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Ah, so Richard Blandford says the swastikas were for purely decorative effect, Bow was oblivious to its political symbolism. The same can’t be said for Henry Ford, who as I recall was decorated by the Nazis prior to WWII.
Well, it’s the 20s, OK? No nazis yet, but the swastika exists as a religious symbol without any sinister meaning. And then as now, fashion designers love raiding other cultures for designs and imagery…
I suppose few people would object to a 1920s-era Bow going “uber alle” on them! From the sound of it certain people seem to have a fetish for Nazi themes – just ask Max Mosley!
Perhaps it is just a thing about being controlled by strong, beautiful, cruel women that sems to excite some people. For example during the whole incident a little while ago about Rose McGowan making her inadviseable statements in support of IRA bombings, someone I spoke to stated that “she could blow me up any time!”
For some reason, being semtexed to smithereens has never been one of my special turn-ons… but if it had to happen, I guess Rose would make a better perpetrator than most.
I remember as a boy reading in Playboy magazine a quote from Woody Allen, where he stated that if he had to die, he would choose to go smothered by the flesh of Italian actresses. I would modify that statement by inserting the flesh of Rose McGowan. Not a great actress, but a likable one.
Time to play “Who’s Your Favourite Italian Actress?”
These days, Bellucci may be the only game in town, but if I was picking one from the classic era, it would have to be Cardinale. It’s that likable thing. Of course Lollobrigda and Loren are great, and the others, and Ekberg, who we can class as an honorary Italian, but CC is the one for me.
The person’s statement may make a little more sense if I add that the word “up” was whispered in order to make it a little less audible than the rest of the sentence!
Still crude but perhaps a little more acceptable than getting excited about being exploded!
I think I’d agree on Cardinale being my choice for favourite Italian actress!
The Nazis were only a relatively small party in the 1920s, but I still think a politically alert person could have known about the Nazi connotation at that time.
People might have known, but in 1920 the symbol’s other associations probably trumped it’s connection to a fringe group in Germany. Today that’s obviously no longer the case.
I think the debate of the meaning of symbol at the time of the photograph is irrelevant as the nazi regieme doctored a lot of iconic american press and movie stills and used them as propaganda. This may well be one such image.
shadowplay
October 17, 2008 at 7:05 pm
Curiouser and curiouser
October 17, 2008 at 7:07 pm
Curiouser and curiouser
October 17, 2008 at 7:24 pm
So David, please clue us in. What the hell’s THIS all about?
October 17, 2008 at 7:32 pm
Reminds me of one of the party guests from a scene in Sleeper, presumably set in a time when the symbol had lost its fascist connotations.
October 17, 2008 at 7:33 pm
Ah, so Richard Blandford says the swastikas were for purely decorative effect, Bow was oblivious to its political symbolism. The same can’t be said for Henry Ford, who as I recall was decorated by the Nazis prior to WWII.
October 17, 2008 at 7:33 pm
I…don’t know!
Well, it’s the 20s, OK? No nazis yet, but the swastika exists as a religious symbol without any sinister meaning. And then as now, fashion designers love raiding other cultures for designs and imagery…
October 17, 2008 at 7:36 pm
Clara uber alles
October 18, 2008 at 1:30 am
I’ll naively try to cast this in a positive light and suggest that she is a closet Buddhist.
http://www.religionfacts.com/buddhism/symbols/swastika.htm
I suppose few people would object to a 1920s-era Bow going “uber alle” on them! From the sound of it certain people seem to have a fetish for Nazi themes – just ask Max Mosley!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7493311.stm
Perhaps it is just a thing about being controlled by strong, beautiful, cruel women that sems to excite some people. For example during the whole incident a little while ago about Rose McGowan making her inadviseable statements in support of IRA bombings, someone I spoke to stated that “she could blow me up any time!”
October 18, 2008 at 11:27 am
For some reason, being semtexed to smithereens has never been one of my special turn-ons… but if it had to happen, I guess Rose would make a better perpetrator than most.
October 18, 2008 at 2:10 pm
I remember as a boy reading in Playboy magazine a quote from Woody Allen, where he stated that if he had to die, he would choose to go smothered by the flesh of Italian actresses. I would modify that statement by inserting the flesh of Rose McGowan. Not a great actress, but a likable one.
October 18, 2008 at 3:02 pm
Time to play “Who’s Your Favourite Italian Actress?”
These days, Bellucci may be the only game in town, but if I was picking one from the classic era, it would have to be Cardinale. It’s that likable thing. Of course Lollobrigda and Loren are great, and the others, and Ekberg, who we can class as an honorary Italian, but CC is the one for me.
October 18, 2008 at 4:38 pm
ornella muti is the best italian lady actress
October 18, 2008 at 5:09 pm
Oh yes, she’s awesome. Must feature her prominently in Sexy Week 2. Also: amazing what you can find in Google Images if you search for her.
October 18, 2008 at 5:10 pm
The person’s statement may make a little more sense if I add that the word “up” was whispered in order to make it a little less audible than the rest of the sentence!
Still crude but perhaps a little more acceptable than getting excited about being exploded!
I think I’d agree on Cardinale being my choice for favourite Italian actress!
November 26, 2009 at 4:29 am
Keep in mind, everyone, that this picture was taken years before the swastika held its current fascist meanings. Clara Bow was by no means a Nazi.
November 26, 2009 at 9:33 am
I think that point was already made!
March 24, 2010 at 11:46 am
I don’t know which year the picture was taken, but the swastika was used by the Nazi Party long before their takeover of power in Germany. They used it already in 1920: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swastika#As_the_symbol_of_Nazism
The Nazis were only a relatively small party in the 1920s, but I still think a politically alert person could have known about the Nazi connotation at that time.
March 24, 2010 at 12:40 pm
Thanks for the info!
People might have known, but in 1920 the symbol’s other associations probably trumped it’s connection to a fringe group in Germany. Today that’s obviously no longer the case.
April 15, 2010 at 11:39 pm
I think the debate of the meaning of symbol at the time of the photograph is irrelevant as the nazi regieme doctored a lot of iconic american press and movie stills and used them as propaganda. This may well be one such image.
April 15, 2010 at 11:51 pm
I… don’t think so.
June 20, 2010 at 5:16 am
The Nazi (National Socialist) party started a labor party. She may have been a labor supporter.
June 20, 2010 at 10:26 am
I… don’t think so…
June 20, 2010 at 6:21 pm
Next thing you know, there will be talk that Buster Keaton was an early Nazi supporter for the swastika embedded in The Paleface. In 1922.
*sigh*
June 20, 2010 at 11:56 pm
My favourite is in Nosferatu, in Orlock’s correspondence. Anachronistic, but somehow RESONANT.
June 28, 2010 at 7:53 am
a left turning swastika is always the evil non budhist type,like shes wearing here
June 6, 2015 at 11:01 pm
Try:- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_use_of_the_swastika_in_the_early_20th_century You will notice there is a left and right facing svástika on Clara Bow. Simply a good luck symbol to most of its 10500 years or something used by a political party as a foot note in history.