Review of It Happened One Night (1958) by Brian P — 02 Aug 2010

The more I see of Clark Gable in movies, the more I feel that he might be the coolest guy to ever appear in front of the camera, he certainly gives guys like Bogart, Cagney, and Eastwood a run for their money.

He and Claudette Colbert play off each other well in this movie, making every moment they have together immensely watchable. Frank Capra famously said that filmmakers shouldn't follow trends, but instead start them, which is exactly what he did here, as IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT helped kick-start the screwball comedy genre, a genre famous for movies like BRINGING UP BABY and HIS GIRL FRIDAY.

I hate to sound like every other asshole who is down on the movies made today, but while the formula in IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT is one we're all familiar with, it works really well because of the sharp writing, the effective directing from Frank Capra, and most of all, the charisma and chemistry of the leads.

On the other hand, most rom-coms we get today just feature actors and actresses that of the moment, not necessarily ones that have good chemistry or charisma (that and the scripts usually stink). IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT has hilarious situations, sharp dialogue, and a cast you can really enjoy watching.

It does slip into something in the third act a lot of movies in the genre do, where they create drama by having some massive misunderstanding take place that would just be dispelled if people would come out and say what is going on (but of course, they don't), but it's an irritation I've almost come to expect, sort of like how a hangover comes with a good night of drinking.

Really I find this movie to be essential viewing despite its third-act woes, watch it with a good bottle of red wine in tow (enhancement!).