Rating: 
Summary: "Excuse me lady, but that upon which you sit is mine."
Review: Peter Warne: Why didn't you take off all your clothes? You could have stopped forty cars.
Ellie Andrews: Well, ooo, I'll remember that when we need forty cars.On-screen chemistry has the ability to turn a good film into something special. Look no further than Frank Capra's "It Happened One Night" for proof of this. Whoever came up with the idea of pairing Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert together in this production certainly earned his or her paycheck. Rich girl Ellie Andrews (Colbert) runs away from her father so that she can be with her one true love, King Westley (Jameson Thomas). Ellie has little knowledge of how the outside world works so she hooks up with reporter Peter Warne (Gable) who offers to help her reach New York in return for the exclusive rights to her story. The pair finds each other intolerable at the outset but as they spend more time together, their opinions of each other start to change. By the time they arrive in New York, Ellie and Peter must decide if they should act upon the newfound affection they have developed towards one another. "It Happened One Night" is effectively funny and romantic at the same time. The out-of-the-way situations Ellie and Peter find themselves involved in is screwball comedy at its finest and the love that develops between them is Hollywood magic at its most charming. Colbert and Gable show why they were two of the biggest stars of their era and the chemistry they display on screen still is magnetic to this very day. "It Happened One Night" is also a fascinating cultural text due to its suggestive sexual overtones and its vivid depiction of a woman who is determined to take matters into her own hands when the situation calls for it. Both of these aspects are especially noteworthy when one considers the period in which the film was made. Yet, if "It Happened One Night" is to be remembered for anything, it should be remembered for the classic that it is. After all, when you speak of pure cinematic bliss, you speak of scenes like the one where Ellie flashes her thigh to stop an approaching car - truly one of the greatest moments ever caught on film.
Rating: 
Summary: It doesn't get any better than this ...
Review: 70 years later, this movie still holds up beautifully. It's funny, smart, and, man! those sexy, charming leads! I'd ride a bus with Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert anywhere ... This ones recommended for everyone -- old people, young people ... It hasn't aged, and it'll always be a good time.
Rating:
Summary: It's a Wonderful DVD
Review: More than six decades after its original release, "It Happened One Night" still sparkles like a newly minted coin. It's romantic, witty, sophisticated ... and certain key scenes (especially Clark Gable's gangster impression and Claudette Colbert's hitch-hiking lesson) remain laugh-out-loud funny. A near perfect blend of script, direction, and performance, it deservedly swept the top five 1934 Academy Awards. One statue that it wasn't even nominated for, and should have won, was for Joseph Walker's Cinematography; his masterful camerawork makes this movie glisten and shine. The DVD transfer is amazingly beautiful. There are a few shots that appear to be slightly grainy and one or two jumps in the soundtrack, but those are minor quibbles. I've watched this film several times over the past twenty years -- in a revival theatre, on satellite, and on VHS -- and it's never looked as good as it does here. The DVD extras are icing on the cake: trailers for this film and "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington"; the teaser for "Lost Horizon"; a filmed commentary by Frank Capra, Jr.; and the 1939 Lux Theatre radio broadcast of the story. I especially enjoyed the advertising archive section, which included color reproductions of the original one-sheet posters and lobby cards. Overall, this disc is a great example of the DVD format at its finest, and a most worthy presentation of a genuine Hollywood classic.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely hilarious
Review: You hear it all the time, but it's SO true, "They don't make 'em like they used to." Over 70 years old and I laughed the entire time I was watching this wonderful movie. Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert are one of the best on-screen duos and are so very covincing at their parts in this movie, you can't help falling in love with them. A DEFINITE must-have-must-see movie for any lover of great comedies and classics.
Rating:
Summary: "Holy jumping catfish! You drive a guy crazy."
Review: This timeless screwball comedy is without a doubt one of Frank Capra's finest efforts, despite the low budget he had to work with. And even though on the last day of filming Claudette Colbert told friends, "I've just finished the worst picture I've ever made in my life", she went on to win the oscar for best actress. Also, Clark Gable won a much-deserved best actor oscar, and the film also won best picture, best director, and best screenplay awards.
