It Happened One Night (1934)

This ingenious, fabulously smutty and still relevant 90-year-old two-hander is the grandaddy of all rom-coms. Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert are superb as a mismatched couple in Frank Capra’s classic that won the big five Oscars.

The critic argues the film essentially created the template for every romantic comedy since, with its banter-heavy structure, road trip, and class-crossing romance between a defiant socialite and an arrogant reporter. They praise the ideal chemistry, shifting power balance, and timeless verve while noting some dated elements.

The critic recounts the troubled production involving Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert under Frank Capra, noting the film's eventual sweep of the major Oscars. It praises the film as a fresh, fast and funny farce that launched the screwball comedy genre.

The critic praises the film as one of the easiest movies to love, highlighting its witty, sexy romance between the spoiled heiress and wisecracking reporter, the sparkling Gable-Colbert chemistry, and its blend of humor, sexiness, and Depression-era American spirit.

The critic calls it a charming, human, believable story with charming, human, believable characters that gallops along with joie de vivre and no dull moments. They single out the sparkling dialogue, natural performances by Gable and Colbert, and Capra's direction as perfect.

The piece calls the film the quintessential romantic comedy and the first to sweep the five major Oscars, noting its breezy story of the socialite and reporter's romance and how it elevated Columbia Pictures despite initial odds.

Frank Capra’s 1934 romantic comedy starring Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert remains buoyant and elegant, surviving due to its wit, charm, romantic idealism and shrewd sketch of married life. The critic highlights the feisty chemistry between the leads and the symbolic 'Wall of Jericho' blanket as a great pleasure.

The critic notes the film's breakout hit status fueled by zippy repartee and manic comic invention unmatched by imitators, highlighting the friction between entitlement and self-reliance in the leads and Capra's reveling in middle-class faces and chance encounters. They single out the strong historical supplements on the Criterion disc.

Praises the film's charm, dialogue, and chemistry but notes it's more historically important than a masterpiece, forgiving its influence on lesser romcoms.

The critic sees it as more than escapist froth, highlighting its Depression-era toughness, gender role tensions, and playful sexual chemistry between Gable and Colbert, while noting its enduring charm despite modern romcom flaws.

The original review finds the clean, funny bus story effective thanks to Capra's direction and the spirited performances of Gable and Colbert, calling it chic and noting its appeal.

The critic hails it as a great movie and the first screwball comedy, praising the playful and sexy performances by Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert.

The critic praises Frank Capra’s screwball comedy as a sparkling, witty romantic classic that was the first film to sweep the top five Oscars. They highlight the sizzling chemistry between Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert, the snappy script, lively direction, and iconic hitchhiking scene as elements that make it enduring and influential.