It Happened One Night

It Happened One Night is a 1934 American comedy film with elements of screwball comedydirected by Frank Capra, in which a pampered socialite (Claudette Colbert) tries to get out from under her father's thumb, and falls in love with a roguish reporter (Clark Gable). The plot was based on the story Night Bus by Samuel Hopkins Adams, which provided the shooting title. It Happened One Night was one of the last film romantic comedies created before the MPAAbegan enforcing the 1930 production code in 1934. In spite of its title the movie takes place over several nights.

The film was the first to win all five major Academy Awards (Best Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, and Screenplay), a feat that would not be matched until One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) and later by The Silence of the Lambs (1991). In 1993, It Happened One Night was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congressas being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." It was remade as a 1956 musicalcomedy, You Can't Run Away from It, starring Jack Lemmon and June Allyson.

Plot

Spoiled heiress Ellen "Ellie" Andrews (Claudette Colbert) marries fortune-hunter "King" Westley (Jameson Thomas) against the wishes of her extremely wealthy father (Walter Connolly). He retrieves his daughter before the marriage can be consummated, but then she runs away. Boarding a bus to New York City, to reunite with her new spouse, she meets fellow bus passenger Peter Warne (Clark Gable), an out-of-work newspaper reporter. He recognizes her and gives her a choice: if she will give him an exclusive on her story he will help her reunite with Westley. If not he will tell her father where she is and collect the reward her Father has offered for her safe return. Ellie agrees to the first choice.

The hitchhiking scene

The socialite is the daughter of a millionaire of character - one who "got there" by virtue of hard work and a sharp eye for the things that count in life. He works. He loves. He loves too much and the socialite is missing such lessons and depth and is spoiled.

Our hero, creating the icon of the idealistic newsman of character and clout, is the same as the socialite's father. Character counts with him.

In holding to his promises to the socialite and respecting her, though they are quite alone and share a bedroom nights, to save money, on their journey. He constructs a wall between their two twin beds,calling his construction "the Walls of Jericho", famous in the bible for enduring and later toppling in battle, when the holy warriors repeatedly played a trumpet call.

The rope and blanket symbolize the major legal barrier to their love: the elopement and legal, if unconsummated marriage with Westley. We see their attraction and so the suggestion that the walls may topple eventually creates audience interest.

But the respect engendered by their honoring that barrier, makes it possible for their relationship to develop along stronger and truer lines than possible in their earlier respective cynical, even amoral climates.

Suddenly penniless, Ellie must depend on Peter for food and personal care needs and survival. He is somehow moved to display top character and integrity in his doings with her on their journey and we see warmth develop between them in their caring for one another. The spoiled socialite learns a lot. The cynical reporter learns a lot. What happens one night ( actually several) is the dawn of grownup love and character - the real thing.

Titles that speak big truths on many levels, simultaneously were - and still are- popular. And the title's many interpretations speak volumes of truth.

Various adventures follow the teaming up of the socalite and the newsman. When they have to hitchhike, Peter claims to be an expert in thumbing technique. And the scene that follows becomes another movie icon.

When none of his showy hitchiking thumb signals is successful, Peter thumbs his nose at passing cars. Ellie steps forward to demonstrate her own technique. She stops the next car dead in its tracks by lifting up her skirt and showing a shapely leg. They obtain possession of this car, per one more adventure.

One night, when they are nearing the end of their journey, Ellie confesses her love for him and its depth; that her feelings are no whim, but life-alteringly true. At first, he merely calms her, not daring to believe it. But then he sees it is the truth for him, too. He is jubilant! They love! Peter leaves to make some arrangements to make their love plans work, but fails to tell Ellie, because she has cried herself to sleep over it all and he does not wish to disturb her peace of the moment.

The owners of the motel in which they are staying wake in the night, and see that Peter's car is gone and assume he has left without paying. They rouse Ellie out of bed and kick her out.

