User Reviews

Frank Capra's idealistic outlook on life is evident in his films. From It Happened One Night to It's a Wonderful Life, Capra has always had a tendency to let the little guy rise above it all and beat the odds. It is no small wonder that Capra enjoyed much of his success during the Depression, when movies were used to truly pull an audience out of the despair of the 1930s into a world where anything can happen, where being a nice person is all you need to succeed. While the fact that the country was in the middle of the Depression was not completely ignored, an overly optimistic view on life was taken to counter the despair of everyday life.

There were many points in It Happened One Night where the true state of the country was indicated. Homeless people hitching rides on trains seemed perfectly normal. Rather than regard them with apprehension and pity, you smile and wave at them. Another example is the hostile reaction proprietor Zeke's wife had to the fact that her husband had let Peter and Ellie stay the night with promises of being paid. Upon seeing Peter and Ellie's car missing, they rush to the cottage to see if Peter and Ellie are still there. They cannot afford freeloaders.

In another scene, a child's mother has passed out from hunger, because they have no money to buy food. Peter and Ellie have nearly depleted their funds, but decide that the mother and child need money more than they do and give some to them.

Despite these instances, the movie was altogether cheerful in its depiction of the world. In the throes of the stock market crash, this movie signaled the birth of the screwball comedy. At a time when the country needed release, they could find that release and laughter in movies like It Happened One Night. Audiences were amused by scenes in the film, such as the segment in which Peter teaches Ellie how to dunk a donut. Or, when forced to share a room, Peter puts a blanket between his and Ellie's beds and calls it the `wall of Jericho,' which is revisited when the walls of Jericho come tumbling down after Peter and Ellie's marriage. Probably the most famous scene in the film is the hitchhiking sequence, which features Peter standing by the roadside trying to thumb a ride unsuccessfully, finally giving up after more than a dozen cars speed by without paying any heed to his attempts. After he gives up, beaten, Ellie simply lifts her skirt above her knee. The first car that passes stops, as we see extreme close-ups of a foot slamming down on the brakes and a hand applying the hand brake.

A master in his profession, Capra left his mark on the films he directed. With an almost childlike cheerfulness, he maintains a sense of dignity and class. The viewer is left with a feeling of hope for humankind, even if its only that a person's ideals could be used to make such a film. Capra's films are still regarded as masterpieces. It Happened One Night arguably remains to this day unparalleled in screwball comedies. It was one of many movies made during the Depression, a sometimes sad and even lonely time in our history. It gave its audience a chance to escape and forget their troubles for a few moments in time.

9 out of 10 stars

Consider this, "It Happened One Night" was made in 1933 which gives it the distinction 70+ years later of being the oldest film still widely viewed by mainstream audiences. And most of the runner-ups for oldest film are 1930's screwball comedies inspired by the success of this seminal film which made a clean sweep of the 1934 Academy Awards. The genre has held up over the years because these are small human stories with themes that are still relevant.

The main reason "It Happened One Night" worked then and still works today is the accidental pairing of Colbert and Gable, who provide an amazing chemistry under Frank Capra's direction. Columbia Pictures was a small player in the early days of talking pictures and studio head Harry Cohn had difficulty rounding up two major stars to play the leads in this modest budget production. Colbert was not interested in doing another Capra film after a negative experience working for him six years earlier in her silent picture debut. Cohn told Capra: "That French broad likes money" and Capra finally got her on board with an offer of $50,000 (double her usual price) and a guarantee that production would only last 28 days. Gable was under contract to MGM but had been making trouble for them so as punishment Louis B. Mayer personally loaned him to Columbia for this film.

The film had a lot else going for it; a motivated Capra, a great script that would play well with small town America, and a good ensemble of supporting talent. The story concerns a spoiled young heiress (Colbert) trying to escape the control of her father (nicely played by Walter Connelly). Dodging her father's private detective she takes a Miami to New York bus where she meets a recently fired reporter (Gable) who agrees to help her in exchange for an exclusive story. Cozy quarters and many adventures lead them to change their initial opinions of each other (brainless brat and obnoxious bully) as an undisclosed affection develops. On the eve of their arrival in New York they try to sort out their feelings for each other.

While the script is not really successful in convincingly illustrating the process of their falling in love (one minute they are just friends and the next they are in love), Capra is able to sell it with a simple connection process between these two characters which is at work throughout the film. As another reviewer has written: "Far from lovey-dovey, the dialogue is witty, sharp and occasionally heartless. We may know the outcome, but the road to get there is paved with arguments, anger and misunderstandings. It's also clever, funny and a bit risqué (for 1934)" . During their three days and nights together Colbert convincingly gives us a character who matures from a spoiled rich girl to a responsible adult, motivated by a desire to improve her companion's opinion of her. Gable shows real star presence, playing a confident, charming, and resourceful gentleman. By the end their sudden love is credible because they have demonstrated that they are both exactly what the other is looking for in a partner.

