Review of It Happened One Night (1958) by Tom B — 16 Feb 2011

I have a sense of wanting to see it again, to enjoy the layers beneath the comedic plot. Having never seen it I was reminded of Sturges, and Roman Holiday. I think this is subtle. Before watching interview with Capra there was a strong sense of the locations which added enormously to pleasure of viewing.

Did Scorsese go to that motel cabin place in New York, New York? The shower scene is worth watching the whole film, to see how it used to be, staying at a motel and lining up outside for a shower. The 1930s stand out in this in solid ways, not so much the wit as the solid wood planking of daily existence.

Lovely looking film, fascinating performances from leads, meaningful story. The fun of watching something like this for the first time is I'm looking forward to the next time and returning to the mood and pace of the humor and the backward glimpse.