It Happened One Night (1934)

Director:

Frank Capra

Writers:

Robert Riskin (screenplay)
Samuel Hopkins Adams (short story)

Release Date:

23 February 1934 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

Two great lovers of the screen in the grandest of romantic comedies !

Plot:

A spoiled heiress, running away from her family, is helped by a man who's actually a reporter looking for a story.

Plot Keywords:

Bus | Reporter | Love | Yacht | Reward

Awards:

Won 5 Oscars. Another 4 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Clark Gable	...	Peter Warne
Claudette Colbert	...	Ellie
Walter Connolly	...	Andrews
Roscoe Karns	...	Shapeley
Jameson Thomas	...	Westley
Alan Hale	...	Danker
Arthur Hoyt	...	Zeke
Blanche Friderici	...	Zeke's Wife
Charles C. Wilson	...	Gordon
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ernie Adams	...	The Bag Thief (uncredited)
Jessie Arnold	...	Woman at Auto Camp (uncredited)
Irving Bacon	...	Gas Station Attendant (uncredited)
William Bailey	...	Clark (uncredited)
Ward Bond	...	Bus Driver #1 (uncredited)
Harry C. Bradley	...	Henderson (uncredited)
George P. Breakston	...	Boy Bus Passenger (uncredited)
Charles A. Browne	...	Reporter (uncredited)
James Burke	...	Detective (uncredited)
Edmund Burns	...	Best Man at Wedding (uncredited)
Ken Carson	...	Guitar Player on Bus (uncredited)
Eddy Chandler	...	Bus Driver #2 (uncredited)
Wallis Clark	...	Lovington (uncredited)
Ray Cooke	...	Drunk Reporter (uncredited)
Joseph Crehan	...	Detective (uncredited)
Ray Creighton	...	Bus Passenger (uncredited)
Jack Curtis	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Mickey Daniels	...	Vendor on Bus (uncredited)
Eva Dennison	...	Society Woman (uncredited)
Neal Dodd	...	Minister at Wedding (uncredited)
Oliver Eckhardt	...	Mr. Dykes - Auto Camp Owner (uncredited)
Billy Engle	...	Bus Passenger (uncredited)
Jack Evans	...	Man Saying 'Your Bus Leaves in 5 Minutes' (uncredited)
Bess Flowers	...	Agnes - Gordon's Secretary (uncredited)
Allen Fox	...	Bus Passenger (uncredited)
Dolores Fuller	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Joaquin Garay	...	Mexican Bus Passenger (uncredited)
Carlton Griffin	...	Wedding Guest (uncredited)
Kit Guard	...	Bus Passenger (uncredited)
Sherry Hall	...	Drunk Reporter (uncredited)
A.R. Haysel	...	Bus Dispatcher (uncredited)
Frank Holliday	...	Detective (uncredited)
Harry Holman	...	Last Auto Camp Manager (uncredited)
Harry Hume	...	Policeman (uncredited)
William Irving	...	Passenger on Second Bus (uncredited)
Sam Josephson	...	Bus Passenger (uncredited)
Milton Kibbee	...	Drunk Reporter (uncredited)
Mimi Lindell	...	Bus Passenger (uncredited)
Marvin Loback	...	Bus Passenger (uncredited)
Rose May	...	Bus Passenger (uncredited)
William McCall	...	Bus Passenger (uncredited)
Claire McDowell	...	Mother on Bus (uncredited)
Kate Morgan	...	Bus Passenger (uncredited)
Patsy O'Byrne	...	Bus Passenger (uncredited)
Earl Pingree	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Hal Price	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Margaret Reid	...	Bus Passenger (uncredited)
Ky Robinson	...	Detective (uncredited)
Blanche Rose	...	Bus Passenger (uncredited)
Rita Ross	...	Bus Passenger (uncredited)
Matty Roubert	...	Newsboy (uncredited)
Marvin Schecter	...	Bus Passenger (uncredited)
Harry Schultz	...	Bus Passenger (uncredited)
Bert Scott	...	Bus Passenger (uncredited)
Harry Semels	...	Bus Passenger (uncredited)
S.S. Simon	...	Bus Passenger (uncredited)
Linda Lee Solomon	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Bert Starkey	...	Bus Passenger (uncredited)
Ethel Sykes	...	Maid of Honor (uncredited)
Jane Talent	...	Bus Passenger (uncredited)
Emma Tansey	...	Ticket Buyer (uncredited)
Harry Todd	...	Flagman at Railroad Crossing (uncredited)
Maidel Turner	...	Last Motel Manager's Wife (uncredited)
William Wagner	...	Waiter at Wedding (uncredited)
John Wallace	...	Bus Passenger (uncredited)
Fred Walton	...	Butler (uncredited)
Dave Wengren	...	Bus Passenger (uncredited)
Billy West	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Charles Wilroy	...	Bus Passenger (uncredited)
Buck Woods	...	Cook Serving Food to Passengers (uncredited)
Frank Yaconelli	...	Tony (uncredited)

Directed by
Frank Capra

Writing credits
Robert Riskin		(screenplay)
Samuel Hopkins Adams		(short story)

Produced by
Frank Capra	....	producer (uncredited)
Harry Cohn	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Howard Jackson		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Joseph Walker		(photography)

