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Amazon.co.uk Review
Director Frank Capra (Mr. Smith Goes to Washington) took home every Oscar in the book (well, okay, all the major ones) for this seminal 1934 comedy starring Clark Gable as a hard-bitten reporter who stays close to a runaway heiress (Claudette Colbert) so not to lose a good story. Funny and sexy, the film is full of memorable scenes often referred to in other films, such as the "Wall of Jericho" (a mere bedcover hung on a clothesline down the middle of the room), and Colbert's famous flash of thigh to stop a speeding car in its tracks. Capra's brisk, urbane brand of wit was a perfect complement to his populist faith in the common man (in this case, Gable's character), and this inspiration makes this film a spirited entertainment and an uplifting experience. --Tom Keogh, Amazon.com
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Subtitles are: Arabic, Bulgarian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Icelandic, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
54 of 55 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
"It Happened One Night" is one of the most enduring of romantic comedies. Released in 1934, its black and white images are iconic - Gable & Goddard hitching is a classic scene, but there are many others from the film which have an unforgettable cachet. Set against the realities of the Depression, Frank Capra delivers a distinct feel-good quality; this was a film which attracted a huge popular audience.
Claudette Colbert plays a beautiful heiress who has married a lounge-lizard society type against the wishes of her father. Father keeps daughter locked up on his yacht while he pursues nullification of the marriage, but Colbert escapes and sets off on a bus ride back to her husband in New York. She has never done anything so independent before, has never travelled on anything as cosmopolitan, never mind proletarian, as a bus. She simply hasn't a clue how to survive without servants.
On the bus she meets down-on-his-luck newspaperman, Clark Gable. The pair team up, eking out the few dollars they have between them, travelling by bus, hitching lifts, coyly sharing motel rooms, a blanket hung by rope to separate twin single beds - a system they famously describe as 'the walls of Jericho'.
"It Happened One Night" won five Oscars - Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director, and Best Adaptation (Robert Riskin's script). Made by Columbia, it was an unlikely hit - Capra struggled to cast it and it was certainly not as well promoted as many of its rivals that year. But the public loved it. The film gently disparages the rich, spoiled background of the heiress - the film starts with Colbert on hunger strike, but on the bus journey she will meet people who are actually starving because they have no money. Capra was always able to capture that love-hate relationship between the popular audience and images of the rich.
Capra seems to have been the only one who believed in the film - Colbert was not his first choice and she was very reluctant to take the role. Gable was loaned to him, and played against character throughout. Shot in four weeks and on a low budget, Capra and Gable wrung a reluctant performance from Colbert - despite her resistance to the part, she delivers an excellent performance. Capra handles the narrative with expertise, giving the audience time to understand the dynamic between the two characters. He blends drama with comedy with romance. Despite its age, the film continues to work as a delightful story, superbly performed and directed, with timeless humour and compassion.
The DVD offers a very acceptable black and white transfer with adequate sound quality, and some interesting extras - not least a radio broadcast of the play of the film, with Colbert and Gable revisiting their roles before a live audience. Highly entertaining and a film you can watch and watch.
30 of 31 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
It Happened One Night is one of the best films ever made. It is the perfect romantic comedy with one memorable scene after another. Although the movie is nearly seventy years old it has aged remarkably well. The storyline is relatively fast paced (for a 30's film) and it also benefits from the extensive use of location filming. The exceptional quality of the print used by Columbia Tristar in the manufacturing of this DVD ensures maximum viewing pleasure. As far as the extra features go, considering this is a Region 2 DVD they're not bad. Of particular note is a radio broadcast made a few years after the movie again starring Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert. The only disappointment is the absence of an excellent commentary track by Frank Capra Jr that appears on the Region 1 release. Given that this DVD is more expensive than the American version it's a pity Columbia Tristar couldn't negotiate the rights to this commentary.... Still, you have to applaud them for including an old classic like this in their schedule of DVD releases. At the time of writing the Region 1 DVD is still available from Amazom.com (USA), otherwise sit back enjoy this one.
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
This is the story of a little rich girl (Claudette Colbert) opposing her father by running away. She 'accidently' hooks up with Peter (Clark Gable) a just-fired news reporter and so begins the tale. The film was one of the first to sweep the boards at the Oscars - and deservedly so in my opinion - both Colbert and Gable sparkle on screen - they were both quite young 'ish when this film was made and the innocence of the era shines through without being 'mawkish' or boring.
I thoroughly enjoyed watching this again - the humour is still as fresh as when it was made and the transfer to DVD means the overall picture quality is bright and clear.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
"It Happened One Night (1934) ... Gable & Colbert ... Frank Capra...
Columbia Pictures Corporation presents "IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT" (1934) (105 min/B&W) -- Starring: Clark Gable, Claudette Colbert, Walter Connolly, Roscoe Karns, Jameson Thomas, Alan... Read more
Published 9 months ago by J. Lovins
Classic Hollywood
Golden Oldie: This is true Hollywood, with an excellent witty script.
It was well worth going down memory lane
It was well worth going down memory lane
Published 15 months ago by Flicks
It Happened to be Brilliant
Arguably Frank Capra has a lot to answer for; namely the gee shucks apple pie American politics that seems to still impress some people even in 2010. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Sam
PURE JOY!
IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT IS SIMPLY ONE OF THE BEST FILMS OF ALL TIME - EASILY IN THE TOP THREE. THE LEADS ARE IMPECIBLE AND THEY GENERATE A CHEMISTRY ONLY A HANDFUL OF TODAYS STARS... Read more
Published 19 months ago by H. Evans
If you enjoy old classics
Recommend this DVD if you are a fan of old movies. Its a good comedy and the quality of the dvd is great. Read more
Published 21 months ago by Mollyball
Classic film, real actors, what is not to like?
I love this film and have watched it twice, and being a fickle film watcher, that is as good as it gets. Read more
Published 21 months ago by Magenta
love this film
love this film love clark gable.watched this film when ill had me in stiches and fell in love with clark Gable love it
Published on 16 Feb 2009 by S. rice
Decent but not Capra's best (despite it's oscars!)
Despite sweeping the oscars at the time, and being a real cinema goers favourite - it's not the best of Capra's by any means. Read more
Published on 15 April 2008 by anon-london
Top stuff!
Not just for film buffs, this gem of a movie is one of my all-time favorites. The fast-moving and snappy dialogue is rarely seen in films these days, as Claudette Colbert and... Read more
Published on 8 Feb 2008 by Crusty
One of the greatest romantic comedy
When someone mentions "romantic comedy" this movie always comes into my mind first. Incredibly funny and moving film with more wit than most more serious works. Read more
Published on 6 Mar 2007 by Jari Ahvalo
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