It Happened One Night** (1934)

Looking back at all the films that have dominated the Oscars recently (and throughout the Acadmey’s history for that matter), it’s almost unfathomable that a screwball romantic comedy was the first (and still one of only three films) to capture ‘The Big Five’ (Best Picture, Director, Actor, Actress and Screenplay). After watching It Happened One Night, however, one thing is absolutely clear- if you don’t like this film, then you cannot call yourself a movie lover.

Ellie Andrews (Claudette Colbert), a spoiled young heiress, marries against her father’s will. Daddy breaks in on the new couple and before they consummate their nuptials and holds her in isolation on a private yacht until she comes to her senses. Furious and crafty, Ellie manages to swim to shore and attempts to make her way to New York City to be with her beau. Her attempts to remain unnoticed fail, as newspaper reporter Peter Warne (Clark Gable) realizes who she is and what she’s up to.

After missing their bus one morning, Peter makes a proposition- he won’t alert her father to her whereabouts if she promises him an exclusive story on her flight from her father. She attempts to bribe him but Peter bluntly advises that he doesn’t care about her or her father’s money. This starts a tension-filled journey across the country that’s full of snide comments, snappy one-liners and plenty of screwball antics as Ellie and Peter’s animosity towards each other gradually melts into attraction.

One of the things I’ve learned from watching films from Hollywood’s early days is that it can be very difficult to appreciate the originators of what have become genre conventions. Being a child of the late 80s and early 90s, nearly all of the films I grew up watching laid their foundations on the films that came before them. Modern audiences often take for granted or don’t even realize that they have the privilege of benefiting from over 80 years of film production advancements. It’s a daunting task to look for the originality in something that seems so predictable by today’s standards.

Having finally seen It Happened One Night, I can instantly call to mind dozens of references and allusions to this classic in any number of other films and TV shows- heck even Looney Tunes cartoons! It’s not enough to recognize the merits of older films like this- to truly appreciate it you must also recognize the legacy and impact it has had on popular culture. This is one of those films that are rife with scenes, lines and gags worth recycling and paying homage to.

Everything in director Frank Capra’s film seems to be firing on all cylinders. The chemistry between Gable and Colbert is palpable and they seem to deliver their lines effortlessly. You’d think they had been working together for years but this was their first picture together. On top of this, Colbert was very disappointed in the script and evidently complained every day of production. This goes to show just how fantastic she and Gable are at their craft, able to bury any inhibitions while the cameras are rolling.

Robert Riskin’s screenplay is breezy and full of playful lines. Even before the puritanical Motion Picture Producers Code was established, Riskin’s script makes clever use of double-entendres to skirt around the decency standards of the day. This kept the film tasteful but bawdy enough to appeal to a wide audience. Somehow, despite encountering these gags and lines any number of times through modern movies, there is freshness in their delivery here.

I was initially only going to give this film 3.75 stars out of 5 because there were elements that, due to my generation, come off as predictable. Having seen a number of references and allusions to It Happened One Night recently though, I can’t possibly deny it the greatness it deserves. I fear that my rating may still be limited by seeing these things a thousand times before but any time I see someone flash a little leg to catch a cab, put a sheet to separate his-and-hers beds, or make a reference to the Walls of Jericho, you better believe this movie will come to mind.

Don’t watch this film simply because it is the stuff of Oscar legend. Watch it because it is a charming and endearing film that paved the way for the romantic comedy genre. Paying your respects to the past never felt so good.

RATING: 4 out of 5