It Happened One Night

1934, 105 minutes

Released just before the Hays Code went into effect, this freewheeling film by Frank Capra could be described as the grandfather of the romantic comedy. All the classic rom-com elements are present: a spoiled heiress about to marry a jerk; a down on his heels reporter hoping to land the scoop of the year; a ‘meet-cute’ encounter by two people who can’t stand each other; a transformational road trip; and two beds separated by a blanket that won’t stay up.

This is also the film that made Clark Gable’s reputation as charismatic leading man and launched a succession of screwball comedies that offered Depression-era audiences a picture of the filthy rich as silly foils. The result is a timeless movie that was considered sub-par while it was in production but has since grown so much in stature that it has been listed by the American Film Institute as one the 100 greatest films.

BE ADVISED--This film is UNRATED, with smoking, drinking, profanity, sexual innuendo, comedic violence, glimpses of dire poverty, Capraesque populism, and a late-night bus ride with everyone singing “The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze.”