Obviously, the movie made a huge impact back in 1934, and after more than 70 years it's still entertaining people all over the world! The sharp and witty dialogue is so hilarious and the casting couldn't have been better. This is also the earliest performance of Ward Bond I've ever seen (he plays the officer who says, "Oh yeah?" to Clark Gable).
The dvd is simply wonderful, and the picture and sound quality are great, all things considered. The bonus features include a 10-minute interview with Frank Capra Jr., commentary by Frank Capra Jr., an original live radio broadcast of "It Happened One Night" from 1939 (audio only), vintage advertising posters of the film, several theatrical trailers, and talent files of the director and two stars. This classic is highly recommended for all fans of screwball comedies.
Rating:
Summary: One of the top comedies in the thirties !
Review: This famous film plays hard thanks to the wonderful handle camera the powerful direction of Capra , the fine cast and a jiggy script .
Since a dizzy society girl flees from her father and for these weird casualities he finds a reporter in a cross country bus . Claudette Colbert and Clark Gable are simply engaged and the script will reveal very funny and smart situations .
Stunning classic made with broad gusto .
Rating:
Summary: Still the gold standard of screwball comedies
Review: In 1934, an underbudgeted, little-heralded film by the young director Frank Capra swept the Oscars, winning for best picture, director, actor, actress, and screenplay. Seventy years later, it's remarkable how fresh and funny "It Happened One Night" seems.
Neither Claudette Colbert nor Clark Gable wanted to do this film, but despite or perhaps because of this, their performances are spontaneous and endearing. They have real chemistry, and the scenes of them flirting and bickering have been much-imitated but never equalled. Besides the famous "Walls of Jericho" scene when Peter undresses, I also love it when Peter teaches Ellie how to dunk a donut.
The story is simple: Ellie Andrews, a spoiled heiress, runs away to marry her fiance. On the bus to NYC she meets Peter Warne (Gable), a reporter who's just been fired from his newspaper. Both are brash and obnoxious. Of course this odd couple fall in love.
It Happened One Night of course was filmed during the height of the Great Depression, and unlike many Hollywood films of that era did not portray a world of impossible luxury. Peter and Ellie spend a night in a cheap autocamp, their bus breaks down and a passenger faints from hunger, and Capra has numerous scenes of characters enjoying simple things, like eating a carrot or hitchhiking or stealing a jalopy. As is typical with his movies there are a lot of eccentric characters, like a singing driver and an obnoxious bus passenger who says "Shapely's the name and that's the way I like 'em." I also love the depiction of Ellie Andrews -- this was an era when women onscreen were strong and resourceful. Although the film does play up the "spoiled heiress" stereotype Ellie never becomes an obnoxious type character. It's delightful that in this movie, Ellie "wears the pants" in the relationship and is the mover and shaker. The bickering-but-respectful relationship between Peter and Ellie is an interesting contrast to a film made 20 years later, Roman Holiday. Roman Holiday is a film with a similar storyline, but the gender politics have changed. Joe Bradley (Gregory Peck) has none of the eccentricity of Peter Warne (who's shown chewing a carrot), but is the romantic knight in shining armor. Audrey Hepburn's Princess is charming and doe-eyed, not brash and cheeky like Ellie.
It Happened One Night is not a big-budget film. Over the years, Hollywood has come out with many romantic comedies, some excellent. But It Happened One Night is still the gold standard. For once a classic film's reputation is richly deserved.
Rating:
Summary: Enchanting, sexy & not a single dull moment ...
Review: IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT is a picture with a fascinating cinematic history (no one except Frank Capra wanted to make it, Gable & Colbert included, and no one thought it would hit or win Oscars, any Oscars -- until it did). It's also one of the few films I've ever seen that is literally without a single dull moment in it --surely a rarity, even in the most expensive films (and this one cost all of $375,000 to make in 1934).