After the Oscar ceremony Capra threw a party where he downed a magnum of champagne and passed out on his front lawn clutching his Best Director Oscar.

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

It Happened One Night is one of those films that is so classic, and on so many `must-see' lists that I actually assumed that I had seen it at one time or another. It wasn't until I actually looked into the film when I in fact realized I hadn't.

The first film to sweep the major categories in an Oscar ceremony, It Happened One Night spins the story of a young spoiled heiress (Colbert) who marries a shallow, yet dashing aviator. She is then swept off by her father who takes her on a cruise; convinced that time away from each other will cure her infatuation. Instead, she escapes by jumping out of the boat and swimming to shore where she begins her journey from Miami to New York, where her husband awaits. The film quickly turns into an `on the road' flick at this point when she meets up with Clark Gable, a down on his luck reporter who offers to help her for the exclusive rights to her story. Mayhem inevitably ensues as one thing after another goes wrong during their adventure.

I'm a little hesitant to completely agree with the general assessment that It Happened One Night is a screwball comedy. Of course, there were certain moments that were hilarious and overdone (the scene when Gable and Colbert pose as husband and wife to share a cabin for the night is absolutely rich) but the majority of the remaining film is clever romantic comedy with fairly even performances by the principles. Perhaps there is a sliding scale for screwball comedies, with It Happened One Night being a two and a film that I feel personifies the genre, Bringing up Baby, as a five.

Whatever its classification, It Happened One Night is a charming film that backs up its merit as a multiple Oscar winner. It is one of those films that may not be completely profound or deep, but is important nonetheless if anything, for its place in film history.

--Shelly

In his autobiography, The Name's Above the Title, Frank Capra said that until It Happened One Night drama had four stock characters, the hero, the heroine, the comedian, and the villain.

What Capra did and you might notice he followed that in a whole lot of his films, the characters of hero and comedian are combined. Not completely though because Claudette Colbert gets a few laughs herself, especially with that system all her own. But in doing what he did for Clark Gable's character, Capra created a whole new type of screen comedy, the classic screwball comedy and It Happened One Night surely set the mold.

Capra's autobiography told the story of the making of It Happened One Night which in itself could be a movie. Capra worked for Columbia Pictures which at that time was a minor studio, along the lines of Republic or Monogram. As Capra tells it he had a vision about this story that Samuel Hopkins Adams wrote and persuaded Harry Cohn to buy it.

Capra also had a stroke of good luck. Adolph Zukor at Paramount and Louis B. Mayer at MGM were looking to punish a couple of recalcitrant stars, Claudette Colbert and Clark Gable. The idea was to show these two what it was like to work in a small budget studio without all the perks of Paramount and MGM. In fact the description of Gable arriving to work at Columbia that first day, drunk as a skunk, is priceless. Capra dressed him down good and said that to his credit Gable came to work afterwards and couldn't have been more cooperative.

At some point Harry Cohn at Columbia was convinced that maybe Capra had something. He had in fact delivered for Columbia the previous year with Lady for a Day. So the publicity drums were beat.

The rest as they say is history. It Happened One Night won the first Oscar grand slam, Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Actress. It won the first Oscars Columbia Pictures ever got and lifted it right into the ranks of the major studios. And it set the standard for screwball comedy.

The film could never have gotten off the ground were it not for the chemistry of Gable and Colbert. They're together for most of the film so if it doesn't click between the two of them, you have people walking out in droves. Colbert had already played a wide variety of parts at Paramount, ranging from Poppaea and Cleopatra to comedies with Maurice Chevalier like The Big Pond. Gable had played a whole lot of tough guys on both sides of the law at MGM. It Happened One Night showed he had some real comic talent, a flair MGM exploited in his roles from then on in.

Gable and Colbert did only one other film together, Boom Town for MGM. You can't get much more different than those two films. Boom Town had a huge MGM budget, Spencer Tracy and Hedy Lamarr as well, and a lot of special effects involving the oil industry and hazards therein. It's also a great film, but it's not a classic like It Happened One Night.

IHON rightly earns it's place as one of the greatest romantic comedies in film history. A pioneer of the screwball comedy genre, it holds up very well 71 years after it was made.

It's a classic tale of the battle of sexes- something that is still so relevant today. We follow the story of spoiled heiress Ellie Andrews (Claudette Colbert), who jumps ship from her father's yacht (literally!) in Florida after an argument with said father (played by Walter Connolly) over her marrying wealthy playboy King Westley (Jameson Thomas) without her father's consent. Ellie is on a mission- to get to New York to King Westley. But how will she do it? That's how Peter Warne (played by a delightfully handsome Clark Gable) comes into the story. Recently fired from his newspaper job, Peter meets Ellie on the Night Bus to New York, and, realizing who she is (Her story is all over the news, after all!), offers to help her get to NY and Westley if she gives him an exclusive story- to win him back his job. And so the fun begins. Colbert and Gable have great chemistry as the mismatched couple thrown together after a series of unusual circumstances. The trip isn't a smooth one- and we are taken on a wild ride with Peter and Ellie, which gives us great scenes such as the doughnut-dunking lesson, Walls Of Jericho and the now-classic hitchhiking scene. The humour is still fresh and fast-paced over 70 years later. Oops, I almost forgot the classic 'no undershirt scene' where Gable sexily gives Colbert a lesson in how a man undresses, to reveal (shock horror!) no undershirt, but a bare chest! This had a bad effect on the sales of men's undershirts, which dropped dramatically after the film's release (One of the first examples of product placement in film). Great supporting characters, particularly the scene-stealing Oscar Shapeley (Roscoe Karns). Of course it has it's faults- all early talkies do. But any faults are outweighed by the great story. Technically, it was well-made for it's time.

