Inspired by Elinor Glyn's novel, which fashioned the eponymous catchphrase for sexual magnetism, the film provides a précis of the piece in short Cosmo excerpts that seem to conclude in no uncertain terms: Clara Bow has "It." And the film earns that dicey claim and then some: by sheer dint of the effervescent charisma and It-ness of its actors, this succeeds as a suitably complicated Love Triangle (in the screwball tradition), a sympathetic exposé of proletarian living, and a lighthearted salute to class subversion. It is also subtler in its physical comedy, craftier in its filmmaking, than one might expect: the exact synchronicity between a raised eyebrow and a peculiar inter-title, for example, can result in the film's funniest and most poignant moments. This witty comedy of errors, misdirection, and misunderstanding is a trifle, but it's rousing in its occasional provocations: there is a subplot about Bow's attempt to hide her distraught co-worker and illegitimate son in her tiny apartment that works as an evocation of the stifling, claustrophobic social mores that ruled the day. Then there's the director's earnest attempt to illustrate Bow's purity in courting her wealthy boss (and would-be benefactor) as anything but a money-move; yet we can guiltlessly cheer her material success in the end, her untainted heart leading her to pleasures on both sides of the fence.
While some might find this a cheap breach of the film's established ethics up to that point, one can imagine Bow's character putting her old friend up in the biggest bedroom in the mansion. This depiction might reek of star worship (and it might be damned condescending to say It depicts the "right" way of escalating the social ladder), but it reflects the irresistible sweetness of a caring, smart person trying her best to persuade others (and, by extension, those who belong to the class of struggling working girls) of her value.
While some might find this a cheap breach of the film's established ethics up to that point, one can imagine Bow's character putting her old friend up in the biggest bedroom in the mansion. This depiction might reek of star worship (and it might be damned condescending to say It depicts the "right" way of escalating the social ladder), but it reflects the irresistible sweetness of a caring, smart person trying her best to persuade others (and, by extension, those who belong to the class of struggling working girls) of her value.