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IMDb > It Happened One Night (1934)
It Happened One Night
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It Happened One Night (1934) More at IMDbPro »

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It Happened One Night (1934) -- 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...
It Happened One Night (1934) -- AllTrailers.net - Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 60% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers:
Robert Riskin (screenplay)
Samuel Hopkins Adams (short story)
Contact:
View company contact information for It Happened One Night on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
23 February 1934 (USA) more
Genre:
Tagline:
Two great lovers of the screen in the grandest of romantic comedies ! more
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... full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
Won 5 Oscars. Another 3 wins & 1 nomination more
NewsDesk:
(20 articles)
Free Flick of the Day: 'The 39 Steps'
 (From Cinematical. 17 December 2009, 2:45 PM, PST)

The Bounty Hunter Poster Now Online
 (From EmpireOnline. 16 December 2009, 1:40 AM, PST)

User Comments:
Travel back in time, to the days when romantic comedies had not yet evolved into chick flicks more (158 total)

Cast

  (Complete credited 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
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

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]
more
Runtime:
105 min
Country:
Language:
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
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)

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Premiere voted this movie as one of "The 50 Greatest Comedies Of All Time" in 2006. more
Goofs:
Continuity: Toward the end, on the morning of the wedding, Ellie is in her bedroom in her wedding dress. Her father comes in and they talk about her love for Peter. She is weeping and eventually gets her father's handkerchief. At one point, she sits on a stool and he stands by her side. She is holding the handkerchief in her left hand. Her father puts his hand on her shoulder. In the wide shot, she reaches up to hold his hand, still holding the handkerchief. In the close shot, the handkerchief disappears. In the subsequent wide shot, it reappears. more
Quotes:
Peter Warne: I never did like the idea of sitting on newspapers. I did it once, and all the headlines came off on my white pants. On the level! It actually happened. Nobody bought a paper that day. They just followed me around over town and read the news on the seat of my pants. more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in With a Song in My Heart (1952) more
Soundtrack:
The Flying Trapeze more

FAQ

A Note Regarding Spoilers
Is "It Happened One Night" based on a novel?
"It Happened One Night" sounds a lot like "Roman Holiday." Is it a remake or a rip-off?
more
31 out of 47 people found the following comment useful.
Travel back in time, to the days when romantic comedies had not yet evolved into chick flicks, 28 November 1999
10/10
Author: Spleen from Canberra, Australia

I was inspired to think of other films with completely mystifying titles. `The Phantom Menace', obviously. Also: `The Shop Around the Corner' (around the corner from WHERE?), `The Empire Strikes Back' (it doesn't), `The Living Daylights', `True Lies', `Batman Forever', `Species', `The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp' ... if anyone has any more suggestions, please send them to me.

In this case, it happens over several nights, and I'm not sure which particular night is being referred to. Probably one of the candidate nights is less unobvious than the rest; so I guess the title isn't COMPLETELY mystifying. But actually, Capra gives us the feeling that everything is up in the air. Everyone knows that the hero and heroine of romantic comedies are bound to get hitched in the end - in most cases it's simply a question of staying awake. But Capra makes us feel the contingency of it all. I, for one, was convinced that right up until the final moment, it could have gone either way. How did Capra manage this? Was it because he was a complete innocent; or was it because he was remarkably sophisticated? I don't suppose it matters: it's results that count.

I'm glad to see very little mention among the comments about the sexism of it all. The characters have life; their words have life; and if such art as this could only be produced by a sexist society, it's almost worth creating a sexist society (and then dismantling it), in order to get the art. In modern romances I get the feeling that the writers are wearily writing `feisty' lines for the heroine in an attempt to fool feminists, who, by and large, aren't so easily fooled. Claudette Colbert isn't feisty. When she DOES assert her independence, she means it.

(And, of course, when Clark Gable asserts his dominance, HE means it. You don't get sincerity like this these days.)

Anyway, the ideology of a film, if there is one, is always beside the point, except inasmuch as the ideology is AESTHETICALLY attractive or unattractive. This is an attractive film. Two real individuals, a real story, some misunderstanding but no tiresome or pointless misunderstanding, constant wit - and, as I expressed amazement at earlier, constant suspense. And if THAT isn't enough to get you to watch it, note that it was released in 1934. The Hayes code didn't come into effect until 1935. Not a moment too late.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for It Happened One Night (1934)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
IT'S SPACEBALLS! (without the sci-fi spoof part) aaronschilling
Modern Comparison? trtoy
Curious about a line delivered by Clark Gable in the film. lola-lola
Why did Gable and Colbert hate this film? IkuharaKunihiko
Favorite Comedy Bit w/Gable Alix1929
Why didn't they kiss?!?! eras3162
more

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