IHON won 5 Oscars- Best Picture, Best Director (Frank Capra), Best Actress and Best Actor for Colbert and Gable and Best Adaptation. It deserved all of them. Funnily enough, both Colbert and Gable didn’t want any part in the film at first- I bet they changed their viewpoint after the surprise success and the prestigious Academy Awards they gained for it. It's been said that a number of Disney characters like Bugs Bunny, Yosemite Sam and Pepe LePew were inspired by characters in this film. A classic, a must-see, a great movie.

It Happened One Night directed by Frank Capra was made and released in 1934 by Columbia Pictures as a small budget film that was not expected to do well at the box office. Yet, after its release the film gained many accolades and won the Academy Award for best picture in 1934. Due to the original small nature of the film, the leading man role was surprisingly filled by Clark Gable who was on loan from another studio. He stared opposite of Claudette Colbert. Capra's film was a combination of many ideals, emotions and social perceptions of the American society of the thirties but it was also a combination of many new and innovative filming techniques and sound advancements. The film unfolds the story in such a attention-grabbing and remarkable way that most of today's cinema use his style and ideals when producing and creating films. Capra used the idea of a moving camera, one that was not fixed upon a box, but on a moveable crane instead. This produced more sweeping shots, more angles for filming and fewer distance shots. It allowed for more movement of the actors as well as a more realistic and real life feeling to the movie. The film also incorporates back projection of images. This is were a scene is filmed previously and played in the background while the actors perform the scene in front of the projection. Back projection is used for car scenes to give the impression that the actors are driving but in reality they are in a sound stage. Capra also incorporated the use of a wipe in his film. The technique of moving left to right and fading in or out to change a scene or show elapsed time took the place of the traditional place cards in silent films and allowed for a more constant stream for the film. The film was also all talk, the new technology of a sound strip on the side of the film was used. The text cards of silent films were completely discarded. Another camera trick by Capra is to show a change in feelings within Clark Gable's character for Claudette Colbert's character by depicting her character in a different light. This happens two times within the film at key moments to the development of their relationship. Claudette Colbert is seen in a close up of softer light to emphasize Clark Gable's character seeing her in a `different light.' In this romantic comedy Capra not only showed new styles and techniques but also addressed social issues of the time. Through comedy he showed the outlandish nature of the rich (King arriving for his own wedding in a helicopter) and the nature of man being the controller in relationships as well as in society. The fighting and struggles between the two main characters showed the man taking care of the woman, the social norms of how men and woman should act around each other in that era. But the fighting and the banter also show a strong-minded and intelligent woman. The two strong-willed main characters balanced each other out.

Capra's techniques for showing the social relationship between the rich and working classes as well as a relationship between man and woman in the 1930s captured film makers and film viewers for over 70 years. Films are now compared to his style of camera movement and his style of capturing the American ideals. When movies of today make a similar statement of achieving what one wants they are referred to as Capra-esc. Capra's imagination and style is one that changed the outlook of American films and introduced a new genre to film goers everywhere.

IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT (Columbia, 1934), directed by Frank Capra, based on a short story "Night Bus" by Samuel Hopkins Adams, ranks one of the best known and popular romantic comedies from the 1930s, thanks to the star chemistry of Clark Gable (on loan from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer) and Claudette Colbert (on loan from Paramount), with fine direction by Frank Capra, witty screenplay by Robert Risken, and for being the very first motion picture to win all five major Academy Awards, including Best Actor (Gable); Best Actress (Colbert); Best Director (Capra); Best Screenplay and Best Picture. This might have been an "upset" in 1934, considering other top-rated films and performances of the year, but who would have imagined IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT to still be as entertaining today as it was back in 1934?

