Frank Capra's It Happened One Night

Frank Capra’s 1934 black and white romantic comedy It Happened One Night set the pattern for future “screwball” romantic comedies. The story is set during the depression era and focuses on the unlikely paring of an heiress and an unemployed news paper journalist. The conceited and spoiled heiress has rejected her lavish lifestyle and ran away. The film clearly projects how love is able to cross over class conflicts and monetary differences. Unexpectedly, the film became a runaway box office sleeper hit, and won the top five Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Adaptation (Robert Riskin), Best Director (Frank Capra), Best Actor (Clark Gable), and Best Actress (Claudette Colbert).

Elements:

1. Scene Synopsis: Ellie is arguing with her

Frist, Capra wrote in script, for Peter Warren (Clark Gable) to disrobe and expose his bare chest, without a t-shirt, as was the norm for this period of time. It was surprising to see how far Peter disrobed before Ellie ran away, but I certainly did not expect to see a bare chest in a black and white film. Plus, Ellie Andrews (Claudette Colbert) exposed her bare leg while hitch hiking and was shot wearing nothing but her slip. Not only were these scenes outside social acceptance, so was the issue of an unmarried man and woman traveling and sharing a room together. This would have never occurred in real life in the 1930’s. Thus, Capra was promoting change in a more promiscuous direction. This shocked me, particularly since I am aware of how important it was for a woman’s reputation to remain untarnished. Secondly, Capra purposefully set the undertones of how serious the depression had become, by demonstrating how the boy’s mother on the bus had passed out due to a lack of food and money, which led to the boy receiving all the money Peter and Ellie had on them at that time. This was a very honorable gesture made on the parts of the two main characters during a time in which benevolence was few and far between. This scene was emotionally driving. Not only did it express the desperation of the times but warmed my heart to see those who had very little give all they had away to those less fortunate than they