It Happened One Night (1934)
96%RT Audience Score: 93%
Awards & Nominations: Won 5 Oscars
11 wins & 2 nominations total
Capturing its stars and director at their finest, It Happened One Night remains unsurpassed by the countless romantic comedies it has inspired.
This movie is the real deal, folks. It’s got everything you could want in a rom-com – witty banter, unexpected twists, and a couple of stars who are absolutely killing it. You know those movies that make you want to fall in love? Well, this is one of them. And the best part? It’s been inspiring copycats for decades, but none of them can hold a candle to the original. So grab some popcorn, settle in, and get ready to swoon.
Production Company(ies)
Columbia Pictures,
Distributor
Columbia Pictures, Columbia TriStar Home Video, RCA/Columbia
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Busch Gardens – S. Grove Avenue, Pasadena, California, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Passed
Year of Release
1934
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Color:Color
Black and White -
Sound mix:Dolby
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Aspect ratio:1.37 : 1
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Runtime:1h 45m
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Feb 22, 1934 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 28, 1999
Genre(s)
Comedy/Romance
Keyword(s)
Comedy, Romance, Frank Capra, Claudette Colbert, Clark Gable, Walter Connolly, Roscoe Karns, Alan Hale, Ward Bond, Samuel Hopkins Adams, Robert Riskin, Harry Cohn, Columbia Pictures, Columbia TriStar Home Video, RCA/Columbia, Mono, 35mm, Flat, MPAA rating, box office performance, budget, reviewed by John Betjeman, Mae Tinee, Mildred Martin, Len G Shaw, Robert Randol, Edgar Hay, Victor Pineyro, Brian Eggert, Walter Ramsey, Reg Whitley, T.D Kemp, Jr
Worldwide gross: NA
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): NA
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
– Clark Gable as Peter Warne
– Walter Connolly as Alexander Andrews
– Roscoe Karns as Oscar Shapeley
– Alan Hale as Danker
– Ward Bond as Bus driver #1 (uncredited)
Director(s)
Frank Capra
Writer(s)
Samuel Hopkins Adams, Robert Riskin
Producer(s)
Frank Capra, Harry Cohn
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Won 5 Oscars
11 wins & 2 nominations total
Academy Awards
Oscar Best Picture Winners, Oscar Winners
All Critics (105) | Top Critics (32) | Fresh (103) | Rotten (2)
It Happened One Night is one of the most entertaining films I have seen. Its entertainment value is entirely due to good acting and good directing, particularly to the latter.
February 10, 2022
John Betjeman
London Evening Standard
TOP CRITIC
The co-stars are a refreshing team with their good looks, bonhomie, and talent.
March 31, 2021
Mae Tinee
Chicago Tribune
TOP CRITIC
The surprise in this film is the discovery of Clark Gable as a comedian of considerable charm and ability.
March 31, 2021
Mildred Martin
Philadelphia Inquirer
TOP CRITIC
Gable plays the determined and resourceful newshound in his accustomed forthright manner, with a restraint that helps to make the story believable.
March 31, 2021
Len G. Shaw
Detroit Free Press
TOP CRITIC
It is the kind of light entertainment that audiences always like very much.
March 31, 2021
Robert Randol
Fort Worth Star-Telegram/DFW.com
TOP CRITIC
Claudette Colbert is a particularly happy foil for Gable. They ought to be teamed up again.
March 31, 2021
Edgar Hay
Miami Herald
TOP CRITIC
The acting provides deceit, romance and comedy in a grandiose way. But it’s inevitable to feel that time has gone by and through It Happened One Night’s narrative efforts. [Full review in Spanish]
June 23, 2022 | Rating: 6/10
Victor Pineyro
Seventh Art Studio
After nearly a century of critics, scholars, and moviegoers singing its praises, the answer to what makes the film endure remains simple, if rather dissatisfying: Movie Magic.
March 13, 2022 | Rating: 4/4
Brian Eggert
Deep Focus Review
Boy, howdy, this is one that you cannot afford to miss.
February 17, 2022
Walter Ramsey
Modern Screen
I have not enjoyed a film so much for a long time as I did It Happened One Night, a really delightful comedy-drama featuring Claudette Colbert and Clark Gable.
February 17, 2022
Reg Whitley
Daily Mirror (UK)
Once in a great while, Hollywood outdoes itself and produces a motion picture that establishes a new high mark in genuine entertainment. Such a picture is It Happened One Night.
February 11, 2022
T.D. Kemp, Jr.
Charlotte Observer
Skilful direction by Frank Capra, brilliant acting by Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert, crisp dialogue and an exciting plot make It Happened One Night… one of the most entertaining films oi the year.
February 10, 2022
NZ Herald Staff
New Zealand Herald…
Plot
Ellie Andrews has just tied the knot with society aviator King Westley when she is whisked away to her father’s yacht and out of King’s clutches. Ellie jumps ship and eventually winds up on a bus headed back to her husband. Reluctantly she must accept the help of out-of- work reporter Peter Warne. Actually, Warne doesn’t give her any choice: either she sticks with him until he gets her back to her husband, or he’ll blow the whistle on Ellie to her father. Either way, Peter gets what (he thinks!) he wants …. a really juicy newspaper story.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert initially did not want to star in the film and only agreed to do so after being offered a large sum of money.
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