When Clara was released in 1950, Rex arranged for her to live with a caretaker in California, where she could be near her doctor. Though they remained married, Rex was seeing another woman. He divided the rest of his time between politics and running a western wear store.
Clara settled into a small bungalow. She spent her days swimming, painting, reading, and taking correspondence courses. One of her favorite pastimes was to write fan letters. She was shocked when celebrities would write back and say how much they admired her.
Clara was also actively involved in her son's lives. They were always pleased when she would come to see them play college football or invite them over to her house. She adored the women they married and was delighted when she became a grandmother.
On July 4, 1962, Rex suddenly died of a heart attack. Clara made her first public appearance in fifteen years to attend his funeral.
On September 26, 1965, Clara settled down to watch her former love Gary Cooper in a late showing of The Virginian (1929). While sitting there, she died of a heart attack. Ironically, Clara was physically sick, but her imaginary ailments had kept doctors from discovering that she had heart disease.
Unlike most silent stars, Clara had not died forgotten. Before her death, many groups had tried to revive Clara's movies. Unfortunately, Paramount was uncooperative; the studio had made no effort to preserve her old movies. When the vaults were searched for her titles, many of them had disintegrated.
Recently, David Stenn's biography of Clara has cleared up many of the damaging rumors that have circulated about her since her death. Stenn has also played an important role in restoring many of her films. Hopefully, these restorations will earn Clara the acclaim she deserves, or better yet, a full-scale revival of her work.
Movies to See:
Down to the Sea in Ships (1922)
Parisian Love (1925)
The Plastic Age (1925)
Mantrap (1926)
It (1927)
Wings (1927)
Hula (1927)
I also highly recommend the documentary Clara Bow: Discovering the "It" Girl.
Books to Read:
Runnin' Wild: Clara Bow, by David Stenn
*From The Book of Hollywood Quotes
| Here's the follow-up discussion on this article: | View all related messages |
For a complete listing of article comments, questions, and other discussions related to K Cruver's Classic Actresses topic, please visit the Discussions page.