Search - 'It' Plus Clara Bow: Discovering the "It" Girl on DVD

Two reasons why this great DVD could've been even better...

E. Parsons | 04/25/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is a review of the Kino DVD release of "It". Let's start by saying this is one of the most enjoyable silent films I've seen. This is entirely due to the presence of Clara Bow, whose dynamic performance never lets up for a second. This makes "It" one of the few silents that still works as entertainment rather than just an interesting slice of history. The reasons I think this DVD could have been even better lie with the fact that Kino has used the 1978 restoration version of this movie rather than the improved 1992 restoration. Whilst this 1978 restoration is still very good, the picture is slightly cropped. In other words, a small part of the picture at both the left & right and top & bottom of the screen is missing. This blemish is barely noticeable and does not really affect your viewing pleasure, especially as the picture quality itself is very impressive. Sure, there are marks and scratches here and there, but far less than you'd expect for a film well over 70 years old. The picture is generally quite sharp with decent contrast that only occasionally seems a little too harsh. I would rate the picture as being in the top 5% for movies of this age. The second reason this DVD could have been better is the music score. The 1992 restoration features a Carl Davis composition which is quite simply the best music score for a silent film you will ever hear...Unfortunately this DVD features a totally different score by William Perry. Whilst William Perry manages a perfectly adequate piano score that fits well with the movie it isn't a patch on Carl Davis' version. The "only" extra on this DVD is a documentary entitled "Discovering The It Girl". This only covers Clara Bow's life and career in a superficial way but we are treated to a wealth of movie clips. Contributions from people who knew Clara Bow also help make this a very enjoyable documentary. It's also worth noting that Kino previously released the movie and documentary on two separate VHS tapes. By buying them both on this one DVD instead of two videos you're actually saving yourself a few dollars! Notwithstanding the minor shortcomings, I definitely rate this DVD as a worthwhile purchase."

About the dvd

J. A. Torrontegui | Spain | 07/24/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I think others have pointed out this but I'm gonna stress it.

There are 2 dvd editions of this movie.

The Kino one has great extras (a docu on Clara Bow's life) but a bad image transfer.

And the Image one has no extras but a much sharper and better looking image transfer.

So you choose.

"

It

Steven Hellerstedt | 11/19/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"IT is a lot more fun than a silent film has any right to be. The story is simply enough (think shop girl Cinderella fantasy,) the acting credible enough, and the editing competent enough to almost make title cards unnecessary. This is a movie that celebrates reaction shots. The biggest contributor, though, is cute, bubbly, down-to-earth sex goddess Clara Bow. To top it off, the Image release also boasts an informative commentary track, a remarkably clean print and a modern, custom-built score.

They had to play it coy back then, but today we can step out from behind the euphemisms and reveal the definition of "It" as sexual attractiveness. Even by modern standards the perky Bow had "It" in spades, especially when compared to such grotesque contemporaries as the ghoulish Theda Bara and the vulgar Mae West. After all these years Bow still looks cute and modern, while her rivals have faded into obscurity and decades of exaggerated parody.

I haven't the finer sensibilities needed to fully appreciate female-centric tales of the poor girl getting the rich boy. The plot seems thin, and the secondary characters a bit boring when Bow's not on the screen. Still, I have no problem enthusiastically recommending this to anybody.

"

Clara Bow shines in this movie

KC | CA | 01/08/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Until I saw this film recently, I never thought I would be able to sit through a silent film. I had read about Clara Bow, and was interested to see how she performed on screen. Although it is silent, her personality and vivaciousness shines. Her eyes just have so much expression...The other actors are fine and the story line is all right, but Clara just takes this film and runs with it. No wonder that she became the It Girl upon the release of this movie!Clara Bow was and is truly a film legend and deserves much more notice than she has received. What a wonderful film - worth watching again and again!"