Captivating movie !

Absolutely Fantastic

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

The acting in this movie is really good.

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.

It's been over eighty years since It Happened One Night debuted on screens and still, it remains the quintessential romantic comedy to watch. While being the influence of countless films since, It Happened One Night is triumphant and timeless because of its great cast, director, and script. At the start of the film, we see the beautiful Ellen Andrews (Claudette Colbert) in Florida aboard her wealthy father's luxury boat. Ellen is planning to marry King Westley, but her father disapproves of him and forces her to stay on the boat until he can find someone more suitable to his liking. This leads her to run away and seek out Westly herself while her father puts out a highly publicized bounty for her return. She boards a bus to New York and crosses paths with the charismatic Peter Warne (Clark Gable). He's a gifted newspaper reporter who also has a drinking problem that constantly gets him in trouble. Once Warne figures out who Ellen really is, he proposes a plan to her. He will escort her to New York for the rights to her story, which has become a national headline. While the seemingly mismatched pair goes on an adventure they eventually warm up and become close. The plot flies at a free-flowing pace that allows for wickedly good one-liners. The script is fantastic and allows for great comedic timing and also a sense of drama. There is a bit of suspense as the will-they won't-they couple explore their feelings for each other. While watching the film you get the sense that they will end up together, but it's never fully guaranteed and leaves room for you to doubt. We meet several supporting characters that mostly never overstay their welcomes, such as the bumbling Shapeley and boisterous Zeke. They are great in the small amount of time they get and don't distract from the main narrative. One minor problem with the story is that the geography is very confusing. The audience is left out of the loop when it comes to knowing where exactly the leads are. This makes it hard to track the importance of each setting.This is the prime example and maybe founding of the screwball comedy. Screwball comedies tell the story of two leads (often an unmarried man and woman) that come from different social classes and how they interact with each other based on their previous lifestyles. If you like films such as Heaven Can Wait and Raising Arizona, you should thank this film for popularizing the genre. Frank Capra won the academy award for Best Director for this film and he totally deserved it. He balances his cast well and allows them to have total freedom within the cramped space of the frame. He pushes the camera for claustrophobic scenes that force the actors to work together to make the physical comedy work. The acting is the definite draw and best part of the film. Both Gable and Colbert took home academy awards for their performances. Gable will go down as one of the best romantic leads ever. He's handsome, quick on his feet, and witty. He also delivers the perfect one-liners with confidence and swagger to make women want him and men to want to be him. Colbert does an excellent job as the uptight and bratty female that so many leading ladies are still trying to replicate almost eighty years later. She perfectly embodies a rich girl that is out of her element while in the real world. She bounces off Gable's laid back working man character with ease and her one-liners are just as good or even better than his. Walter Connolly also does a good job as Ellie's wealthy father, Alexander Andrews. He plays the overprotective but also understanding father. At first, he wants Ellen to marry someone rich and famous in order to boost his social status, but after seeing her unhappiness he changes and sees the errors of his ways. He's one of those fathers that every girl wants and every man should strive to be. It Happened One Night is the biggest influence on the romantic comedy genre. Having the great pair of Gable and Colbert, and Capra as the director lifts this film to the heavens of classic cinema. Even in 2017 the film is still fun and can be used to teach writers how to create good comedy.

When one puts two stellar actors in a situation of one-upsmanship where each is a strong personality (and quite attractive), the sparks are going to fly. Colbert already is on the loose and is being pursued. Along the way, she runs into and must depend on Gable, who is quite glib and very funny. As the two of them make their way across the country, they find themselves in near compromising conditions. We have the famous "Wall of Jericho" where they sleep in the same bed with a bed sheet acting as a barrier. Colbert is defiant; Gable is flirtatious. Remember the famous scene where Colbert gets a driver to stop and pick them up by sticking out her exposed leg. Frank Capra gave us all these films about Americana and this is one that has captured our being for decades. The byplay between the principle characters is worth the effort.

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.