It Happened One Night (1934)
7
A spoiled heiress running away from her family is helped by a man who is actually a reporter in need of a story.
Writer: Robert Riskin (screen play), Samuel Hopkins Adams
Stars: Clark Gable, Claudette Colbert, Walter Connolly
Studio: Columbia Pictures
Genre: Comedy
This pre-code, Romantic Comedy is every bit as enjoyable as its always been.
The first film to win all five major Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Adapted Screenplay. One of Frank Capra's early pictures cements him as a man who knows how to make a hit. The chemistry between stars Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert is electric. Colbert is hilariously bratty and Gable terrifically overconfident to a point where the two make a duo that has since been replicated a hundred times over. Together they are hilarious and adorable all at the same time.
Once filming was completed, star Colbert claimed to a friend "I just finished the worst picture in the world." Overall the studio had low expectations for the film which is hilarious as it became Columbia's biggest hit to date.
This romantic comedy really strikes a chord that few others can. Thanks to its performances it becomes relatable and absured all at the same time. Its funny and enjoyable and timeless like few other films of the genre can be.