This now well-known plot that's been remade twice by Columbia as EVE KNEW HER APPLES (1945) with Ann Miller and William Wright; and YOU CAN'T RUN AWAY FROM IT (1956) with June Allyson and Jack Lemmon, opens in a yacht in Miami where Ellen "Ellie" Andrews (Claudette Colbert), spoiled daughter of a millionaire Wall Street banker, Alexander Andrews (Walter Connolly), who disapproves of her recent marriage to aviator King Westley (Jameson Thomas), making arrangements on having it annulled. Following a heated argument with her father, Ellie runs from her state room, jumps overboard and swims to shore. Eluding her father's hired detectives, Ellie, acquiring new clothes, purchases a night bus ticket bound for New York City where she plans to meet Westley. While on board, Ellen encounters Peter Warne (Clark Gable), a hot-headed reporter recently fired by his editor, Joe Gordon (Charles C. Wilson). With both disliking each other immensely, Warne, having discovered the "spoiled brat's" identity, becomes her constant traveling companion in order to get an exclusive story and his job back. Hours before reaching New York and taking a rest stop in an auto camp, misunderstandings occur as Ellen awakens to find both Peter and the car gone.

A simple story playing like an overlong "B" movie, IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT is a memorable bus trip of so many classic scenes that have been imitated by others but never duplicated. Highlights include the "Walls of Jericho" where Peter and Ellen share a room in auto camps where a blanket is tossed over a rope that separates the couple as they sleep for the night; Peter demonstrating to Ellen on how a man undresses, particularly one in which he removes his shirt to no undershirt underneath; Peter's correct method of dunking a dough-nut into a cup of coffee; and the classic hitchhiking scene where Peter fails to attract cars while Ellen comes up with a method all her own.

Although IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT is essentially a Claudette Colbert movie from start to finish (there's no secondary female character, quite rare for its time). Due to the strength of Gable's performance, this has been hailed to be his best comedic role. Gable's character is hot-headed and forceful, living by a moral code. Although he shares a cabin with a married woman, that's all he does. He even tells Colbert's Ellie when she asks if she'll ever see him again, he replies, "I make it a policy not to run around with married women." And when he's hungry, he takes a carrot from a farm rather than going through the method of panhandling. This is Gable, a role model. Director Frank Capra, whose subject matter is usually on people, captures the many extras, especially those on the bus and auto camps, to make them appear as important as leading players. Roscoe Karns is equally memorable, "believe you me!" as the gabby bus passenger, Oscar Shapeley from Orange, New Jersey; Ward Bond as the tough talking bus driver; the meek Arthur Hoyt and the nosy/ domineering Blanche Frederici as the auto camp owners; Georgie Breakston the poor boy traveling on the bus with his mother (Claire McDowell); along with other passengers gathered together and singing "The Man on the Flying Trapeze," to a player of a snoring fat and bald man who rests his head on Colbert's shoulder. During it's entire 106 minutes, there's seldom any underscoring. As for the costumes, with the exception of the final 15 minutes, both Gable and Colbert use the same clothing through most of their trip.

While Gable and Colbert had challenging roles in their careers, plus their reunion in MGM's large-scale BOOM TOWN (1940), it's amazing how this likable little comedy was the only one to honor them Academy Awards. There's a scene where I feel Gable earned his statuette, the one where he tells Ellen the type of girl he would like to someday marry, saying that those kind of women don't exist anymore. Gable says this with frankness and sincerity. Colbert on the other hand earned hers from that same scene as she she listens and looks on lovingly at Gable with tears flowing down her cheek, coming to realize it happened one night.

IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT not only became a perennial favorite on late night television during the 1960s and 70s, but on cable TV as well, ranging from the Disney Channel (1980s), American Movie Classics (prior to 2001) to Turner Classic Movies, and availability on video cassette and finally DVD. While IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT has aged in appearance, it's still timely screen entertainment. There'll never be another film like this again. (***1/2)

Many things don't mix or go together, quite often they repel but when things do gel, when they seamlessly merge and mingle like two dancers combined as one, the end result can often be quite memorable, magical and spectacular. As here, with Claudette Colbert and Clark Gable, where the story is pretty immaterial but the interactions between the pair makes this, to this day, as engaging, charming and funny a conjuring as any you might previously have come across and, quite probably, any you might venture to find in the future.

Sorry to say but this movie is just a bit too overrated. Especially Capra's directing is disappointing, since it's done in such an extremely old fashioned manner for 1934 standards. Surprisingly enough he still won an Oscar for his directing of this movie though.

It's definitely an entertaining enough movie to watch. These type of movies were the romantic comedies of the '30's, the sort of Cameron Diaz and Asthon Kutcher flicks of their time, only done with more class and better actors involved. Nevertheless it's just as clichéd and predictable though. Dozens of these type of movies got made in the '30's and quite frankly I just can't see what it is that makes this movie a better one than any of them.

It's a boy meets girl story and of course they can't get along at first but slowly begin to like each other better and more. What makes this movie its story more special is its adventurous elements being thrown in. It's a movie that involves lots of traveling and therefor also many different characters, which mainly gives the movie its adventurous feeling, without ever really getting a big adventure.

More fireworks was to be expected, especially from Frank Capra's directing. It's just too formulaic and at times even just plain poor. It's way too old fashioned for 1934 and it's one of those typical movies that features long close-ups for the dramatic moments. It's a very static made film, as if it was just a job that had to be done and no real passion was thrown into it.

