I've watched a lot of Romantic Comedies but I can honestly say that "It Happened One Night" is one of the most finest films of the genre bordering on the screwball comedies of the same era. It starred the bankable superstar duo of Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert with the direction of the legendary Frank Capra.
The film is about a rebellious spoiled heiress Ellen "Ellie" Andrews (Colbert) who against her father's wishes marries a sleazy fortune hunter "King" Westley (James Thomas). Her father (Walter Connolly) manages to steal her but Ellie impulsively jumps off aboard her father's yacht and decides to board a bus to New York. On the way Ellie meets a down on his luck newspaper reporter Peter Warne (Gable) who recognizes the runaway heiress and blackmails her. Warne gives Ellie 2 choices: the first is he turns her in to her father for the reward or she gives him an exclusive story and reunite her with Westley. Ellie reluctantly agrees to the 2nd option and they embark on a road trip for New York that will change both their lives forever.
Though the film maybe dated it still gives an interesting glimpse on how an unexpected romance can blossom amidst all the craziness and chaos that is going on around between 2 strangers that does not even like each other. We can see Colbert and Gable had great chemistry between them and Capra was able to show a time where things like these could actually happen, I thought the story was a little bit cliche myself especially if done today in these times when most romantic comedies seemed a little too staged and contrived. But the main difference is the time frame that helped because people back then really looked good and innocent and it was perfect for this type of story and it's stars.
It just shows that romantic comedies don't really need glamour and a good looking supporting cast unlike what is being done in today, all you need is a great story and the right director. Of course it did not hurt when you have two great actors both in their prime in Gable and Colbert who had the right chemistry. Gable is arrogant and cruel in his treatment of Colbert's spoiled heiress Ellie, but the audience like Ellie still falls for the roguish Warne who was just too charming for his own good. Pretty soon we see that Ellie really couldn't even be left alone anymore especially in the barn scene when she thought Warne already left her because she has already fallen in love with him. But I think the most memorable scene is the iconic hitchhiking scene that has been duplicated and parodied on countless other films.
The genius of Capra also cannot be denied as an example of this film, the result is 5 Academy Award wins each for Capra for Director, Best Actor for Gable and Best Actress for Colbert. This film's legacy and influence can be seen even today and it is one of Capra's gems that is worth watching if you yearn for simpler times when falling in love can really happen.
The Infamous "Wall of Jericho"
Grade: A-
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