What exactly is IT? IT was still taboo to speak of in public but, as the twenties began to roar, IT became the most sought after quality in young women and men. for only $24.95 call Kino on Video 1-800-564-2903 IT was the tease of sex appeal, an enticing promise and a seductive willingness. As the modern generation of the 1920s ushered in a new type of woman, femininity broke away from traditional roles. The modern woman was liberated and began to take part in history-Amelia Earhart flew across the Atlantic, Margaret Sanger promoted birth control and Isadora Duncan revolutionized modern dance. On the social scene, women were allowed to live it up. They drank and smoked with the men. They wore their skirts above the knee and for the first time promiscuity was permitted without the fear of a scarlet "A" ruining a girl's reputation. Clara Bow captured the freewheeling spirit of The Roaring Twenties in a wink of her eye. She was hailed as "The Hottest Jazz Baby in Films" and represented youthful rebellion. Her cupid's bow lips, hourglass figure and vivacious energy helped to make her the quintessential modern woman onscreen. While Mary Pickford personified innocence and Lillian Gish purity, Clara Bow was unconventional and outspoken. She didn't hide her sexuality--this woman ran with the wolves. List of films Today! on TCM The Wild Party(1929) Wings(1927) It(1927) Clara Bow...The It Girl by Joe Morella Black Oxen by Gertrude Atherton Clara Bow by David Stenn The daughter of a Coney Island waiter, Bow was born in Brooklyn and escaped the poverty of her parents' lives when she entered a movie-fan magazine beauty contest. As part of the prize she won a bit part in a movie (Beyond the Rainbow, 1922). Her naughty-but-nice appeal came across onscreen and various producers picked her up for small roles in films with teasing titles such as Poisoned Paradise (1924), Daughters of Pleasure (1924) and Free to Love (1925). In The Plastic Age (1925), Bow was finally noticed for playing a cute college co-ed who's the heartthrob of the freshman football team. 1927 was a breakthrough year for 22-year-old Clara. She won the role of an amorous Red Cross nurse in the World War I film Wings (1927). The movie went on to claim the very first Best Picture Academy Award, but Wings was the just gravy. Bow also appeared in her career-defining role that year: It (1927). Clara exploded off the screen in It like a supernova of erotic energy. Fan letters poured in by the bag. Young women emulated her beaded style while men sought out girls with the illusive qualities that made Clara so tempting. It was a popular phenomena that washed over traditional gender values. Clara was a one-woman revolution. The film itself was a conventional melodrama about a sassy shop girl who falls for her boss and his best friend. What made the film such a hit was Clara's unpretentious charm and good-natured teases. Clara is the object of each man's affection and in one title card, a beau points her out, saying, "She's a ripening sort…She's positively top heavy with 'IT.'" After appearing in over 35 films, It became Clara's calling card. Overnight Clara Bow had become the "IT Girl" that all men desired. The success changed her, but beneath the aggressive attitude was still a shy, insecure girl. As she struggled to keep up with her screen image her life flew out of control. Clara was rumored to have a voracious sexual appetite, and gossip spread that she was involved with the entire USC football team. She was engaged five times in four years and humbled some of Hollywood's most eligible bachelors, Gary Cooper and director Victor Fleming among them. She was running wild, a party girl leaving scandals in her wake. The pressure from scandals and rumors weighed heavily upon her. By the late 1920s, Clara had suffered several nervous breakdowns. Seeking solace Bow married cowboy star Rex Bell and left the Sunset Strip for his Nevada ranch. In her absence, Hollywood changed. Talkies, and soon the Depression, replaced the free-for-all binge that characterized the Roaring Twenties. Clara continued making films in the early 1930s but her time had passed. For the next thirty years she lived a quiet, secluded life far from the spotlight. Like Marilyn Monroe and Judy Garland, Clara Bow was a victim of her own enormous success. Turner Classic Movies presents the premiere of a new documentary, Clara Bow: Discovering the "It" Girl (1999), a comprehensive retrospective narrated by Courtney Love, a woman of the '90s that challenges established gender roles just as Clara Bow did seventy years ago. 14 Monday 8:00 PM   Clara Bow: Discovering The "It" Girl (1999) A comprehensive retrospective of Bow's tumultuous life and career narrated by singer/actress Courtney Love. Includes rare photos and film clips. BW 55m. 9:00 PM   It (1927) A shop girl turns party girl to land her boss. Clara Bow, Antonio Moreno, Gary Cooper. D: Clarence Badger. BW 77m. 10:30 PM   Clara Bow: Discovering The "It" Girl (1999) A comprehensive retrospective of Bow's tumultuous life and career narrated by singer/actress Courtney Love. Includes rare photos and film clips. BW 55m. 11:30 PM   The Wild Party (1929) This silent film follows the on-again, off-again relationship of a college professor and a sexy student. Clara Bow, Frederic March, Shirley O'Hara. D: Dorothy Arzner. BW 76m. 1:00 AM   Down To The Sea In Ships (1923) This silent film tells the story of conflict in a New England whaling family. Clara Bow, Raymond McKee, William Cavanaugh. D: Elmer Clifton. BW 83m.