It (1927 film)

For the 1990 mini-series based on Stephen King's novel see It (1990 film).

It is a 1927 romantic silent film which tells the story of a shop girl who sets her sights on the handsome and wealthy owner of the department store where she works. Because of this film, actress Clara Bow became known as the "It girl"—"It" being a euphemism for sex appeal and sass.

In 2001, It was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

Plot and actors

Shopgirl Betty Lou Spence (Clara Bow) has a crush on her dashing employer Cyrus Waltham Jr (Antonio Moreno), the manager of and heir to the "world's largest store". But there are many stumbling blocks on her way to married bliss: they belong to incompatible social classes, he is already engaged to the blond socialite Adela Van Norman (Jacqueline Gadsden), and she finds herself sidetracked by Cyrus' geeky friend Monty Montgomery (William Austin). But she has one thing going for her—she's got "IT", "that quality", as authoress Elinor Glyn herself explains in the movie, "which draws all others with its magnetic force". Drama strikes when Betty Lou bravely proclaims herself as an unmarried mother to protect her sickly roommate Molly (Priscilla Bonner) from having her baby being taken away. Monty overhears the tale and tells Cyrus; however she eventually gets her prince, and saves his fiancé's life on the way.

Stage actress Dorothy Tree had her first film role in a small, uncredited part. Also appearing in a role—that of a news reporter—is a young Gary Cooper.

Production

The movie was adapted by Elinor Glyn, Hope Loring, Louis D. Lighton, George Marion Jr. and Frederica Sagor Maas (titles) from the novel by Glyn (who has a small role as herself in the movie). It was directed by Clarence G. Badger and Josef von Sternberg (uncredited).

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