I admit I'm a bit of a sucker for screwball comedies and the work of Capra, so I'm a little astonished I've never checked out It Happened One Night before now.
According to Wikipedia, this is perhaps the earliest example of a screwball comedy. The story follows the classic formula of two mismatched people thrown together, often across a class as well as gender divide. Verbal sparring and eventually romance result.
It's a little creaky in places (mostly sound design), but still feels surprisingly tight and well-paced overall. Inevitably, not all of the jokes and humorous interludes will work for modern audiences - the bus sing-song is quaint but hard to imagine occurring nowadays. Similarly, I had to dredge my school memories for the walls of Jericho reference.
Colbert and Gable have real chemistry and are gently charming as a couple although the sudden epiphany on Colbert's character feels a little bit of a stretch.
Verdict: Classic Rom-Com
It's a little creaky in places (mostly sound design), but still feels surprisingly tight and well-paced overall. Inevitably, not all of the jokes and humorous interludes will work for modern audiences - the bus sing-song is quaint but hard to imagine occurring nowadays. Similarly, I had to dredge my school memories for the walls of Jericho reference.
Colbert and Gable have real chemistry and are gently charming as a couple although the sudden epiphany on Colbert's character feels a little bit of a stretch.
Verdict: Classic Rom-Com
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