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It Happened One Night

1359 votes

A runaway heiress makes a deal with the rogue reporter trailing her but the mismatched pair end up stuck with each other when their bus leaves them behind.

Status: Released

Released Date: 1934-02-22

Runtime: 105 mins

Director: Frank Capra

Spoken language: English

Genres: Comedy, Romance

Original title: It Happened One Night

Production Companies: Columbia Pictures

Production Countries: United States of America

Cast

Clark Gable

Claudette Colbert

Walter Connolly

Roscoe Karns

Jameson Thomas

Alan Hale

Arthur Hoyt

Blanche Friderici

Charles C. Wilson

Bag Thief (uncredited)

Ernie Adams

Woman at Auto Camp (uncredited)

Jessie Arnold

Gas Station Attendant (uncredited)

Irving Bacon

Clark (uncredited)

William Bailey

Wedding Party Guest (uncredited)

William Begg

Reviews

Geronimo1967

Claudette Colbert is great as the independently-minded heiress "Ellie" who jumps from her father's yacht and finds herself, nigh-on penniless, on a bus to New York. Also angling for that last seat on the bus is the roguish "Warne" (Clark Gable) - a journalist with a nose for a good story. Determined to track her down, her father uses his media empire and soon her photo is all over the press. This doesn't go unnoticed by the shrewd "Warne", who soon reckons her story is worth a load of cash to his editor. What neither reckon on though, is that their initial hostility/indifference to each other gradually morphs into something - well, yes, you can guess that bit. Indeed, the story itself has a degree of predictability to it - but that doesn't matter here. This is a quickly paced, well written comedy drama that utilises the intimacy of the bus (or the motels) to provide an excellent vehicle for two actors who just exude a joyous chemistry - never a romantic, or sentimental one - as they try to stay one step ahead of the blokes sent by her father to return her to safety and to her affianced "King Wesley" (Jameson Thomas) who is the latest cause of the familial discord (her father loathes this opportunist fellow). Tables are turned and turned again as each try to outmanoeuvre the other - with Walter Connolly turning in quite an engaging performance as the dad who also knows there is more than one way to skin a cat. This might be my favourite Gable outing - he had a lovely smile and glint in his eye for comedy parts when he was enjoying himself and Colbert is also at the top of her game for a thoroughly enjoyable and spirited look at human nature and bloody-mindedness.

2023-03-25

JTomKinser

Made nearly 90 years ago and still fun to watch. Sarcastic, witty, and entertaining. "Mind if I tried? ... You? Don't make me laugh."

2022-01-31

tanty

A classical comedy which would be setting some standards with great performance from Clark Gable.

2013-08-21

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