4/4  It Happened one Night
It Happened One Night set a pretty high water mark for romantic comedies back in 1934, a standard that has rarely been met, and possibly never surpassed. Any classic movie lover would be hard-pressed to deny the charm of this film. As enjo... (read full)

4/4  Splendid comedy
An actually splendid old style comedy, that is well done and well made. I thought it was thoroughly charming and enjoyable to watch from beginning to end. Yes it has some old movie mannerisms such as it raps up very quickly but it really h... (read full)

3.5/4  good
good movie.

Spoiled heiress Ellie Andrews escapes from her millionaire father Alexander's yacht when he kidnaps her after she elopes with and marries King Westley, a playboy aviator whom Andrews thinks is a fortune hunter. She boards a ... (read full)

4/4  Review - It Happened One Night (1934)
When Ellie Andrews (Claudette Colbert) ran away from home, she had no idea somebody like Peter Warne (Clark Gable) would help her out. Their journey to New York is seen in the Best Picture winning film, “It Happened One Night.”

This is ... (read full)

4/4  Charming.
This is one of the old masterpieces that helped me to realize that everything was done before, and better. Refreshing love comedy, with nicest acting and characters and funny and sweet momments. Most comediants of today should have this on... (read full)

4/4  It Happened One Night Quick Review
Amazing, funny, and the first movie that cleaned up at the Academy Awards big-time. Go Frank Capra!

3.5/4  It Happened One Night Quick Review
Hilarious! Great romantic comedy. Clark Gable at his best. Who cares about GWTW.

3.5/4  It Happened One Night Quick Review
Again, another great Romanic comedy coming before Romanic comedies exist like they do today. if you have the patience and the guts, rent this on date night and you might be surprised!

5/5 Wonderful
  by groomRN (Illinois USA)
What can you say about a classic? It's a classic because it is so good, and that definitely applies to this movie. Funny, romantic, sweet, with a wonderful happy ending. One of Clark Gable's best performances, in my opinion.

5/5 It happened One Capra
  by C. Hart
"It Happened One Night" is an iconic 1930s screwball comedy with all the graces of the Golden Age of Hollywood, which should be pursued by any classic film junkie. Directed by Frank Capra, this film captures the glorious fast-talking wit of a leading lady, Claudette Colbert, as well as the dependability, strength and humor of Clark Gable as the leading man who knows his every move but seems to comedically fuss them all up. For a charming and clever film, "It Happened One Night" takes you back to a time when movies were reels of gold.

5/5 The charm of Gable
  by Noah Kay (Minneapolis)
It Happened One Night

Don't let this one pass you by if you are a fan of classic movies.

Claudette Colbert portrays the daughter of a wealthy business man,trying to escape her father's control and return to her newly-wed gigilo husband. After losing the majority of her money and being hundreds of miles from her destination, she reluctantly falls under the protection of a free-lance newspaper reporter,(Clark Gable) who sees an opportunity for a scoop and a big bonus.

Trying to stay ahead of the authorities and away from public transportation, the couple jump from one adventure to another, falling in love on the way.

The movie is in black and white, but that does not distract from the enjoyment of this legendary film.

4/5 Capra's Original Runaway Heiress Comedy Shows a Country Reeling From the Depression
  by Ed Uyeshima (San Francisco, CA USA)
Even though it gets lumped in with the other screwball classics of the period, Frank Capra's seminal 1934 comedy seems to have more in mind in studying Depression-era values at the same time it follows the antics of incognito runaway heiress Ellie Andrews and ambitious reporter Peter Warne, who smells a good story in her escape. Written by Robert Riskin, the plot begins with Ellie trapped aboard her wealthy father's yacht in South Florida. With the idea of meeting up with her errant fiancé, King Westley, in New York, she makes a run for it by taking a bus where she meets Peter. Unlike other comedies of this ilk (e.g., Roman Holiday), the two lead characters know each other's identity early on, and the rest of the story is about how they forego their prejudices about each other and fall in love.

