It (1927)

Director:

Clarence G. Badger
(more)

Writers:

Elinor Glyn (story)
Hope Loring (screen play) ...
(more)

Release Date:

15 February 1927 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Plot:

A salesgirl with plenty of "it" (sex appeal) pursues a handsome playboy.

Plot Keywords:

Department Store | Shopgirl | Hot Dog | Mother | Newspaper Reporter

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Clara Bow	...	Betty Lou
Antonio Moreno	...	Cyrus Waltham
William Austin	...	Monty
Priscilla Bonner	...	Molly
Jacqueline Gadsden	...	Adela Van Norman (as Jacqueline Gadsdon)
Julia Swayne Gordon	...	Mrs. Van Norman
Elinor Glyn		(as Madame Elinor Glyn)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Elmo Billings	...	Office Boy (uncredited)
Gary Cooper	...	Newspaper Reporter (uncredited)
Lloyd Corrigan	...	Yacht Cabin Boy (uncredited)
Cheryl Holt	...	Baby (uncredited)
Eleanor Lawson	...	First Welfare Worker (uncredited)
Rose Tapley	...	Second Welfare Worker (uncredited)
Dorothy Tree	...	Waltham Employee (uncredited)

Directed by
Clarence G. Badger
Josef von Sternberg		(uncredited)

Writing credits
Elinor Glyn		(story and adaptation)
Hope Loring		(screen play) and
Louis D. Lighton		(screen play)
George Marion Jr.		(titles)

Produced by
B.P. Schulberg	....	associate producer: West Coast Studios
Clarence G. Badger	....	producer (uncredited)
Elinor Glyn	....	producer (uncredited)
Jesse L. Lasky	....	executive producer (uncredited)
Adolph Zukor	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Cinematography by
H. Kinley Martin		(photographed by)

Film Editing by
E. Lloyd Sheldon		(editor-in-chief)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Vernon Keays	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Josef von Sternberg	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Osmond Borradaile	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Cliff Shirpser	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Music Department
William P. Perry	....	original piano score (1978)

Other crew
Jesse L. Lasky	....	presents
Karl Malkames	....	picture restoration (1978)
Patrick Montgomery	....	restoration coordinator (1978)
Adolph Zukor	....	presents

Production Companies

• Famous Players-Lasky Corporation (An Elinor Glyn-Clarence Badger Production)
• Paramount Pictures

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1927) (USA) (theatrical) (as A Paramount Picture)
• Killiam Shows (1978) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Kino Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Image Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Critics' Choice Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Grapevine Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Kino Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Voyager Company, The (????) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

72 min

Country:

USA

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Silent

Certification:

USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | UK:U

Company:

Famous Players-Lasky Corporation

Trivia:

In a biography of Clara Bow, Priscilla Bonner recalled that Elinor Glyn visited the set a couple of times, wearing several purple veils that, it was obvious, were meant to mask recent plastic surgery scars that has not yet healed. Bonner said she disliked Glyn right away, finding her to be pretentious and artificial. However, she said she loved working with Clara Bow.

Quotes:

[On whether Betty Lou lacks "reserve."]
Cyrus Waltham Jr.:Personally, I think she has plenty - in reserve!

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Age of Ballyhoo (1973) (V)

Lightweight Story Given Life By Clara Bow

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.