It Happened One Night, 1934

It Happened One Night is worth seeing just for its historical value, if nothing else. I've heard it referred to as the true beginning of American cinema. It is also one of the movies that helped Paramount become one of the big Hollywood players. A combination of elements from this film were the inspiration and basis for Bugs Bunny, one of the most famous cartoon characters of all time. It was the first film to win all five major Academy Awards: Best Picture, Actor, Actress, Director, and Screenplay. But all that aside, It Happened One Night is just a good movie. Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert meet on a bus to New York. She's a spoiled rich girl running from her family and he's a reporter, just fired from his job and looking for a big "scoop" to get it back. He realizes who she is, and decided to help her in exchange for an exclusive story. As on might expect, they fall in love and have to alter their plans. Both Gable and Colbert give outstanding performances, certainly worthy of the awards they received. The more I see of Gable, the more I like him. He's got this odd magnetism that I just can't explain. Frank Capra Jr.'s simple and to-the-point direction helps highlight the reality of the characters. Even 70 years later, It Happened One Night was still very funny. The DVD was about average for an old film that hasn't undergone an expensive restoration process. The black and white picture was dirty and marred with scratches and lines. The contrast varied from scene to scene, but overall it wasn't to bad. The audio was relatively clean, with only minimal noise. Dialog was clear and easily understandable. Keeping in mind that It Happened One Night is over 70 years old, the DVD wasn't too bad at all.

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