When she was 14 her father encouraged her to enter a “Fame & Fortune” Contest in which she won the chance to appear in a motion picture. The motion picture she obtained a part in was called Beyond the Rainbow, her part however was cut out of the film until much later. Determination and director Elmer Clifton, who saw her picture in a magazine, lead her to her next picture; Down to the Sea in Ships. For her role she was mentioned favorably in several reviews. After this her father took her to Maxine Alton, a New York actress-playwright-agent, who managed to induce J.G. Bachman, the partner of B.P. Schulberg in Preferred Pictures, to give her a three-month contract at $50 a week, plus the fare to Hollywood.
When introduced to Schulberg, Bow was pathecically dressed and mannered and was about to be written off when Alton urged him to test her personality. He ran her through a range of emotions and when she on command went from later to full out tears he through up his arms and to