It Happened One Night (1934)

Wonderful Movie

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

It's a dumb film, enamored with its own cleverness when it's only half as clever as it thinks it is. Clark Gable plays an even more insufferable pretty boy than his usual shtick and Claudette Colbert plays a melodramatic archetype of the hysterical damsel. I hate both of them and I kept wishing that they would both get caught and the movie would just end so it would stop trying to get me to root for them. Detracting from my hatred a bit, however, is some very nice cinematography as well as some interesting and neat ways of incorporating the Great Depression setting without detracting from the main story. Some of the jokes landed quite nicely although most of them were either too dated or portrayed with too much hammy acting to get a laugh or even a chuckle. I'd give it a 4.5/10 as well as a sticker of essential American Cinema since I now know the origin of about a dozen running gags in current film and television.

A young woman from a wealthy background cracks under the pressure of her demanding lifestyle and runs away. On her way she meets a struggling reporter, who decides to stick with her with a story in mind. Together they experience the joys of life. If this sounds vaguely familiar, it might be because you've seen the 1953 classic, Roman Holiday, the plot of which fits the exact same description. This came first, however.The are also differences. Whereas Roman Holiday is a pretty clear romantic city comedy, this movie can best be described as a road trip movie. It's also a bit more dramatic, or at least not as clearly a comedy. Overall I find Roman Holiday to be the superior film, but that's mainly due to the strength of its main leads. It Happened One Night certainly has star power going for it, with Clark Gable proving himself Gregory Peck's equal in all ways that matter. But if you were to tell me Claudette Colbert was just as good in this as Audrey Hepburn was in Roman Holiday, I'd punch you. Not that Colbert is bad, mind you, but her character is written pretty passive. I blame mostly the era, but the problem still exists.Nevertheless, I do like this film. Frank Capra's light, idealistic world view is evident throughout and it's just such a joy to experience. In his world people still believe is basic goodness and there are no true villains. Or if there are, there are also plenty of people to laugh at them or to thwart their evil schemes. What can I say, they don't make movies like these anymore. An attempt to make a movie such as this nowadays just wouldn't fly. It would be seen as too naive. Its dialogue as too corny, its characters as lacking humane flaws. But in denying ourselves films such as these, we're losing something. Whether its simple honesty or something else. But we're losing it.And that's a shame.

The dialog is witty, the characters are delightful, and the story is timeless. The way it managed to weave together a story of conflicing interests and miscommunicated interests was so good, it became a cliché in romantic comedies, even to this day. However, unlike some other formulaic cash grabs you might see today, nothing about the misunderstanding felt forced or overly coincidental. The acting was great, and Clark Gabels performance was charming, smooth, and reluctant, akin to Bogart in Casablanca.

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.Though not Frank Capra's first movie, not by any means, this was the movie that put him on the map and kick-started a run of creativity that would see him make such classics as Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, You Can't Take It With You, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Meet John Doe, Arsenic and Old Lace and, of course, It's a Wonderful Life.