“It”

Clara Bow was already a success by the time she played a vivacious shopgirl in Clarence Badger's 1927 hit "It". But this delightful Paramount comedy, which capitalized on Bow's public standing as the Roaring Twenties' "It Girl," made the Brooklyn-born actress a key icon in cinema's late silent era. Inspired by author Elinor Glyn's public declaration that a few people have "it" (defined as "that quality possessed by some which draws all others with its magnetic force," i.e., sex appeal), this romantic comedy finds the wide-eyed star (who had “it” in spades) cast as a clerk unnoticed by her boss (Antonio Moreno) until his brother takes her out. Full of buoyant scenes (particularly a lark at Coney Island), bright performances (Gary Cooper makes a brief appearance), and even a little "It" guidance from Glyn, “It” makes its second appearance on DVD in a handsomely restored version, with illuminating commentary by film scholar Jeanine Basinger, and a DVD-ROM accessible article by Badger on the making of the film. Highly recommended. (T. Keogh)