Rating: 
Summary: Archetypal.
Review: *It Happened One Night* is the archetype of the romantic comedy form. It's the story of a pretty heiress (Claudette Colbert) who runs away from her rather arranged wedding. She's pursued by an unapologetically grouchy young newspaperman played marvelously by Clark Gable. Really, what else can be said? A masterpiece on every level, this old movie could teach its current imitators a thing or two about characterization, plot, real romance, and intelligent dialogue (the script by Robert Riskin rises at times to near-Shakespearean comic levels). It gets better: director Frank Capra paints a broad canvas of American life in the Depression. Location shots abound. It's rare that an old studio picture like this, especially a romantic comedy, gets so much FRESH AIR. The cinematography is matches the bold conception. (Watch for the scene where Gable carries Colbert across the river at night. Verrry nice.)Colbert learns a lot about life during her exile with Gable, away from her castle in the air and on the road. (Oh, it's also an archetypal ROAD movie, as well.) Most importantly, she learns what it takes to be in Real Love, and finds, to her surprise and our delight, that she HAS what it takes. Say much the same for the movie itself. Add *It Happened One Night* to your collection.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent!
Review: This film is still hilarious long after its initial release. Clark Gable is fantastic as a salty newspaper reporter traveling with a runaway heiress, played wonderfully by Claudette Colbert. They fight and fall in love while traveling from Miami to New York. This is a must have for all Clark Gable or Claudette Colbert fans! A classic example of 1930's comedy!
Rating:
Summary: Still Great After Nearly Seventy Years
Review: It Happened One Night has aged very well, and it remains as funny and sexy as when it first premiered in 1934. Claudette Colbert stars as an heiress on the run, trying to get away from her controlling father who does not approve of the man she has quickly married. While on a bus to New York to return to her new husband, she becomes entangled with news reporter Clark Gable, a man who feels only contempt for her (at first), but who won't pass up a good story. Colbert and especially Gable are in top form, displaying a terrific chemistry in Frank Capra's comedy. The scenes I enjoyed are the same as everyone else - the walls of Jericho and Colbert's method for hitch-hiking. But my favourite scene is in the cabin when they pretend to be a bickering married couple to throw off investigators looking for her. Their "improv" is hysterical. I can't believe that after almost seventy years, this film has not dated. Give credit to Capra, writer Robert Riskin, and of course, the star combination. Watch this video when you get a chance!
Rating:
Summary: The Ultimate Battle Of The Sexes Comedy, Priceless!
Review: One of Capra's best. Still as fresh and delightful as ever. One of the funniest of the screwball comedies and the ultimate battle of the sexes (and of the classes) comedy. Less capraesque than his other classics, namely 'Mr. Smith Goes To Washington', 'Mr. Deeds Goes to Town' and 'It's a Wonderful Life'. And Capra's usual Capra corn is toned down but still the working middle class every man (Gable) is portrayed as the righteous hero and rich and stuffy Colbert is portrayed as confused and stubborn. A priceless comedy that hasn't aged one bit, it also features two of the silver screen's greatest stars; Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert. Filled with lots of memorable scenes with Colbert and Gable's amusing verbal riffs in between. The most memorable are the 'walls of Jericho'. Also with memorable routines such as Gable showing Colbert how to 'dunk right', teaching her 'how a man undresses', how to 'piggy back ride' and of course their hitch-hiking travails that ends with the unforgettable image of Colbert using her legs to get a ride proving once and for all that 'the limb is mightier than the thumb'. Colbert and Gable were in peak form and have rarely been better or funnier than here. Claudette Colbert has always had and innocent sexiness to her personality and it is never more evident than here, she is one of the 'cutest' of all the female screen legends. Clark Gable is also excellent and his strong cinematic presence is greatly appreciated, it's hard to imagine anyone else in the role. Maybe it's because Gable wasn't 'playing' the part of Peter Warren, Peter Warren 'was' Gable. Probably the first great romantic comedy and still one of the best. Along with Wilder's 'Some Like It Hot' this is as close as a comedy has come to being called 'perfect'. Also famous for being the first picture to win 'the top 5' Oscars which are best picture, director, actor, actress and screenplay. This didn't happen again until 40 years later with 'One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest' and then 15 years later with 'The Silence Of The Lambs'. From a scale of 1-10 I give this film a 10!
Rating:
Summary: One of the best films of all time
Review: Rent or buy this movie! It's beautiful, it's romantic, and unlike most movies today it has smart dialogue. I find it ironic how movies made in the 1930's have smarter and stronger women characters than movies made within the last ten years and this movie proves it. Claudette Colbet's character is not just a foil for Clark Gable's, she's half of the movie. Tell me the last time that even a good romantic comedy like Four Weddings and a Funeral provided the woman's character with half as much oomph.
Rating:
Summary: It happened To Me!
Review: I can't believe it. This is one of the best movies I have ever seen. The DVD is superb and the acting is great. The characters are extremely interesting and the movie will amaze you. The extras the DVD has is great especially Frank Capra Jr. talking. I am sorry but there are very few movies today as good as the ones of yesteryear and this one is supreme!
Rating:
Summary: Wow! I never knew this film was so good!
Review: We always hear so much about classics like Casablanca, A Streetcar Named Desire, and Gone With the Wind. Of course these are fantastic pictures and (in my opinion) have become classics because of the element of raw, smoldering passion that filmmakers were generally afraid to unleash in that era, but which was always well received (after the controversy died down). It Happened One Night (while not as heavily referenced today as the three above)has that, and it also has a very intelligent and hilarious script. There are no boring lulls or wordy monologues. Just a great story that sets the pattern for many movies we love in the decades since such as Sleepless in Seattle or When Harry Met Sally. Clark Gable is at his best, and the chemistry between he and Claudette Colbert is undeniable. One of my favorite scenes is when the detectives enter their motel room searching for Ellie, and the two of them pretend they are a quarreling underclass married couple. When the detectives finally walk out, the body language exchanged belies an obvious off-screen rapport between the two actors. I'm proud to own a copy of this film... you will be too!
Rating:
Summary: snapshot of the 30's
Review: the dvd transfer of this is absolutely amazing. it's hard to believe it's from 1934. some of the night scenes are a little fuzzy, but nothing major. gable is great but colbert steals the show. a very funny film which lacks the stilted conservativeness of the 40's and 50's.
Rating:
Summary: Very Entertaining
Review: This classic is still very funny. The chemistry between Gable and Colbert is great.
Rating:
Summary: A Delightful Romp in Lucious Black and White!
Review: This is a thoroughly delightful picture, with fantastic values in every department. The limpid black and white highlights Frank Capra's fantastic visions. Claudette Colbert has never been better, in this complicated role highlighting such diverse character aspects as spoiled brat, breathless young lover, frustrated ingenue, and helpless waif. Clark Gable is just right as the tough--and volnerable--reporter. The transfer to DVD is awesome, and includes good extras including trailer, lobby cards, and Frank Capra Jr.'s recollections.
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