It Happened One Night (1934)

Director:

Frank Capra

Writers:

Robert Riskin (screenplay)
Samuel Hopkins Adams (short story)

Release Date:

23 February 1934 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

Two great lovers of the screen in the grandest of romantic comedies !

Plot:

A spoiled heiress, running away from her family, is helped by a man who's actually a reporter looking for a story. But then he falls for her...

Plot Keywords:

Reporter | Yacht | Bus | Newspaper | Heiress

Awards:

Won 5 Oscars. Another 3 wins & 1 nomination

US TV Schedule:

Mon. Dec. 7

8:00 PM

TCM

Cast

Clark Gable	...	Peter
Claudette Colbert	...	Ellie
Walter Connolly	...	Andrews
Roscoe Karns	...	Shapeley
Jameson Thomas	...	Westley
Alan Hale	...	Danker
Arthur Hoyt	...	Zeke
Blanche Friderici	...	Zeke's Wife
Charles C. Wilson	...	Gordon

Also Known As:

Night Bus (USA) (working title)
Es geschah in einer Nacht (Austria) (Germany) [de]
Accadde una notte (Italy) [it]
Aconteceu Naquela Noite (Brazil) [pt]
Bir gecede oldu (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Det hände en natt (Sweden) [sv]
Det hændte en nat (Denmark) [da]
Ez történt egy éjszaka (Hungary) [hu]
Ich noce (Poland) [pl]
Lo que sucedió aquella noche (Argentina) [es]
Nea Yorki - Miami (Greece) [el]
New York - Miami (France) [fr]
Succeí una nit (Spain: Catalan title) [ca]
Sucedió una noche (Spain) [es]
Synevi mia nyhta (Greece) (reissue title) [el]
Tapahtuipa eräänä yönä (Finland) [fi]
Uma Noite Aconteceu (Portugal) [pt]
Ze Kara Lyla Ehad (Israel: Hebrew title) [iw]

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording)

Certification:

Canada:G (Nova Scotia/Quebec) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | Iceland:L | Portugal:M/12 | Norway:16 (1934) | Brazil:Livre | USA:Approved (PCA #4311-R: 11 May 1938 for re-release) | Argentina:Atp | Germany:o.Al. | Sweden:15 | UK:U | South Korea:15 (DVD rating)

Filming Locations:

Busch Gardens - S. Grove Avenue, Pasadena, California, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Friz Freleng's unpublished memoirs mention that this was one of his favorite films, and that it contains at least three things upon which the character "Bugs Bunny" was based: - The character Oscar Shapely's (Roscoe Karns) personality - The manner in which Peter Warne (Clark Gable) was eating carrots and talking quickly at the same time - An imaginary character mentioned once to frighten Oscar Shapely named "Bugs Dooley." Other mentions of "Looney Tunes" characters from the film include Alexander Andrews (Walter Connolly) and King Westley (Jameson Thomas) being the inspirations for Yosemite Sam and Pepé LePew, respectively.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: In the opening scene, Daddy's yacht is supposedly anchored off Miami. Yet in the distance are tall coastal hills, similar to what one might see in Southern California. Such a topographical feature is unknown in South Florida.

Quotes:

Ellie Andrews: How did you get the car?
Peter Warne: I gave him a black eye for it. And had to tie him to a tree.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Dharma & Greg: It Never Happened One Night (#2.21)" (1999)

Soundtrack:

Bridal Chorus (Here Comes the Bride)

A Pleasant, Funny Classic

This is a pleasant, funny classic that shows it age only slightly, and that has a lot of scenes you can look forward to each time that you see it. Gable and Colbert each get roles that are nicely suited to them, and are well-remembered for their performances. The supporting cast also rounds out the picture with some good character acting.

The cross-country trip on the bus and via other assorted methods is fun to watch, with several nice vignettes that complement the main story line. (The atmosphere on the long bus trip is done especially well.) The plot is of course not meant to be taken too seriously in itself, but it comes in very handy for setting up good characters and comedy.

It all comes across as effortlessly entertaining romantic comedy, with some classic scenes and characters you learn to care for in spite of their mistakes.