As could be expected, the acting is still great though, from Clark Gable and the much more unknown Claudette Colbert. They were good together and luckily shared some good chemistry, which made the movie all the more fun to watch. This was actually the movie that earned Clark Gable his only Oscar out of his career. Ironicly enough non of the actors really enjoyed starring in this movie and also lots of well known actor turned the script down and Claudette Colbert, who also received an Oscar for her role in this movie, even didn't took the trouble to attend the award ceremony at first, until hearing upon her win.

Yes, I know I'm making the movie sound horrible, which it really isn't. It's basically a movie I enjoyed watching but is no way worthy of this currently high rating on here. There are way better genre movies and Capra movies, with a much lower rating on here though.

There are better and more interesting Capra movies to watch out there, which does not mean that this movie is an horrible one though.

7/10

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This sweet comedy never loses its appeal. Claudette Colbert is a spoiled young girl who meets a wordly, attractive newspaper reporter (Clark Gable). In the beginning, she treats him like a servant, but he never knuckles under to this behavior. The interaction between these two is very romantic and humorous. It is the classic portrayal of what may be called "sexual tension." He takes care of her - does not take advantage of her - but makes her realize that her wealthy background cannot carry her through as a human being, she has to earn his respect by treating him with respect. There is a scene in which the two of them are forced to hitchhike, and their "breakfast" is only a handful of carrots plucked from a garden they were lucky to find. As Gable stands at the edge of the road and Colbert is perched atop a wooden fence, his wisecracking posture is said to be the inspiration for the beloved cartoon character Bugs Bunny. This is a must-see for every one who loves old movies, and entertaining for all.

I'm a big fan of Frank Capra films. Meet John Doe, It's a Wonderful life, and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, and Mr. Deeds Goes to Town are four of the greatest films ever made. Capra was not without his misses and downright lemons though. Arsenic and Old Lace and the abysmal Here Comes the Groom fall into these categories. It Happened one Night falls somewhere in between. Not an all out screwball comedy and not alot of social commentary, it is nevertheless a good light road picture, one of the first, and shouldn't fail to entertain. Innovative in it's way it was the forerunner to many more comedies in the later 30's which have become standards in the genre of Screwball. Capra here was still honing his technique for better films to come and it shows. At times the timing is off and the writing could use snappier one liners which hit the mark. Gable's funnier moments seem to be accidental or improvised -- and Colbert, though capable, just is no Carole Lombard or Rosalind Russell in her delivery. The thigh scene where she hails the passing car has been improved upon in several later comedies and even cartoons. Even though I like this picture, I feel it is another film which has received a higher rating over the years than it is due. Maybe it's just my love of more complex and polished comedic situations and dialogue in films like Bringing up Baby and His Girl Friday etc which I'm missing here. Cary Grant was, afterall, the definitive leading man in this type of picture. It Happened one Night is a good, not great evening at the movies. If you want to see Clark Gable really turning on the comedy charm check out Teacher's Pet with Doris Day which was made late in his career. I've yet to see a better Gable comedy than that. And if you're looking for another sweet road picture from yesteryear I recommend A Lady Takes a Chance with Jean Arthur and John Wayne, a light screwball comedy dappled with excellent performances. It's a shame it is long forgotten and hard to obtain on video.

Hollywood after all is a town of dumb luck, indeed. I worked there for many years and heard a heck of a lot of stories. This is one of them.

Two up and coming actors, and an industrious director willing to roll the dice on an interesting Depression era story, all somehow came together, and went to work at a low budget studio called Columbia Pictures. They put their heads together, put the egos in the back pocket, thank you, applied a little elbow grease and produced one of the most beloved romantic comedies of all time. How's that for a Hollywood happy ending?

IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT made Gable a name, whose career was slow to start, and gave a very small studio an undisputed reputation as a can-do organization now open for business. HOORAY! The rest is history, of course, but not without saying what an unforgettable story this is and, perhaps, the very first road trip movie ever produced. Great trivia question.

It's also a very simple story; "young man meets young woman" and the adventures they share together, going at it as best as they can, and let's not forget during the height of the Great Depression. Truly, audiences at the time needed a good laugh and this gem was their answer, which it remains to this day.

Also a tip of the hat to a marvelous supporting cast, foremost Walter Connolly as Colbert's frustrated father, whose bark is worse than his bite. Director Frank Capra outdid himself in this one, FIVE Oscars, a first in 1934. Not to be forgotten.

Capra's previous hit was LADY FOR A DAY, and a dynamic double feature with this and pizza.

Forever on dvd, remastered blu ray and whatever comes next.

"Romance triumphant?" Well, it gets a decent ride in this amiable, low- octane comedy, which wiser people than I regard as a classic.

