Review of It Happened One Night (1934) by Kim B — 25 Apr 2015

Classic romantic thanks to two brilliant lead performances and witty direction & writing behind the screen. Gable & Colbert give career defining performances as the bickering couple, delivering exquisite chemistry that even when they're fighting, you can tell they're falling in love.

The film, though tame by today's standards, even lets them use their sexuality fun & risky ways (Gable reportedly killed the undershirt business for years in his famous undressing scene while Colbert legs showed a new way to hitchhike).

Behind the camera, Capra keeps the film fast-moving, focusing just on the main plot (the only subplot is Andrews father, nicely played by Walter Connolly, and his desparate search to find her) while Riskin script gives some of the best dialogue you'll ever hear.

With this combination, it's easy to say why this was the first film to sweep the Oscars in all major categories and remains the standard for all romantic comedies since.