Ellie is shattered. Believing Peter has deserted her, Ellie calls her father, who is so relieved to get her back that he agrees to let her have her way and be married to Westley. In the meantime, Ellie has no desire for Westley and has fallen in love more deeply with Peter, but she thinks Peter betrayed her for the reward money, so she agrees to have a second, formal wedding with Westley.

Meanwhile, Peter has obtained money from his Editor to marry Ellie in his own right, but when he runs back to tell her , it is too late. She has been picked up by her Father's retinue, and they pass Peter speedily on the road. Peter cannot catch up with them and he, too, is shattered and believes he is the one who has been double-crossed.

Ellie , back at the mansion, resumes her millionaire's lifestyle and is lavishly gowned and veiled, chatting with wedding guests for her formal vows of marriage to Westley. Is her ennui fashion or feeling?

Her Father "doesn't buy it" . He sees her troubled behavior and presses her for the truth. Tearfully, she tells her Father her feelings for Peter, but stops crying and straightens up, committed to Westley, and making the best of things, since she believes Peter does not love her in return.

Peter gets in touch with Ellie's father to settle up. Mr. Andrews offers him the large reward promised, but Peter will have none of it. He just wants to be paid $39.60 for the expenses incurred on the trip. Intrigued, the father badgers the reporter until he gets the truth: Peter admits, angrily, "YES!", he loves Ellie (though he thinks he is out of his mind to do so). Peter storms out, leaving with the check he asked for and a bitter glance at Ellie as he goes and she returns the same to him.

Ellie's Father holds the cards. He is the only one who knows the truth of the matter from both Peter and Ellie. That they love but feel the other does not love back but has betrayed.

The grand spectacle of the wedding commences:

While walking his daughter down the aisle of the stunning outdoor ceremonial site, the Father Andrews tells her what he has found out and encourages Ellie to run off again, telling her there is a certain Peter Warne in a car waiting for her out back. She does not react and goes on.

It is the very last moment. Westley has said "I do" in his part of the vows, and Ellie has just been asked if she will accept Westley - she breaks down, shakes her head "NO" and runs from the scene!

The long satin wedding gown train and yards and yards of veiling flying in the breeze across the millionaire's lawn, she gathers it all up as she leaps into Peter's car and off they drive, though we do not see their faces.

It is another scene that makes the Hollywood "moment" forever!

Ellie's father pays Westley to be good about his legal process, having the marriage annulled, enabling Ellie to marry Peter.

Throughout the film, you may recall, Peter hangs a blanket over a rope between their beds for Ellie to have respect and privacy.

The end of the film features Ellie's Father listening to a reading by his staff of a telegram from Peter. Peter is with Ellie as they both await news of the annulment of her unconsummated elopement with Westley. The telegram complains of the slowness of the winning of the annulment - and the construction between their beds, "the walls of Jericho - are starting to topple", Peter says. Since the annulment HAS just come through, Ellie's Father dictates his reply: "Let'em topple! ".

The final scene depicts an auto court and the couple who manage it. The wife wonders, aloud to her husband, if the couple to whom they have just rented a room are really married. The husband tells his wife he knows they are married because he saw the license. But he is scratching his head, too, because the young man asked for a rope, a blanket and sent him to town to buy a toy trumpet.

The final scene closes with a trumpet sounding, the "Walls of Jericho falling". And the lights go off in the room in which Peter and Ellie are staying, and the camera shows the room interior with the blanket walls falling to the floor. Viewer easily understand the rest of the story, and triumph and consummation finally, of their love, with all barriers removed.

The sensibilities of the time played a role in some of the key scenes. Due to the strictures of the time, the walls of Jericho device was the only plausible one that would be acceptable to a "general" audience. But it worked very well artistically and added excitement to the storyline.

