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    It Happened One Night

    Reviewed by
    pietroantoni@

    The Great Italian Immigrant Director Frank Capra arrived in the U. S. at age 6 in 1903 born of illiterate parents from Sicily. He graduated as a chemical engineer before the movie bug hit him, directing his first film in 1921. By the end of the 1930's he had already won 3 Oscars as Best Director and 2 movies as Best Picture of the year (It Happened One Night (1934) and You Can't Take it with You (1938) plus a slew of other Oscar Nominations and Film Awards.

    It Happened One Night is one of the most ingenious movies ever to have been made. It is part screwball comedy, in its loosest sense and it created the genre we now call ROMANTIC COMEDY. 80 years after being made, it yet remains the best and most famous romantic comedy of all time. How ironic it all was (is)! No one wanted to make this film. Star after star turned it down as it all appeared to be a meaningless road type movie on a Night Bus, the name of the original short story. Gable was sent to Columbia as a sort of punishment and Claudette Colbert finally signed on, both stars winning Best Actor and Actress, Capra winning Best Director and the amazing Bob Riskin winning for Best Screenplay not to mention that this little film which cost 350,000 thousand dollars took Oscar as Best Picture.

    It is such a beautiful, nostalgic piece of film making made during the hardest years of the Depression, raising the spirits of the downtrodden with this little gem that emanated hope. It's astounding how perfectly Gable and Colbert play off each other. Even more astounding is how Frank Capra made it look so real. COLUMBIA was a studio on so-called Poverty Row in the 30's so Capra had to do with real locations in North Carolina where the film was shot. Only the motel rooms were actual small sets. Sets, costumes, music departments etc. were all at the most minimal yet the final outcome was a joy to behold.

    This story of a spoiled heiress and a "fired" newspaperman simply caught the imagination of all America and the world. It is still fascinating and thrilling moviegoers generation after generation. The Academy truly got it right in 1934.

    10
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    pietroantoni@  6.5.2015 age: 36-49 14,540 reviews

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