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Rating: 5 out of 5
Sometimes the old classic movies are the best. They are not flashy or have a ton of special effects to them. They simply tell a solid and fantastic story with great acting. Actually, if you spend some time on Turner Classic Movies, you are bound to run into some of the tremendous classics. One of those classic films that are amazing to watch is It Happened One Night, starring the great Clark Gable and the beautiful Claudette Colbert. Here is a known fact for you about the greatness of this film. It is the first of only three films ever (along with One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and The Silence of the Lambs) to win all five major Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Adapted Screenplay. That is big time right there.
Directed and co-produced by Frank Capra, in collaboration with Harry Cohn presents a romantic comedy film with elements of screwball comedy. In the sunny lands of Miami, rich but spoiled brat heiress Ellie Andrews (Colbert) has married against her father’s wishes. During an argument, she manages to get away from him by jumping off the family yacht in Florida and swimming to shore somehow. Ellie decided to make her way to New York City as her father has hired detectives to track her down. While evading her father’s goons, Ellie buys a ticket and starts out on a bus where she meets newly unemployed journalist Peter Warne (Gable). Peter is quickly onto her real identity and knows that he can have a whopper of a story to help him be employed again. Seeing that she has no money, he decides to help her get to New York, thinking he’ll get a good story out of it. As they travel together, the once spoiled brat attitude that turned him off soon develops into feelings for her and each other.
I want to begin this review with the story. It is a straightforward story, and the premise is told today. We have a spoiled, wealthy brat who wants to marry some dude, but the father is like, nope. What does this brat do? She runs away. We also meet an unemployed dude who crosses paths with the girl. Like most movies, they go on some journey where they fall in love on the way. The story isn’t mind-blowing, but what makes it go is the situations they are put in.
To begin the story, Ellie literally jumps off her father’s yacht in Florida and somehow swims and evades everyone. She must have the swimming speed of a dolphin or a penguin. She makes it to a Greyhound bus for a trip to New York and has an old lady buy her ticket. On the other end, we have Peter, who is on the phone and has just been fired, telling his boss off while the other reporters think of him as a hero. It’s funny to see because he is acting drunk.
Now for the adventures, these two takes are funny and enjoyable, but through the way, you see their love for each other grow. At the beginning of the bus trip, Peter has a funny exchange with the bus driver because there are no seats in the back on only papers. This dude throws the papers out the window, and the conversation with the bus driver as he keeps saying, “oh yea,” is funny when Ellie sneaks on and takes his seat.
On the next bus, after missing one, we meet a man named Shapely because that’s how he likes his women. Dude sounded like a wannabe gangster and even said It’s all you, doc. In another scene, when the bridge floods, they stop for the night. Peter sets up a patrician in the room and says he is not interested in her and only sees a headline but reveals he will help and wants an inclusive story. Peter asks which side she wants, and she doesn’t answer, so to make her uncomfortable, he gives her a “lesson” on how a man undresses. Peter also calls his patrician the Walls of Jericho and tells her it will protect her from the big bad wolf and starts singing the song. The following day, the scene is priceless. Peter makes breakfast with one scrambled egg, black coffee, and one donut. These two have an epic conversation on how to correctly dunk a donut. It is a crazy scene. Yet, the evolution of their relationship is shown when detectives show up and start asking questions. Peter and Ellie play it perfectly and funny as a married couple with an argument. The chemistry and timing are PERFECT.
One scene stands out through their adventure and produces one of the greatest cartoon characters EVER!! First, the hitchhiking scene is beyond a classic scene in cinema history. During this scene, Gable is eating carrots while waiting for a car to drive by. They say that this one scene was the inspiration for Bugs Bunny. I was waiting for the “What’s up Doc?” This scene was a classic because Peter talks about hitchhiking and how much of a pro he is. He gives demos on the different times of hitchhiking. His skills/demonstrations are so funny. He goes with #1 and a car drive by. He tries #2, and car after car drives past him until he gives up. Ellie said she would like to give it a try and said she will stop a car and not use her thumb. She pulls up her skirt to show some leg, and a car stops immediately. In the next scene, you can see Peter so disappointed. It was a classic scene.
I can go on and on about the story, but I want you to watch this film. Let’s move on to the cast. The chemistry between Gable and Colbert is special and enjoyable to watch. They seemed to play off of each other so well that you can’t help but like them and their story. Clark Gable as Peter Warne was entertaining to watch. Gable is the man in this film, and he is just so cool, calm, and funny. Claudette Colbert as Ellen “Ellie” Andrews is as lovely as ever, even if she is playing a spoiled brat.
It Happened One Night is one of the greatest films ever made. It has a simple adventure and love story, but you will find it funny and sweet to watch. Gable and Colbert have great chemistry on screen and should be applauded for their performance. Give praise and take time to watch the first movie that won all five major Academy Awards. Also, you can see where the inspiration of Bugs Bunny comes from.