Wealthy heiress Ellen Andrews (Claudette Colbert) is tired of her gilded cage. After literally jumping ship from her controlling tycoon father (Walter Connelly), she winds up in the lap of recently-fired reporter Peter Warne (Clark Gable), who decides to aid her escape in hopes of reviving his career. Trekking across country without a dime, they find their unlikely union triggering feelings neither is prepared to handle.

I've read that "It Happened One Night" is the mother of screwball comedies, which is absolutely the wrong way to approach this film. Sure, there's banter, and a "dizzy" lady at the center, but what you don't get here is the spinning-plate subplots or the zany secondary characters of true screwball. This is a two-handed rom-com that plays its story straight down the middle.

If you love Colbert and Gable, you may well enjoy this film more than I did. Despite the clever set-up, I found the story and the main characters hard to take after the first 20 minutes.

Director Frank Capra gets more out of ambiance here, and some fantastic visual language, like the way the rain falls outside the windows of a cabin where Ellie and Peter are holed up. There are some delightful moments, such as when the pair hoodwink a couple of nosy detectives, or sing along with a bus full of passengers to "The Man In The Flying Trapeze."

Warne's main comic trait is his cantankerousness. "Listen, partner, you may not like my nose, but I do," Peter tells an ornery bus driver (Ward Bond). "I always wear it out in the open where if anyone wants to take a sock at it, they can do it." It sets Peter up well, anyway.

Yet the overall experience of their company never feels natural. Peter lectures Ellie about everything from hitchhiking to dunking donuts, and emerges a bit of a bore. Ellie's more interesting, but that's more because of Colbert's beauty than anything her character says. Having him tell her off ("Ever hear of the word 'humility'") suggests more of the director's take on class differences than anything disagreeable in her behavior, which is surprisingly docile in the main.

Neither lead makes you think anything other than Depression dollars is driving their union. They may play well off each other, but only for laughs. When things get "mushy" (something Ellie likes and Peter doesn't), the story falters. The worst part comes near the end, when he abruptly leaves her alone for a night and gets mad when she reacts naturally enough by returning to Pa.

There are iconic moments in the film, like when she shows him up as the better hitchhiker, and when she is clearly affected by the sight of Peter without a shirt on, but what "It Happened" lacks are the smaller moments that pull you in without feeling manipulated. I counted one, when a close-up of Ellie in the darkness shows only the tiniest pinpricks of light of her eyes as she takes in her situation with Peter. Otherwise, Capra is too obviously pushing me how to feel.

I didn't feel much of anything when I was done watching this, just a mixture of appreciation for the cleverness of the story and relief it was over. However well it did at the Oscars in 1935, "It Happened" lacks the timelessness of Golden Age Hollywood. Yes, it plays with the conventions, and delivers some laughs, but left me cold all the same.

This is a pleasant, funny classic that shows it age only slightly, and that has a lot of scenes you can look forward to each time that you see it. Gable and Colbert each get roles that are nicely suited to them, and are well-remembered for their performances. The supporting cast also rounds out the picture with some good character acting.

The cross-country trip on the bus and via other assorted methods is fun to watch, with several nice vignettes that complement the main story line. (The atmosphere on the long bus trip is done especially well.) The plot is of course not meant to be taken too seriously in itself, but it comes in very handy for setting up good characters and comedy.

It all comes across as effortlessly entertaining romantic comedy, with some classic scenes and characters you learn to care for in spite of their mistakes.

...and Claudette Colbert is just adorable with so many great lines. She was always perplexed how this little, low budget film, ( shot in just 4 weeks), beat out those big production numbers she did with Cecil B. DeMille. It was the first of the screwball comedies and was the foundation of the modern rom-com. Would anybody remember either of these leads - or at least remember them quite so well - if not for this film? It's ironic that Clark Gable's signature roles in this movie and as Rhett Butler in Gone with the Wind are what get him remembered. He gave good performances in his matinee idol roles over at MGM, but most of the material itself has not aged that well.

Elie Andrews (Claudette Colbert) is being held on her father's yacht because she wants to be with her husband the rogue King Wesley, with whom she eloped. Elie escapes the yacht and plans to take a bus to New York to reunite with King. Recently fired newspaper reporter Peter Warne (Clark Gable) recognizes her and agrees to get her to her husband if she lets him have an exclusive on the story so that he can get his old job back. Otherwise he says he'll spill the beans to Elie's dad on her whereabouts. What ensues is a delightful road trip filled with humor, adventure, and the gradual blossoming of an unexpected romance against the backdrop of the Great Depression.

Beyond the central romance, "It Happened One Night" also provides a humorous and satirical commentary on societal norms and class distinctions of the time. The film cleverly uses the road trip narrative to explore themes of love, sacrifice, and the pursuit of happiness, making it more than just a romantic comedy.

Frank Capra's direction is skillful, and the screenplay, written by Robert Riskin, is sharp and engaging. The film's success is also attributed to its innovative use of location shooting, capturing the essence of the open road and adding authenticity to the narrative.

