By Jason Haskins
Frank Capra released one of his best pictures in 1934 during an awkward time in society, when the newly found MPAA was really cracking down on what could and couldn't be shown in movies. This censorship could have been a very damning thing to the entertainment industry, and it certainly was for a ton of movies, but true geniuses came forward and used their creativity to write around the rules and make movies even more tongue-in-cheek and sexier than if outward stuff was actually shown. One of the prime examples of this loophole being used is It Happened One Night starring Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert. Let the walls of Jericho fall!
Colbert plays a spoiled heiress who runs away from her father in pursuit of her new husband--a wealthy man named King Westley. Her father isn't pleased and hires a detective agency to try and track her down. Whilst en route from Miami to New York City, she unexpectedly meets a young newspaperman drunkard named Peter Warne (Gable) who wants to help her get to New York safely if she, in turn, allows him to write up her story to hopefully bring some worth to his name.
However, as fate would have it, nothing is every quite that easy and they embark on an adventure towards a destination that becomes less and less relevant as they find themselves falling for each other. To my knowledge, this was one of the first road trip films while also being a great piece of screwball comedy that will surely have you giggling up a storm. Despite being made so long ago, it's still quite funny and the humor is very subtle at times, outlandish at others, and very realistic actually.
The sexuality between Gable and Colbert is electric and it makes the movie even more thrilling as they go from scene to scene developing their in-sight relationship up until the ending, which is an unforgettable event. The acting is all top notch and Capra really illustrated his merits here that would later show up in some of his other classics like It's a Wonderful Life and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. This netted him an Oscar as well as four others for the writing, best picture, and acting by Colbert and Gable.
I really can't see how anyone wouldn't find this enjoyable. You'll be laughing your socks off at the cute antics between the two as well as witness one of the most interesting relationships between two characters onscreen. This is one entertaining movie that is fast-paced and something is constantly happening, which makes it so memorable and enjoyable. You see a lot of innovation that would later influence the entire genre of romantic comedy, but it was done the best here. Check it out!
5 out of 5 stars
© Jason Haskins, 2011
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