1934 was a historic year for the
7th Academy Awards. Frank Capra’s It Happened One Night became the first of three films to win Best
Picture, Best Actor (Clark Gable), Best Director, and Best Actress (Claudette
Colbert) simultaneously. The other two were One
Flew Over the Cuckoo’s News in 1975 and Silence
of the Lambs in 1991. Shirley Temple also won the first Juvenile Award at
the age of six and became the youngest actor to ever win an Oscar. The film
centering on a runaway heiress, is also the first Romantic Comedy to win best
Picture.
The film begins as Ellie Andres
(Colbert), spoiled heiress and daughter of the wealthy Alexander Andrews
(Walter Connolly), marries King Westley (Jameson Thomas). Mr. Andrews being
completely against the marriage, demands an annulment. In response, Ellie runs
away boarding a bus to New York City to reunite with Westley. Here, she meets
Peter Warne (Gable), a recently fired newspaper reporter, who recognizes her
and gives her a choice to either give him an exclusive on her story, where he
will help her reunite with Westley, or he will tell her father where she is and
collect the reward offered for her turn. Ellie takes the first choice.
At one of the bus stops, Ellie’s
bag is stolen, leaving her to rely completely on Peter. This sets a chain
reaction of adventures where Ellie loses her disdain for Peter and starts to
fall in love with him. at one point, they have to hitchhike. Peter, claiming to
be an expert on the subject, fails. Ellie then stops a car by lifting up her
skirt and showing some leg. (The first instance of this trope actually).
At a stop, the driver, (Alan
Hale) tries to leave with their luggage, prompting Peter to chase him down and
take his car. One night, near the end of the film, Ellie confesses her love to
peter, who mulls it over and decides he loves her too. After she falls asleep,
he then leaves to make arrangements. However, the owners of the motel they are
in notice the car is gone and kick Ellie out of bed, leaving her to think that
Peter has deserted her.
Ellie then calls her father who
agrees to let her marry Westley. However, after Peter obtains money from his
old editor to marry Ellie, they pass each other on the road. Ellie, believing
Peter betrayed her for the reward money, agrees to a second, formal wedding
with Wesltey.
Ellie tries to pretend that nothing
has happened, but she is unable to fool her father. On her wedding day, she
finally reveals the whole story from her perspective. When Peter comes to Ellie’s
home, Mr. Andrews offers him the reward money, but Peter insists on being paid
only his expenses: 39.60. When Ellie’s father presses him for an explanation of
his odd behavior, Peter admits he loves Ellie, though he believes he is crazy
for doing so. Westley arrives for the wedding in an autogiro.
At the wedding ceremony, Mr.
Andrews walks his daughter down the aisle, revealing Peter’s refusal of the
reward money to Ellie and quietly encourages her to run off again, telling her
that her car is out back for a quick get-away. At the point where she is to say
“I do,” she makes up er mind and runs off to find Peter. Her pleased father
pays Westley off, enabling Elli to marry Peter.
It’s a standard romantic comedy
plot. “The young bride/fiancée gets stuck with a guy and neither can stand each
other at first, but in time, they both end up in love.” It’s been seen so many
times in film and television, probably even as early as 1935. Yet, so few are
able to pull it off. It Happened One
Night is one of those films where it worked, mainly due to the chemistry of
Gable and Colbert. Ellie and Peter are at each others’ throats for much of the
film and the way the pair acts makes the character development seem real. The
outcome of the film is predictable, yes, but when the characters have a dynamic
that actually makes you care about them and their story, the final destination
isn’t as important as the ride there.
The comedic aspects of the films
are done very well too, mixing sophisticated wit with visual humor and
unrefined levity, including one running gag that meets its end in a very bawdy
(for the time) manner.
The visuals aren’t all that
impressive, but they really don’t have to be, considering the movie is simply
following two people going from point A to point B. On the other hand, Westley landing
for the wedding in the precursor to a helicopter did look good. There’s also not a lot of music in the film,
save for the beginning credits and a twice where the characters joyfully sing
to pass the time. But this works as well. It didn’t feel like it needed music
and the parts where there was singing (the crowd singing on a bus and Gable
singing in the car), it felt in place.
The only complaint I really have
is in the pacing. There were a couple spots where it was off, but it quickly
corrected itself.
I honestly have no idea why this won best picture, seeing as how Cecile B.
DeMille’s Cleopatra was also
nominated. But I’m not questioning it.
Final Call: It Happened One Night is a great and enjoyable film, replacing Grand Hotel as #1