In Miami, the spoiled socialite Ellie Andrews (Claudette Colbert) is trapped in the yacht of her controller father, the Wall Street banker Andrews (Walter Connolly), who has just annulled her secret marriage with the snobbish aviator King Westley (Jameson Thomas). Out of the blue, Ellie jumps overboard and swims to the shore. Andrews hires a detective agency to find her and offers a 10,000 dollars reward for any information about his daughter. But Ellie pawns her watch, buys some clothing and a bus ticket to New York to meet her lover. She seats side- by-side with the cynical reporter Peter Warne (Clark Gable). However, when a thief steals her purse with her money in a bus stop and Ellie does not report to the police, Peter recognizes and blackmails Ellie, asking her to travel together with him. He promises to protect her and in return he would write her adventure to meet King Westley. Along their journey, Ellie falls in love for Peter; but when he vanishes from the motel where they are lodged and contacts her father later, she believes he was only interested in the reward. In the end, love triumphs and the wall of Jericho falls.

"It Happened One Night" is another delightful and charming romantic comedy of Frank Capra. The romance of a cynical reporter with a spoiled young woman is very funny despite being naive and dated, with witty dialogs, and the chemistry between Claudette Colbert and Clark Gable is marvelous. The cinematography in black and white is wonderful with magnificent use of lighting to highlight the lead couple. Last time I saw this classic was on 29 January 2003 and this is the third time that I watch this film, now on DVD from Columbia Distributor, and I highly recommend it as one of the best romantic comedies ever. My vote is ten.

Title (Brazil): "Aconteceu Naquela Noite" ("It Happened that Night")

In my college film class we had begun watching "It happened one night". I was laughing my head off. But of course my professor stops the movie right when it was getting good. After that, I wanted to see this movie so badly. My father lucky enough had the movie. I watched it and it is one of the funniest movies I have ever seen. Clark Gable is histerical. He really does a great job in the film. I always did prefer the old comedies to today. Do you blame me? If you watch the flick, you will enjoy it. This is one of the first romantic comedies. It'll send all the others to the back of the bus. I would higly recommend this movie. It's a classic.

10/10

Background to that '30s era: this 1934 film is often called the first (of the many following) in the 'screwball comedy' genre; it came out in the worst of the Great Depression (US unemployment in 1928 was 2.9%, by 1933 it hit 25%; millions were hungry and desperate, leading to some antagonisms between economic classes). This was also a time when women's roles were changing in the US: the 'women's suffrage' movement gained women the right to vote in 1920 (19th Amendment), more equality in decision-making, more freedom in dress, gender & sexual roles (e.g., '20s 'Flappers'). "Screwball comedies" capitalized and fed on those changes: they typically "feature farcical situations, a combination of slap-stick with fast-paced repartee and show struggles between" (central characters of different) "economic classes. They also generally feature a self-confident and often stubborn central female protagonist and a plot involving courtship and marriage or remarriage" ("quotes" from Wikipedia).

A young 30's Gable plays "Peter," a drinking, hard boiled newspaper reporter just fired from his job when he accidentally meets the young 20's "Ellie" (a young 30's Colbert) who's increasingly rebelled against the escalating but failing attempts of her upper class, super-rich father to control her. He tries to keep her on his Florida yacht while arranging to annul Ellie's impulsive marriage to a man (whom her father recognizes but Ellie doesn't as mainly interested in her wealth). But Ellie escapes her father's captivity and sets off to NYC to be reunited with her new spouse. On her way, she meets Gable who's initially interested in helping her because it'll lead to his scoop of a newspaper story (and reinstatement of his job). But then--romance eventually, gradually, starts to happen between you know who.

My rating: 6 of 10 I found this interesting as a time-traveling experience--early '30s bus rides, clothes, roles, attitudes, etc.-- but all the people seemed to me to be too much caricatures and not enough real characters. (However, many people on IMDb's "Discussion Board" say the more often they've seen this film, the more highly they value it--many saying it's among their most favorite films of all--so maybe familiarity breeds appreciation?) FWIW: Neither Gable nor Colbert wanted to be in this film; MGM "loaned" them to Columbia Pictures, then a 2nd rate movie company, for this movie as punishment for each being too "uppity" and/or violating MGM policies. But, after this film gained such outstanding success (lifting Columbia's rank to among the majors) and substantially helped both Gable's & Colbert's careers, they came to appreciate it.

Ellie Andrews is the daughter of a Wall Street mogul. Her father is highly protective of her and isn't pleased when she elopes, marrying a man she hardly knows. Ellie runs away from her father sets off across country to get to her husband in New York. On the bus she meets a recently-fired reporter, Peter Warne. The two don't get along but, figuring out who she is, and knowing that her father will have every route into New York covered with private detectives, he offers to help her get to a husband. In exchange he wants an exclusive on her story. The two tag along together, getting through some interesting adventures. Over time they even get to like each other...

