Betty Lou Spence

The silent film It (1927) portrays a particular type of women, one that is freed of certain societal and social conventions. In it, Betty Lou Spence (Clara Bow) is a shopgirl at a large, expensive department store run by Cyrus T. Waltham (Antonio Moreno). The film centers on a article recently published by Elinor Glyn, describing the modern girl and the traits most becoming of them, this so-called “It.” Which is described as something alluring, being sexual without exposing oneself, and have a magnetic quality that draws people in, and an enormous self-confidence. Hence, the film revolves around Spence, who displays all these traits as she tries to woo and eventually get Waltham to propose to her. The first introduction of Spence as she is working at the department store counter, during which a friend of

A pair of female social workers clad in expensive clothes are threatening to take her baby away because she is ill, has no job and husband. She rushes back into her apartment and confronts the social workers and claims that the infant is in fact her and that she has a good paying job. Monty is shocked by this and a reporter quickly produces an article for the paper; later, Monty tells Waltham about the baby. For Waltham this is shocking and unbecoming, he immediately begins to look down on Spence, later, while issuing the ladies’ bonuses, he ignores Spence, and later rebuffs her advances as she perches herself on his desk. Unable to resist her charms and beauty, he proclaims that he has fallen madly in love with her, he then offers to buy her anything she wants (diamonds, clothes, etc.) However for Spence this is not what she desires, she feels the judgment from him and takes this as him wanting her to be a ‘kept woman,’ she confesses her love but her pride is hurt, she leaves and promptly quits her