May 7, 2021
In this week's Clara Bow Acteurist Oeuvre-view episode, two of Clara's best directors, Victor Fleming and Dorothy Arzner, present us with two very different versions of Clara that are both nevertheless logical developments of her persona. In Fleming's Hula (1927), Clara is a wild child of nature and a real loose cannon, pitted against "civilized" ladies who are far more destructive, with another (Hawaiian) colonial setting. In Arzner's Get Your Man (1927), a much more restrained Clara is an American heiress in France who finds herself romantically thwarted, not by British honour this time, but by European aristocratic codes. Neither are any match for her, of course. We discuss Clara's signature desiring gaze, Clive Brook's sweaty manliness, Buddy Rogers' sulky callowness, and cute dog scenes.
Time Codes:
0h 01m 00s: HULA (1927) [dir. Victor Fleming]
0h 46m 41s: GET YOUR MAN (1927) [dir. Dorothy Arzner]
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* Marvel at our meticulously ridiculous Complete Viewing Schedule for the 2020s
*Intro Song: “Sunday” by Jean Goldkette Orchestra with the Keller Sisters (courtesy of The Internet Archive)
* Find Elise’s latest film piece on Billy Wilder and 1930s Romantic Comedy
*And Read lots of Elise’s Writing at Bright Wall/Dark Room, Cléo, and Bright Lights.*
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