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| Courtesy of Columbia |
Even if you’ve never seen the film before, it should still
seem very familiar. Robert Riskin’s impeccably structured screenplay (based on
Samuel Hopkins Adams’ short story “Night Bus”) has influenced almost every “mismatched
relationship” story, “road trip” movie and “tough guy who’s actually a big ol’
softie” plot that Hollywood has churned out over the last seven decades. The
film is also regularly credited as the first screwball comedy, a genre that remains
popular today.
Seriously, see how many other movies pop into your head after
reading the plot of It Happened One Night. Colbert plays Ellie Andrews, a
spoiled socialite who marries a wealthy playboy against the wishes of her
father (Walter Connolly). Now, for her own good, Ellie’s dad is keeping her
confined to his yacht off the Miami coast while he arranges to have the
marriage annulled. Undeterred, the young woman dives overboard, sneaks away to
a bus station and buys a ticket to New York City so she can reunite with her
hubby.
Once on the road, Ellie realizes she might’ve been too
hasty. She has no money, no working knowledge of the real world and her father
has private detectives searching everywhere. That’s when she meets Peter Warne
(Gable), a washed-up reporter looking for a big story to put him back on top.
When he discovers the truth about his seatmate, he offers to help her dodge her
pursuers in exchange for an exclusive story. With no other choice, she
reluctantly accepts Warne’s offer.
Complications arise when Ellie’s father announces a $10,000
reward to anyone who tracks her down. Now, with everyone on the east coast looking
for her, Ellie and Peter ditch the bus and head north while pretending to be a
married couple, bickering the entire time. Try to guess if they fall in love
along the way.
There’s a reason Hollywood has been ripping off It Happened
One Night for almost 80 years: it’s fantastic. Aside from some dollar figures
and a few regrettable cultural references, the film has aged surprisingly well.
The dialogue is clever, the pacing is quick and the characters prove to be more
complex than they initially appear. Capra, who would hit one heck of a winning
streak in the years to come, never allows the actors to get too melodramatic or
drags scenes out longer than necessary.
Obviously, the film’s most important assets are its leads. The
chemistry is evident from their first scene and it’s a joy to watch how the
characters evolve due to the other’s influence. This was my first experience
with Colbert, but I can understand why she was such a big star in her day. She’s
beautiful, her comic timing is impeccable and she holds her own with a
larger-than-life costar.
Gable is incredible; his character is a powerful combination
of wit, charisma and vulnerability hidden underneath a healthy veneer of
machismo. Virtually every line he utters is flawlessly delivered gold. His
“walls of Jericho” setup had me laughing out loud while simultaneously
comprehending where every old sitcom got the idea for twin beds and separating
rooms down the middle.
It’s also abundantly clear that George Clooney is the
closest we’ve got to a modern day Gable. (Don’t believe me? Watch Clooney in O
Brother, Where Art Thou? – the similarities are astonishing.) Frankly, I’m
just relieved I can finally enjoy Gable’s work without sitting through 27 interminable
hours of Gone with the Wind. (Sacrilege around these parts, I know, but I
maintain that Gable is one of the only genuinely great aspects of that
overrated movie.)
The supporting cast gets plenty of opportunities to shine. Connolly
comes off villainous at first (that tends to happen when your character slaps a
woman in the face), but by the end he’s practically a big teddy bear. Roscoe
Karns, as an obnoxious bus passenger, earns plenty of laughs. So does Alan
Hale, as a duplicitous driver who picks up Ellie and Peter while they’re
hitchhiking.
If you haven’t seen It Happened One Night, you’re missing
out on a truly enjoyable viewing experience. Fortunately, Turner Classic Movies
is here to help – the film airs on Sunday, Nov. 18 at 6 p.m. Adjust your
schedule accordingly.
(Got a suggestion for a future installment of Catching Up on
the Classics? E-mail JoshSewell81@gmail.com with your thoughts.)
It Happened One Night is not rated.
Grade: A
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