that lesson!), but also a demonstration, as others have pointed out, of one of the most magnetic personalities ever to face a camera lens. Clara Bow's presence is simply heart-stopping and her basic goodness, at least in this role, is such that it makes me feel maybe there's a little hope for humankind after all.

I watched it again, with a friend, at home this evening and marveled anew at the extraordinary vitality of this wonderful young woman. The extremely silly story doesn't matter in the least. The lesson of the film, as much as there is one, is "where there's a will, there's a way," and to follow the exploits of our heroine's will is pure balm for any weary soul.

If there's any question why Clara Bow became one of the top box office stars of the late silent era, "It" answers that question. The film, perhaps the one with which she will always be associated, is indeed a star turn, but a great one.

Bow,playing a counter girl who wins the heart of the owner of the great department store she works, turns in a memorable performance.

She brings everything you could want to the role, from great comic timing to a very robust physical presence. More than anything, of course, she is incredibly photogenic, a magnetic presence that simply lights up the screen.

Most heartening to me was the very large number of people well under 30 who viewed this film with me the night I saw it. They seemed to absolutely loved it.

I decided I'd watch a little bit of this film on the computer. Knowing me I usually get distracted and stop watching but this film was so very different. My first silent film, and already a favourite. I could literally not stop watching Clara Bow, she was absolutely fascinating. I'd read David Stenn's wonderful biography on her so it was great to see her finally acting. When she's on screen you block out everything else and her acting ability wonderful - she can cry at the drop of a hat! So, instead of getting distracted I watched this movie the whole way through and enjoyed every moment of it... but my favourite parts were definitely with Clara. In fact, you could say I wasn't really interested in anyone else! This movie is HER movie. It's fun, flirty and just a great movie. I recommend it for anyone who loves silent movies, Clara Bow, or flirtatious movies pushing the limit. Age wise, I think I can recommend it for about 15 onwards - I'm 14 and I really enjoyed it - but not all teenagers will appreciate the film. Which is a pity, because it's wonderful!

Clara Bow's energy and glamour give this otherwise lightweight feature some life, making it quite a bit better than it had any right to be. The rest of the production does have a couple of strengths, but not enough to carry the load. The story is pleasant and generally entertaining, but rather negligible. The "It" theme is overworked, and downplaying it in favor of a little more substance might have improved the movie. Yet it is still certainly worth seeing.

Bow gets a character that allows her to use her strengths while also giving her a chance to do some other things as well, as her character goes through a series of romantic episodes and other experiences. Perhaps one reason why this is one of her best-remembered features is that the role gives her some opportunities to show different sides of her character, as she uses her facial expressions and other resources pretty well.

The rest of the cast is just there for Bow to play off of, and the characters are mostly one-dimensional. Antonio Moreno is solid but sometimes lifeless, and his friend Monty is an annoying character whose only constructive purpose is to advance the plot at a couple of key stages.

One minor asset of the movie is the inter-titles, several of which add a bit of bite to some otherwise trite situations. But the constant references to the "It" concept, which apparently come from the Elinor Glyn source material, get old quickly. It's hardly a very imaginative or significant concept, and a couple of passing references would have been more than enough, so as to allow the story to stand more on its own.

The story itself is told rather well, and there are some enjoyable sequences, especially towards the end. While the whole thing is too superficial to belong on any best-of or must-see lists - especially in a year that produced so many outstanding and significant films - it's a generally entertaining little feature, and it is one of the best showcases for Clara Bow, who was one of the most popular performers of the 1920s.

Cyrus (Antonio Moreno) is the heir to a large, successful department store. He falls for counter girl Betty (Clara Bow), a young woman who definitely has "IT", that indefinable quality that makes certain people the center of attention. Cyrus' goofball friend Monty (William Austin) tries to facilitate the "opposite sides of the track" romance between his buddy and Betty, with more than a few hiccups along the way. Also featuring Priscilla Bonner, Jacqueline Gadsdon, Julia Swayne Gordon, and Gary Cooper.

This was based on a story by Elinor Glyn, and if you don't know the name, you sure will by the end of the movie. Her name is featured prominently in the opening credits, then in a title card explaining what "IT" is, then in a copy of the story being read by a character in the movie, and then when Glyn shows up for a cameo, playing herself! Anyway, most people have heard of this movie and the "It Girl" moniker that it gave Clara Bow for the rest of her life..

It's a decent romantic comedy of the period, with many little period details that make modern viewing interesting. The changes in fashions, manner and speech are amusing. I don't think I'd ever seen the exclamation "Hot Socks!" before. Bow is cute, and pushes the boundary for what a woman could do, say and look like on screen (near the end of the film as she climbs soaking wet out of the water with her clothing clinging to her, leaving little to the imagination, comes to mind). In that way It prefigures the coming Pre-Code early sound era.