The early awareness of the characters signals the greater context of the story, which resides in a country awash in economic desperation, whether it's shown through Ellie's aversion to eating raw carrots or at an auto-camp where dozens queue up to take a morning shower. In fact, the class distinction between the pampered Ellie and the world-wise Peter is what makes up most of the laughs, for instance, the memorable hitchhiking and doughnut-dunking lessons and of course, the legendary "Walls of Jericho" scene. Considering how the two stars were forced to make the film, both show themselves in top form. As Peter, Clark Gable shows the lighter side of his macho-driven image without upending it, while Claudette Colbert brings her particularly effervescent style to Ellie.

An unforced sexiness permeates the scenes between Gable and Colbert which makes some of the more preposterous story turns more bearable, starting with why Ellie's marital predicament is front-page news. Walter Connolly is in his standard blowhard mode as Ellie's demanding father. A few scenes go on a bit long in typical Capra-corn fashion like the bus sing-along of "The Daring Young Man in His Flying Trapeze". However, it's still very worthwhile to see. Kudos to Joseph Walker's luminescent cinematography, especially during the moonlit haystack scene, and to costume designer Robert Kalloch for Ellie's knockout diaphanous wedding gown in the finale. Westley's wedding arrival by "auto-gyro", a hybrid between a helicopter and a glider, must have been quite a sight in 1934. The remastered 2008 DVD offers an interesting commentary track by Frank Capra Jr. and a short, "Frank Capra Jr. Remembers...'It Happened One Night'". The original theatrical trailer and vintage advertising round out the extras.

5/5 The Original Screwball Comedy, Now At An Affordable Price!
  by Alan Caylow (USA)
I had only ever seen "It Happened One Night" once before, and that was about 20 years ago, in film class at junior college. But I totally loved it. "It Happened One Night" is an immortal film classic because *everything* about this 1934 screwball comedy (about a beautiful heiress on the run, and the handsome reporter who follows her) works perfectly: the wonderful lead performances of Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert (whose chemistry and comic sensibilitites are a joy to watch), great performances too from the whole supporting cast (no matter how small the roles), Frank Capra's very-assured direction, and Robert Riskin's hilarious, clever script. So many classic, crowd-pleasing moments throughout this film: the "Walls Of Jericho", the "hitchhiking" scene, the sing-along on the bus, Gable instructing Colbert on how to dunk a donut, Gable wading across the water with Colbert on his back (then spanking her!), the scene in the hay, and so many more. And the fact that "It Happened One Night" was shot in just four weeks flat....that's quite an accomplishment. "It Happened One Night" proved to be a box-office smash, and it swept all the top Oscar categories in 1935, and deservedly so: Best Picture, Actor, Actress, Director and Screenplay (a feat that would not be matched for 40 years until "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" came along in 1975). I had always wanted to buy "It Happened One Night," but the film had never been at an affordable price for me before, not even when it was originally out on videocassette---it was usually $24.99 or higher. But now with this 2008 DVD re-release, "It Happened One Night" is finally available at a VERY affordable price---and I have finally bought it at last! Nice extras on the DVD too, including commentary and insights from Frank Capra Jr. But the bonus feature I appreciate the most is the 1939 *radio play* broadcast of "It Happened One Night," in which Gable and Colbert happily returned to their roles of Peter and Ellie. Adapted for radio, certain modifications were made to the script, and the story was trimmed down to just under an hour, but it's still great fun, and it's wonderful to hear Gable & Colbert whooping it up as this classic comedy couple once more. Reportedly, Colbert, displeased with the original film script, wasn't happy with the film at the time that she made it, thinking that "It Happened One Night" was the worst film she had ever done, and would regularly complain on-set on a daily basis. It was only when the film was finally released, became adored by audiences all over, and they put that Best Actress Oscar in Colbert's hand, that she finally realised how wrong she had been. "It Happened One Night" is truly one of the great comedy classics of cinema history, a genuine crowd-pleaser that anyone can enjoy. EVERY home should have a copy of "It Happened One Night," and now, with this new low-priced DVD, every home can. So buy it, and watch those Walls Of Jericho topple!