IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT (1934)

(Week 3: Clark Gable)

IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT (1934)

Directed by Frank Capra

"The Wall of Jericho" (from eastbayri.com)

Clark Gable is handsome and extremely charismatic. He possesses great qualities of a romance hero. It is no wonder that this movie would have launched him to stardom--he shines so brightly he hides the movie's flaws under his light. 

Personally romantic comedy isn't my favorite genre. When the focus is on people falling in love, the film just isn't very interesting or wholesome. But there are people to whom these stories appeal, and there are stories like these that, if well told, could appeal to skeptics like me.

This film has a thin little plot line that works around its stars. Both Gable and his leading lady, Claudette Colbert, set examples for many romantic comedy couples to come. Colbert plays Ellie, a bratty, temperamental heiress who has a dispute with her father over the man she had just married. She runs away and on the way meets an out-of-work journalist played by Gable.

They start off not liking each other, but there are moments when they work together and find pleasantry in each other's company. No surprise, they fall in love. You see what they like about each other, and you see them struggling against their feelings due to their circumstances. We see growth in both characters, particularly in Colbert's. These are basic elements of storytelling well played. I also like a few of its memorable, iconic elements, like "the wall of Jericho" or the hitchhiking scene. 

Both Gable and Colbert reportedly hated the script and didn't want to participate in the film. I can see why. The script itself is nothing without them. More than carrying the film, they gave it a lot of charm necessary for this kind of movie. Ultimately I wasn't much moved or impressed by the film. However, for the mark it has left in film history and for its achievement in storytelling, I would say that IT HAPPENED ON NIGHT is worth a watch. In the right mood, you might even like it.