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It (1927)
Released By: Kino on Video Rating: Not Rated In Theaters: N/A

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User Reviews

Studio: Kino on Video
Genre: Drama
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Director: Clarence Badger
Language: English
Official Website: N/A
Theatrical Release: N/A
Home Video Release: N/A
Cast: Clara Bow, Antonio Moreno, William Austin, Priscilla Bonner, Jacqueline Gadsdon
Published ID: 356117
UPC: 738329019525, 014381197426,
Plot: Contrary to popular belief, Clara Bow was already Paramount's biggest box-office draw when she starred in this delightful rags-to-riches comedy. But It, from the fertile mind of bizarre best-selling author Elinor Glyn, remains perhaps the quintessential Bow picture. Not that the story of a poor shopgirl falling for her rich employer was anything new (by 1927, Bow could play that role in her sleep), but It came complete with one of the best publicity campaigns in Hollywood history. Glyn herself publicly pointed to Bow as the personification of It, that quality possessed by some which draws all others with its magnetic force. Paramount made sure that Glyn's lofty description of the word sunk in and even convinced the author to explain It in the film to leading man Antonio Moreno (who, according to Glyn, simply oozed It as well). The lightweight comedy behind all this hoopla centered on little Betty Lou Spence, a vivacious salesgirl invited to dinner at the Ritz by foppish wastrel and self-described old fruit Monty Montgomery (William Austin in one of those roles later personified by Edward Everett Horton). Betty is not paying attention to her dinner companion, however, but is ogling department store heir Cyrus Waltham (Moreno). He notices her too, and takes the salesgirl on a whirlwind tour of Coney Island. But when Betty is mistakenly assumed to be the unmarried mother of an infant (actually her roommate Molly's), stern Cyrus no longer sees her as proper marriage material. Betty, of course, gets her man in the end and Waltham's snooty girlfriend (other woman specialist Jacqueline Gadsden) ends up in the drink. Delivering all the vivacious punch expected of a Bow comedy, It takes time out for a couple of rather poignant scenes. With the hindsight that Brooklyn's own Bow was never fully accepted by Hollywood society despite her stardom, it is touching to watch Betty being ostracized at the snobbish Ritz; and Bow is never more affecting than when she realizes that Moreno is offering diamonds and pearls instead of marriage. Priscilla Bonner, as Bow's drab, single-mother roommate, adds a touch of realism to her brief role, enviously observing Betty's frivolity. If It only added to Bow's brilliant success, the film did little for the intelligent Bonner. To the end of her life, Bonner maintained that accepting featured billing in It lost her any chance of true stardom. A very young Gary Cooper, has a bit as a reporter and director Josef Von Sternberg reputedly took over for Clarence Badger during a brief illness. Despite its rather trite Cinderella plot, It magnificently demonstrates why Bow's guileless flapper came to define an entire decade. It is heartbreaking to realize that her decline had already set in, and Bow's very public troubles and eventual career destruction were lurking right around the corner! ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

Worthy Addition to your DVD Library

Added 8/13/2009

This is one of my favorite silent movies and in my opinion the best romantic comedy ever made. It's easy to see how it propelled Clara Bow to stardom.

0 out of 0 people found this helpful.

"It" has "It" !

Added 9/1/2008

If you have never watched a silent film, watch this one!
If you have watched many silent films, watch this one!
It is on my favorite movies list.
It is flirty and fun from an era past.
It is a delightfully innocent film that will leave you with a silly grin.

1 out of 1 people found this helpful.

Kino dvd of 'IT'

Added 6/14/2008

I read Amazons reviews to see how others rate the movies for quality. I didnt see anything wrong with the Kino transfer & i think the score was catchy. I dont have the money to go out & buy another one from Image just because the picture is a bit sharper & i enjoyed the documentary on the Kino dvd. From a average buyer thats my 2 cents.

2 out of 2 people found this helpful.

Clara Bow as the Sexual Aggressor Gets Her Man!

Added 5/15/2008

It is a cute, fast paced film about a working girl who doesn't hesitate to go after her rich man. He never seems to quite notice her until the end of course. It is well worth enjoying. The documentary that accompanies the film is very good too. Narrated by Courtney Love it really enlightens us to the woman who was "IT!" Clara Bow was a great movie star and a lot of fun!

1 out of 2 people found this helpful.

best clara bow movie ever

Added 1/24/2008

yes, i know it's clara bow's most well known film, but i do honestly think it's her best. many of her other movie characters were written in such a way that sometimes i think "why the heck is she doing that?!" but not with betty lou spence. and clara bow just takes betty lou and makes her so real and likeable.

i know that elinor glyn's definition of "it" included the statement, "IT is self-confidence and indifference as to whether you are pleasing or not..." and that in the movie, betty lou does care whether or not she is pleasing to mr. waltham. however, she still definitely has "it" - she's attractive, she's vivacious, she's well-liked by both men and women, and she has a great personality. clara bow just makes betty lou someone you wish you could be.

the clara bow documentary is very interesting, but doesn't go deep enough into her life story. and why the heck did they pick courtney love to narrate it? i would have preferred someone connected with classic movies or at least an anonymous voice over person.

but all in all, this is a great dvd to own.