A gem of a film from legendary director Frank Capra. I was expecting a rather standard romantic drama but It Happened One Night is so much better than that. Warm, and hilariously funny at times, it's certainly not your average romantic comedy. Dialogue is incredibly fresh and snappy and even the romantic side is not straightforward, keeping the schmaltz to a minimum and taking some unpredictable twists and turns.

The great direction by Capra and the solid script are aided by wonderful performances from Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert in the lead roles. The chemistry between them is great and their delivery is spot-on.

Both Gable and Colbert received Oscars for their performances, as did Capra for Best Director. The movie was the well-deserved 1935 Best Picture Oscar winner.

Samuel Hopkins Adams' story "Night Bus" turned into a big, commercial audience-pleaser circa 1934. The unhappy daughter of a wealthy banker flees daddy's yacht in Miami, intent on getting to New York City to be reunited with the man she married against her father's wishes; a recently-fired newspaper reporter attempts to befriend the spoiled heiress on their journey by bus. Wafer-thin material stretched to the breaking point, with a rollicking first-half (in buses and roadside motels) let down by less-funny second and third acts more concerned with a quasi-introspective study of character. Robert Riskin won the Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar; Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert also won for their performances. Indeed, their rapport is easy and free of gimmicks, though some of the sniping grates. Frank Capra won two Academy Awards, one for his direction and the other for producing this Best Picture winner. Its American minutiae was fresh and novel at the time--and some of it still holds up today--but when the wisecracks turn somber, and Riskin's script loops around to bide time, the film seems less a feel-good trifle than an over-praised, desperate movie-star "product". Remade in 1956 as "You Can't Run Away From It". **1/2 from ****

I was inspired to think of other films with completely mystifying titles. `The Phantom Menace', obviously. Also: `The Shop Around the Corner' (around the corner from WHERE?), `The Empire Strikes Back' (it doesn't), `The Living Daylights', `True Lies', `Batman Forever', `Species', `The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp' ... if anyone has any more suggestions, please send them to me.

In this case, it happens over several nights, and I'm not sure which particular night is being referred to. Probably one of the candidate nights is less unobvious than the rest; so I guess the title isn't COMPLETELY mystifying. But actually, Capra gives us the feeling that everything is up in the air. Everyone knows that the hero and heroine of romantic comedies are bound to get hitched in the end - in most cases it's simply a question of staying awake. But Capra makes us feel the contingency of it all. I, for one, was convinced that right up until the final moment, it could have gone either way. How did Capra manage this? Was it because he was a complete innocent; or was it because he was remarkably sophisticated? I don't suppose it matters: it's results that count.

I'm glad to see very little mention among the comments about the sexism of it all. The characters have life; their words have life; and if such art as this could only be produced by a sexist society, it's almost worth creating a sexist society (and then dismantling it), in order to get the art. In modern romances I get the feeling that the writers are wearily writing `feisty' lines for the heroine in an attempt to fool feminists, who, by and large, aren't so easily fooled. Claudette Colbert isn't feisty. When she DOES assert her independence, she means it.

(And, of course, when Clark Gable asserts his dominance, HE means it. You don't get sincerity like this these days.)

Anyway, the ideology of a film, if there is one, is always beside the point, except inasmuch as the ideology is AESTHETICALLY attractive or unattractive. This is an attractive film. Two real individuals, a real story, some misunderstanding but no tiresome or pointless misunderstanding, constant wit - and, as I expressed amazement at earlier, constant suspense. And if THAT isn't enough to get you to watch it, note that it was released in 1934. The Hayes code didn't come into effect until 1935. Not a moment too late.

Based on all the historical accolades, I decided to watch this "classic". After enduring to the bitter end, the most flattering thing I can say is that the camera appeared to be in focus for the full duration of the film.

I'm willing to make concessions given the cultural differences of the time periods, but I can't imagine that peoples innate senses of humor and romance have changed THAT much. I mean really, did folks back in the day think dissertations on dunking donuts and piggy-back rides were funny? I realize the players in older films can be exaggerated and caricatures, but the obnoxious male bus passenger was just too much. It was one of many cringe-worthy scenes that left me wondering if the art of writing screen plays was in it's infancy. Incidentally, who didn't think Peter's terrorist threats against the bus guy's family were a howler! I'm still laughing at that one?!?!

As for chemistry between the two stars, distilled water appears more reactive. Peter was a self-righteous grouch who wanted some dream "dame" who likes to frolic on the beach and look at the stars. Who wouldn't want a guy like that? She..., come to think of it, I don't remember anything about her desires or ambitions. Her facial expressions and lack of anything resembling passion were confusing. There was nothing to like on either side. He wasn't an appealing character and she was boring.

I will say the movie was funny as an audience participation event. When Peter ran and caught a car to retrieve his belongings from a film-flam man, I couldn't help busting a gut. Either the cars were very slow in those days, or the cigarettes they were smoking really did make them more fit. Either way, there were several "incredible" circumstances in the movie that had me chuckling.

I suppose the movie wasn't a complete waste of time, but I'm still wondering what happened and on which night?