Film Editing by
Gene Havlick

Art Direction by
Stephen Goosson		(uncredited)

Costume Design by
Robert Kalloch		(uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Charles C. Coleman	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Edward Bernds	....	sound engineer (uncredited)

Stunts
Mary Wiggins	....	stunt double: Claudette Colbert's dive off ship (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Cliff Shirpser	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Eugene Joseff	....	costume jeweller (uncredited)

Music Department
Louis Silvers	....	musical director
Louis Silvers	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)

Other crew
Harry Cohn	....	president: Columbia Pictures Corporation
Samuel J. Briskin	....	executive assistant: Mr. Cohn (uncredited)
George Brown	....	general press agent (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation (presents) (as A Columbia Production also)

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1934) (USA) (theatrical) (as A Columbia Picture)
• Columbia Pictures of Argentina (1934) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Croeze en Bosman (1934) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Columbia International Films (1945) (Netherlands) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Columbia Pictures (1949) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Columbia Pictures Television Distribution (????) (USA) (TV) (a Sony Pictures Entertainment Company)
• Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (????) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (USA) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (USA) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (USA) (laserdisc)
• Cult & Classic (Brazil) (VHS)
• Epoca (????) (Argentina) (VHS)
• RCA Home Video (video)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (USA) (laserdisc)
• Sony Pictures Entertainment (2000) (Japan) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2012) (Australia) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Sunset Gower Studios  sound stages (uncredited)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

105 min | West Germany:65 min (cut TV version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording)

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | Germany:o.Al. | Sweden:15 | UK:U (video rating) (1986) | South Korea:15 (DVD rating) | Canada:G (Nova Scotia/Quebec) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | Iceland:L | Portugal:M/12 | Norway:16 (1934) | Brazil:Livre | USA:Approved (PCA #4311-R: 11 May 1938 for re-release) | UK:A (original rating) | Netherlands:AL (original rating) (1934) | UK:U (tv rating) | USA:Unrated

Filming Locations:

Busch Gardens - S. Grove Avenue, Pasadena, California, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

This was the first film to win the Oscar "grand slam" (Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director and Screenplay).

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: After King lands and taxis in the autogyro, apparently the sole occupant, a man is visible in the cockpit crouching down as King walks around and to the rear of the autogyro.

Quotes:

Ellie Andrews:By the way, what's your name?
Peter Warne:What's that?
Ellie Andrews:Who are you?
Peter Warne:Who me?
[smiling]
Peter Warne:I'm the whippoorwill that cries in the night. I'm the soft morning breeze that caresses your lovely face.
Ellie Andrews:You've got a name, haven't you?
Peter Warne:Yeah, I got a name. Peter Warne.
Ellie Andrews:Peter Warne. I don't like it.
Peter Warne:Don't let it bother you. You're giving it back to me in the morning.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Final Justice (#11.8)" (1999)

Soundtrack:

The Flying Trapeze

It happened one night...I fell in love with this film!

IHON rightly earns it's place as one of the greatest romantic comedies in film history. A pioneer of the screwball comedy genre, it holds up very well 71 years after it was made.

It's a classic tale of the battle of sexes- something that is still so relevant today. We follow the story of spoiled heiress Ellie Andrews (Claudette Colbert), who jumps ship from her father's yacht (literally!) in Florida after an argument with said father (played by Walter Connolly) over her marrying wealthy playboy King Westley (Jameson Thomas) without her father's consent. Ellie is on a mission- to get to New York to King Westley. But how will she do it? That's how Peter Warne (played by a delightfully handsome Clark Gable) comes into the story. Recently fired from his newspaper job, Peter meets Ellie on the Night Bus to New York, and, realizing who she is (Her story is all over the news, after all!), offers to help her get to NY and Westley if she gives him an exclusive story- to win him back his job. And so the fun begins. Colbert and Gable have great chemistry as the mismatched couple thrown together after a series of unusual circumstances. The trip isn't a smooth one- and we are taken on a wild ride with Peter and Ellie, which gives us great scenes such as the doughnut-dunking lesson, Walls Of Jericho and the now-classic hitchhiking scene. The humour is still fresh and fast-paced over 70 years later. Oops, I almost forgot the classic 'no undershirt scene' where Gable sexily gives Colbert a lesson in how a man undresses, to reveal (shock horror!) no undershirt, but a bare chest! This had a bad effect on the sales of men's undershirts, which dropped dramatically after the film's release (One of the first examples of product placement in film). Great supporting characters, particularly the scene-stealing Oscar Shapeley (Roscoe Karns). Of course it has it's faults- all early talkies do. But any faults are outweighed by the great story. Technically, it was well-made for it's time.

IHON won 5 Oscars- Best Picture, Best Director (Frank Capra), Best Actress and Best Actor for Colbert and Gable and Best Adaptation. It deserved all of them. Funnily enough, both Colbert and Gable didn’t want any part in the film at first- I bet they changed their viewpoint after the surprise success and the prestigious Academy Awards they gained for it. It's been said that a number of Disney characters like Bugs Bunny, Yosemite Sam and Pepe LePew were inspired by characters in this film. A classic, a must-see, a great movie.