100 Movies 100 Days: It (1927)
Day two of 100 Days 100 Movies.
No, "It" isn't the Stephen King horror classic. It's a silent comedy starring Clara Bow. This is the movie that made Bow the "it girl."
What is "it?" Sometimes it's been defined as sex appeal. But the movie defines it as charm and magnetism combined with a lack of self-consciousness.
This movie relies on the unfortunate number one rule of romantic comedies which is that no one is capable of communicating with each other. But there's charm and fun here. I was a little surprised at just how forthright Bow's character Betty is in pursuing her dream man, Cyrus Waltham Jr. (played by Antonio Moreno). Also, the main conflict starts because Betty protects her roommate and friend, Molly. Molly is sickly unwed mother. When welfar workers come to take her child away, on the basic that she's ill and can't work to support her child (despite the entire reason she's staying with Betty being to have help until she's back on her feet), Betty claims that the child is hers. Thank to Unfortunate Misunderstandings, this gets back to Walter, who regards her as fallen woman. However, he gets over it and declares he loves her and wants to marry her before he learns the baby thing was just a mix up.
It's not like It is an anthem for social change, but I do wonder if this film could have been made while the Hays Code was in effect.
I feel like a need more film icons. Recs are appreciated.
This entry was originally posted at http://veleda-k.dreamwidth.org/476024.html. Please consider commenting there.
No, "It" isn't the Stephen King horror classic. It's a silent comedy starring Clara Bow. This is the movie that made Bow the "it girl."
What is "it?" Sometimes it's been defined as sex appeal. But the movie defines it as charm and magnetism combined with a lack of self-consciousness.
This movie relies on the unfortunate number one rule of romantic comedies which is that no one is capable of communicating with each other. But there's charm and fun here. I was a little surprised at just how forthright Bow's character Betty is in pursuing her dream man, Cyrus Waltham Jr. (played by Antonio Moreno). Also, the main conflict starts because Betty protects her roommate and friend, Molly. Molly is sickly unwed mother. When welfar workers come to take her child away, on the basic that she's ill and can't work to support her child (despite the entire reason she's staying with Betty being to have help until she's back on her feet), Betty claims that the child is hers. Thank to Unfortunate Misunderstandings, this gets back to Walter, who regards her as fallen woman. However, he gets over it and declares he loves her and wants to marry her before he learns the baby thing was just a mix up.
It's not like It is an anthem for social change, but I do wonder if this film could have been made while the Hays Code was in effect.
I feel like a need more film icons. Recs are appreciated.
This entry was originally posted at http://veleda-k.dreamwidth.org/476024.html. Please consider commenting there.