It (1927 film)
It (stylized in quotation marks) is a 1927 American silent film directed by Clarence G. Badger and Josef von Sternberg, and starring Clara Bow. It is based on the serialised novella of the same name, republished in "It" and Other Stories (1927), by Elinor Glyn, who adapted the story and appears in the film as herself.
| It | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Clarence G. Badger Josef von Sternberg (uncredited) |
| Written by | Elinor Glyn (story and adaptation) George Marion Jr. (titles) |
| Screenplay by | Hope Loring Louis D. Lighton |
| Based on | It by Elinor Glyn |
| Produced by | Adolph Zukor Jesse L. Lasky B. P. Schulberg |
| Starring | Clara Bow Antonio Moreno William Austin |
| Cinematography | H. Kinley Martin |
| Edited by | E. Lloyd Sheldon |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release date |
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Running time | 72 min. |
| Country | United States |
| Languages | Silent English intertitles |
| Box office | $1 million (U.S. and Canada rentals) |
The film was a box office hit and served as Bow's star vehicle, turning her into one of the most popular actresses of the era. It popularized the concept of the "it girl", with the term "it" defined in the opening as the "quality possessed by some which draws all others with its magnetic force."
The film had its world premiere in Los Angeles on January 14, 1927, followed by a New York showing on February 5, 1927. It was released to the general public on February 19, 1927.
The picture was considered lost for many years; however, in the 1960s, a nitrate copy was discovered in Prague. 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".
The film's copyright was renewed in 1954, and the film entered the public domain on January 1, 2023.