The spoiled runaway heiress who finds true love with the down-to-earth newspaper reporter isn't the most original idea in movies -- but what Capra, Riskin (the writer), Gable & Colbert do with it is beyond priceless. Among other highlights in this thoroughly delightful film are the scene where Gable singlehandedly destroyed the men's undershirt industry by revealing a bare chest while undressing; Gable's argument with a bus driver; the scene already mentioned by other reviewers of Colbert's unique method of stopping a car after Gable, who claims to be a hitchhiking expert, has failed miserably; the breakfast scene in which Gable teaches Colbert how to dunk a doughnut properly; the falling-over funny scene of Gable & Colbert impersonating a brawling married couple to outwit her father's detectives; and the scene where he lectures her about piggyback riding and the virtues of the common man while carrying her across a stream. (But I must confess my favorite scene is probably Gable's argument with Colbert's father at the end of the film. When her father finally nails him down and says, "Do you love her?", Gable, after evading the question, finally answers, "Yes! But don't hold that against me, I'm a little screwy myself!")
Gable's performance here is simply his very best after GONE WITH THE WIND. There couldn't have been any close contenders for the Best-Actor Oscar that year; Gable simply walks off with the movie, in rollicking fashion, and it is abundantly clear while watching him exactly why women found him the Sexiest Man Alive (at that time, and for many years afterward). Even seventy years later, and more than 40 years after his death, he's still a heartbreaker here. He's funny and playful and tender and strong ... whew! It's a tragedy that current generations know so little about him and his remarkable career -- but they will get more than their fill of his very potent charm in this picture.
Colbert plays a fairly thankless part with great elegance and sophistication. While acting spoiled and bored and rebellious, she's also charming, funny and perfectly unimpressed with Gable's antics -- right up to the moment when she realizes she's in love with him.
All the supporting players (all studio actors) are wonderful, too, even in this essentially two-person movie. The guy playing Oscar Shapeley, the conceited suburban bore, was a Best Supporting Actor shoo-in -- wonder why HE didn't win that year, too? And the roles of Colbert's father and Gable's editor were beautifully filled. No one phoned in their work on this movie; every performance and nuance is a gem.
IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT, after seventy years, is as fresh and funny as though it were made yesterday -- my nine-year-old and six-year-old sons both adore it, too.
Classic doesn't always mean boring. Sometimes -- as in this case -- classic means timeless. IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT will be funny in this century and the next century and every century where men and women meet and fall in love.
Rating:
Summary: "Excuse me lady, but that upon which you sit is mine."
Review: Peter Warne: Why didn't you take off all your clothes? You could have stopped forty cars.
Ellie Andrews: Well, ooo, I'll remember that when we need forty cars.
On-screen chemistry has the ability to turn a good film into something special. Look no further than Frank Capra's "It Happened One Night" for proof of this. Whoever came up with the idea of pairing Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert together in this production certainly earned his or her paycheck.
Rich girl Ellie Andrews (Colbert) runs away from her father so that she can be with her one true love, King Westley (Jameson Thomas). Ellie has little knowledge of how the outside world works so she hooks up with reporter Peter Warne (Gable) who offers to help her reach New York in return for the exclusive rights to her story. The pair finds each other intolerable at the outset but as they spend more time together, their opinions of one another start to change. By the time they arrive in New York, Ellie and Peter must decide if they should act upon the newfound affection that has developed between them.
"It Happened One Night" is effectively funny and romantic at the same time. The out-of-the-way situations Ellie and Peter find themselves involved in is screwball comedy at its finest and the love that develops between them is Hollywood magic at its most charming. Colbert and Gable show why they were two of the biggest stars of their era and the chemistry they display on screen still is magnetic to this very day. "It Happened One Night" is also a fascinating cultural text due to its suggestive sexual overtones and its vivid depiction of a woman who is determined to take matters into her own hands when the situation calls for it. Both of these aspects are especially noteworthy when one considers the period in which the film was made. Yet, if "It Happened One Night" is to be remembered for anything, it should be remembered for the classic that it is. After all, when you speak of pure cinematic bliss, you speak of scenes like the one where Ellie flashes her thigh to stop an approaching car - truly one of the greatest moments ever recorded on film.
Rating:
Summary: It doesn't get any better than this ...
Review: 70 years later, this movie still holds up beautifully. It's funny, smart, and, man! those sexy, charming leads! I'd ride a bus with Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert anywhere ... This ones recommended for everyone -- old people, young people ... It hasn't aged, and it'll always be a good time.
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