[edit]Production

Gable and Colbert in the movie's trailer

Filming began in a tense atmosphere as Gable and Colbert were dissatisfied with the quality of the script. However, they established a friendly working relationship and found that the script was no worse than those of many of their earlier films. Capra understood that they were unwilling participants and tried to lighten the mood by having Gable play practical jokes on Colbert, who responded with good humor.^[2]

Both Gable and Capra enjoyed making the movie. Colbert however continued to show her displeasure on the set. She also initially balked at pulling up her skirt to entice a passing driver to provide a ride, complaining that it was unladylike. However, upon seeing the chorus girl who was brought in as her body double, an outraged Colbert told the director, "Get her out of here. I'll do it. That's not my leg!"^[3] Through the filming, Capra claimed, Colbert made "many little tantrums, motivated by her antipathy toward me," however "she was wonderful in the part."^[3] After her acceptance speech at the Oscars ceremony, she went back on stage and thanked Capra for making the film.^[4]

[edit]Cast

Neither Gable nor Colbert were the first choices to play the lead roles. But Colbert and Gable did it again in "Boom Town" in 1940 with Spencer Tracy as the third side of the triangle.

Miriam Hopkins first famously rejected the part of Ellie. Robert Montgomery and Myrna Loy were then offered the roles, but each turned the script down, though Loy later noted that the final story as filmed bore little resemblance to the script that she and Montgomery and been offered for their perusal.^[5] Margaret Sullavan also rejected the part.^[6] Constance Bennett was willing to play the role if she could produce the film herself; however, Columbia Pictures would not allow this. Then Bette Davis wanted the role,^[7] but was under contract with Warner Brothers and Jack Warner refused to loan her.^[8] Carole Lombard was unable to accept, because the filming schedule conflicted with that ofBolero.^[9] In addition, Loretta Young also turned it down.^[10]

Harry Cohn suggested Colbert as an actress, and she initially turned the role down.^[11] Colbert's first film, For the Love of Mike (1927), had been directed by Frank Capra, and it was such a disaster that she vowed to never make another with him. Later on, she agreed to appear in It Happened One Night only if her salary had been doubled to $50,000, and also on the condition that the filming of her role be completed in four weeks so that she could take her well-planned vacation.^[12] According to some old tales, Gable was lent to Columbia Pictures as an actor, and it was then considered to be a minor studio, as some kind of "punishment" for refusing to take a role at his own studio. However, this tale has been refuted by more recent biographies. The Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer company did not have a movie project ready to commence for Gable, and the studio was paying him his contracted salary of $2,000 per week whether he worked or not. Louis B. Mayer lent him to Columbia Pictures for $2500 per week, hence netting M.G.M. $500 per week while he was gone.^[2]

As appearing in screen credits (main roles identified):^[13]

• Clark Gable as Peter Warne
• Claudette Colbert as Ellie Andrews
• Walter Connolly as Alexander Andrews
• Roscoe Karns as Oscar Shapeley, an annoying bus passenger who tries to pick up Ellie
• Jameson Thomas as "King" Westley
• Alan Hale as Danker
• Arthur Hoyt as Zeke
• Blanche Friderici as Zeke's wife
• Charles C. Wilson as Joe Gordon

Uncredited cast members of note include Ward Bond, seen early on as the bus driver.

[edit]Reception

After filming was completed, Colbert complained to her friend, "I just finished the worst picture in the world."^[3][14] Capra fretted that the film was released to indifferent reviews and initially only did so-so business. Then, after it was released to the secondary movie houses, word-of-mouth began to spread and tickets sales became brisk. It turned out to be a major hit, easily Columbia's biggest hit to date.^[15]

In 1935, after her Academy Award nomination, Colbert decided not to attend the presentation, feeling confident that she would not win the award, and instead, planned to take a cross-country railroad trip. After she was named the winner, studio chief Harry Cohn sent someone to "drag her off" the train, which had not yet left the station, and take her to the ceremony. Colbert arrived wearing a two-piece traveling suit for which she had the Paramount Pictures costume designer, Travis Banton, make for her trip.^[16]

[edit]Academy Awards

The film won all five of the Academy Awards for which it was nominated:

Award	Result	Winner
Outstanding Production	Won	Columbia Pictures (Frank Capra and Harry Cohn)
Best Director	Won	Frank Capra
Best Actor	Won	Clark Gable
Best Actress	Won	Claudette Colbert
Best Writing, Adaptation	Won	Robert Riskin

At the 7th Academy Awards for 1934, It Happened One Night became the first film ever to win the "Big Five" Academy Awards (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Writing). To date, only two more films have achieved this feat: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest in 1975 and The Silence of the Lambs in 1991.^[17] Also, It Happened One Night was the last film to won both lead acting in the Academy Award, until 1975's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest which also won both lead acting awards.

