It Happened One Night (1934) directed by Frank Capra

AFI Top 100: #46

Looking at films through the lens of when they were made is without a doubt the best way to do so. While that is especially true for many films that utilize some dated creative choices, it is also needed when it comes to the origins of a particular genre. Frank Capra's It Happened One Night is a serviceable romantic-comedy that is as fun as it is respectable and there is a lot to appreciate about his film. This movie carries a very lighthearted tone that makes its more serious drama seem unimportant and in terms of falling in love, Capra does this incredibly well. He is able to take this story and run with it in a very concise way that never ceases to entertain an audience. However, I suppose I have just seen this story so many times at this point that it has become numb to me. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the way this story pans out, in fact, there are a lot of incredible and groundbreaking elements in its writing, but I just could not get myself to care.

Peter Warne (Clark Gable) has just been recently fired from his newspaper job when he stumbles upon Ellie Andrews (Claudette Colbert), the daughter of a millionaire who is just trying to escape her life to go and finalize her marriage to King Westley (Jameson Thomas). The two of them board a train and begin hitchhiking across the country before Warne realizes that she could very well be the subject of his new story. There is so much to love about this story and the script by Robert Riskin, based on the short story by Samuel Hopkins Adams, is just delightful. Frank Capra's direction was definitely solid and he shows that he knows how to handle a modern story like this. I may not have been as blown away by his storytelling abilities as I have with other films of his, but this contemporary feeling really pulses throughout this movie. The comedy written throughout this film was also one of its best parts and I loved how fast-paced everything was. It was never exactly slapstick, as there were plenty of dramatic plot points to keep the story moving, but the comedy was imbued into the story so well. Just like this humor, the romantic parts of the story actually felt believable. Two characters meeting and having to spend a long time together traveling before falling in love is a very typical premise seen in countless films since the release of this one in 1934, but this movie is really the epitome of that idea. Despite how generic a lot of this storytelling was, there is no denying that anyone can have fun with this film. It's a very easy watch and honestly a bit dull but it is always hard to argue about the rewatchability of these types of films.

The performances in this film from Gable and Colbert are also phenomenal and I really enjoyed their chemistry together. They really do make for a perfect romantic-comedy couple and the way that their characters were written does their energies justice. Gable plays his role with such charisma and I loved how he really embodied this character. Colbert is the main standout for me, however, and her multi-dimensional Ellie was such a great arc for her to explore. She proves to be such an incredible and scene-stealing actress and the way that she is able to traverse the different genres throughout her dialogue is absolutely admirable. Not to mention that this film definitely had its risqué moments and the comedy that came with those elements of the writing was perfectly displayed by Colbert. My main issue with the writing of these characters, however, is that Warne was your typical man in this kind of genre. Not to say that male characters can not be written well but analyzing this film from the perspective of today really makes its issues glaring. Warne was a decent enough lead for Ellie to fall in love with but he was as charming as he was unnecessarily controlling. The way that he was incredibly demeaning towards her and practically told her where they would be going and what they would be doing was not as romantic as much as it was irritating. For a film that gives its woman lead as much agency as it does, I was a bit disappointed that it returned to the stereotypical ending of the woman bowing down to the demands of the man, regardless of how witty he could be. It Happened One Night had a lot more potential to be something greater and while I know this was early on in the genre of the romantic-comedy, I was honestly expecting something far different. I really fail to see what part of this film constitutes it being a part of the AFI's Top 100 because it was really just mildly entertaining at best.

It Happened One Night is the perfect film to put on in the background of the Turner Classic Movies channel when there is honestly nothing else on. It is also the perfect film to watch in order to understand the classic origins of the romantic-comedy and while I can appreciate how this movie set the bar for future filmmakers to play with the genre, I just could not get past the mediocrity of it all. I would definitely still recommend this film but just like many entries into the genre today, it serves its purpose without trying to add much more.

My Rating: ★★★