It Happened One Night

This classic 1934 romantic comedy follows reporter Peter Warne (Clark Gable) as he hits the trail in search of runaway heiress Ellie Andrews (Claudette Colbert). A Depression-era crowd pleaser, It Happened One Night still shines, with its famous hitchhiking sequence (dueling thumbs, if you will) that pits the know-it-all confidence of Gable against the seductive charms of Colbert, a laugh-out-loud gem of a scene. Sure acting, a sparkling script, and solid direction by Frank Capra are the distinguishing marks of what studio officials considered to be just another small film (they were amazed at its popularity). Along with One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and Silence of the Lambs, it is the only other film to sweep the top five Oscars: Best Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, and Screenplay. And it reportedly had a negative effect on the men's undershirt industry—when Gable doffs his shirt, there's nothing but bare chest underneath, so suave and debonair male theatergoers of the ‘30s took the cue, and tossed their T-shirts. A beloved film (updated in Rob Reiner's charming 1985 comedy The Sure Thing), It Happened One Night receives the red carpet Criterion treatment with a new 4K digital restoration for DVD and its Blu-ray debut, and a bevy of extras including the feature-length 1997 biographical documentary Frank Capra's American Dream, a 1982 American Film Institute tribute to Capra, a “Screwball Comedy?” segment with critics Molly Haskell and Phillip Lopate, Capra's 1921 first film silent short “Fultah Fisher's Boarding House,” an archival interview with Capra's son, Frank Capra Jr., and a booklet. Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. (R. Pitman)