Wednesday, September 7, 2011

It Happened One Night (1934)

Frank Capra's screwball masterpiece starring Clark Gable and a Marlene Dietrich look-a-like Claudette Colbert in this romantic comedy that unlike most "romcom aka romantic comedies" these days, it is actually filled with witty dialogue and outstanding actors. A spoiled heiress (Colbert) runs away from home and is helped by a man (Gable) who is actually a reporter looking for a story.

i would say that this is one of the romantic comedies that started the whole genre. the same genre that has helped sandra bullock, jennifer lopez, katherine heigl, stay in the business for so long. If i think about it, the whole premise of Forces of Nature (1999) starring Sandra Bullock and Ben Affleck, is a complete knockoff of It Happened One Night. A couple coincidentally meet on a bus one afternoon and in the course of a few days, events ensue, blah blah blah next thing you know they are madly in love with each other. but unlike forces of nature gable spits out the most charming and clever lines that will make you giggle, blush, and all together make you fall head over heels with his snarky behavior. And as much as colbert did bring her own sass into the picture it was gable's wise-cracking attitude that shined through. In the 7th academy awards, this was the first film to win the "BIG 5": Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actors and Actress, and Best Writing. Now, lets see if any Bullock, Lopez, and Heigl film could ever do that! A