On December 15, 1996, Clark Gable's Oscar was auctioned off to Steven Spielberg for $607,500; Spielberg promptly donated the statuette to the Motion Picture Academy.^[18] On June 9, the following year, Colbert's Oscar was offered for auction by Christie's. No bids were made for it.

[edit]American Film Institute

• 1998 AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies #35
• 2000 AFI's 100 Years... 100 Laughs #8
• 2002 AFI's 100 Years... 100 Passions #38
• 2007 AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies (10th Anniversary Edition) #46
• 2008 AFI's 10 Top 10 #3 romantic comedy

[edit]Radio adaptation

It Happened One Night was adapted as a radio play on the March 20, 1939 broadcast of Lux Radio Theater, with Colbert and Gable reprising their roles. The movie was also adapted as a radio play for the January 28, 1940 broadcast of The Campbell Playhouse.

[edit]In popular culture

In one scene, Gable undresses for bed, taking off his shirt to reveal that he is bare-chested. An urban legend claims that, as a result, sales of men's undershirts declined noticeably.^[19]

The unpublished memoirs of animator Friz Freleng mention that this was one of his favorite films. It has been claimed that it helped inspire the cartoon character Bugs Bunny. Three things in the film may have coalesced to create Bugs: the personality of a minor character, Oscar Shapely, an imaginary character named "Bugs Dooley" mentioned once to frighten Shapely, and most of all, a scene in which Clark Gable eats carrots while talking quickly with his mouth full, as Bugs does.^[20]

Joseph Stalin was another fan of the film.^[21]

The 1937 Laurel and Hardy comedy Way Out West parodied the famous hitch-hiking scene, with Stan Laurel managing to stop a stage coach using the same technique. And in Steven Spielberg's World War II comedy "1941," a female character hitches a ride from a motorcycle-riding John Belushi by showing her leg, saying, "Oh, I saw that movie!"

The 1956 Bollywood film Chori Chori, starring Raj Kapoor and Nargis Dutt, is a frame-by-frame copy of It Happened One Night. The film was also remade into a more recent movie called Dil Hai Ki Manta Nahin, starring Aamir Khan and Pooja Bhatt, and directed by Mahesh Bhatt. It was made into a Kannada (southern Indian language) movie called Hudugaata, meaning "Child's Play", starring Ganesh (of television'sComedy Time) and Rekha Vedavyas. A Bengali movie named Chaoa Paoa, starring Uttam Kumar and Suchitra Sen, was made in 1959, inspired by this film.

Mel Brooks' 1987 film Spaceballs parodies the wedding scene. As she walks down the aisle to wed Prince Valium, Princess Vespa (Daphne Zuniga) is told by her father, King Roland, that Lone Starr forsook the reward for the princess's return and only asked to be reimbursed for the cost of the trip.

In the 2001 film Bandits, Joe Blake (Bruce Willis) erects a blanket partition between motel room beds out of respect for Kate Wheeler's (Cate Blanchett's) privacy. He remarks that he saw them do the same thing in an old movie.

On General Hospital in 1980, executive producer Gloria Monty used the film as a source for the Left-Handed Boy storyline for Luke and Laura (Anthony Geary and Genie Francis). "The Walls of Jericho" scene was specifically used.

In Sex and the City 2, Carrie and Mr. Big watch the film (specifically the taxi scene) in a hotel. Later in the film, in an attempt to get a taxi inAbu Dhabi, Carrie mimmicks Claudette Colbert by showing some leg to stop a taxi.

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