The Original Screwball Comedy
It Happened One Night, directed by Frank Capra, took the industry by storm when it released in 1934, with its quirky characters of the rich, spoilt heiress (Claudette Colbert) and the cynical newspaper reporter, played effortlessly by Clark Gable. Colbert’s character, Ellie Andrews, defies her father and flees home to marry her lover, who is, unfortunately, a gold-digging Casanova. Andrews has a run-in with Peter Warne (Gable) on her way, and the two forge an unlikely truce, with Warne promising to help her in return for a scoop for his newspaper. On their journey, over a lot of crazy adventures, the two mismatched characters find themselves getting attracted to each other and end up falling in love. The film still remains a timeless romantic comedy and has inspired a number of remakes. Year of release: 1934 Directed by Frank Capra Starring Clark Gable & Claudette Colbert