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| Clark Gable & Claudette Colbert on the highway to romance: “It Occurred One Evening.” |
A 12 months after its
launch, 1934’s It Occurred One Evening
swept the Oscars on February 27, 1935—Greatest Image, Director, Actor, Actress,
and Author—a feat seldom duplicated. As of January 1, 2025, at age 65, I had
by no means seen this basic, aside from clips. I then watched Evening twice and these are my takeaways.
The massive shock for
me was that I assumed It Occurred One
Evening was a straight up comedy, however it’s actually a humorous however heartfelt
slice of life throughout America’s Despair period. The runaway bride is a screwball
comedy staple, for positive. But it’s extra in regards to the wealthy lady, Ellie Andrews, rubbing
elbows with on a regular basis folks, like fired reporter Peter Warne. Evening then turns into a romantic “highway”
film, as properly.
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| “It Occurred One Evening” was made on a modest price range however grew to become a preferred hit. |
There are some well-known comedic
moments: The society lady leaping off the household yacht, the motel blanket “partitions
of Jericho,” the lady hitching her skirt to hitch a trip, and the bride bolting
from the altar. However there actually are not any hilarious traces and the scenes that
I simply talked about introduced a smile to my face, however no outright chuckles—and I
have a superb humorousness.
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| The partitions of Jericho present a blanket of privateness in 1934’s “It Occurred One Evening.” |
Thought of one of many
large screwball comedies, It Occurred One
Evening was directed by Frank Capra, who directed just a few, like You Can’t Take It with You and Arsenic and Outdated Lace. Frankly, I don’t
discover It Occurred One Evening a
“screwball” kind comedy—not just like the antic My
Man Godfrey or Bringing Up Child.
There are components, however they’re fairly gentle, not wild. Additionally, for a comedy of
this period, it’s a bit leisurely at an hour and 45 minutes. Twentieth Century, My Man Godfrey, and Nothing
Sacred all clocked in at round 90 minutes.
Many have famous that It Occurred One Evening could be the first
rom-com, the place the leads are at odds, whereas additionally attracted to 1 one other.
What’s typical is that just about a century later it’s nonetheless virtually all the time the girl who’s the flake or a spoiled brat who
must be taken down a notch or two, and the robust man who simply softens up
with love. One of many few instances that the roles had been reversed was Cher and
Nicolas Cage in Moonstruck—although I’m
positive there have been others.
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| Director Frank Capra with stars Clark Gable & Claudette Colbert. |
Clark Gable and
Claudette Colbert had been of their first flush of stardom by 1934. Each proved
adept at comedic appearing right here, and already performed romantic and critical roles. It Occurred One Evening was by turns a
comedy, a romance, and with some dramatic moments. Clark and Claudette had been
triple threats on this basic.
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| Claudette Colbert because the bride about to bolt, with father Walter Connolly, in 1934’s “It Occurred One Evening.” |
Claudette Colbert,
together with her crescent moon eyebrows and Betty Boop make-up, is the proper comedic
doll, balanced by her pure intelligence and sophistication. Colbert’s giant,
expressive eyes, particularly when she realizes she’s in love with the hard-nosed
reporter, are well-utilized by the star. Clark Gable was nonetheless a lean younger
film star in Evening. Whereas Gable’s
not so expert in his comedian drunk scenes, he’s naturalistic in his dramatic as
properly as comedic scenes. The 2 stars play in a contemporary model that also makes
this film watchable at present.
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| Clark Gable at his youthful peak, in 1934’s “It Occurred One Evening.” |
That is actually a two
character movie, Gable’s reporter and Colbert’s wealthy lady. There are some nice
character actors who present up for one scene—Alan Hale, Sr., Ward Bond, and so on.
Colbert has her irascible millionaire father (Walter Connolly), Gable has his
ornery editor (Charles C. Wilson). However they’re all window dressing for the 2
leads on the highway to romance.
Audiences made this
film successful with phrase of mouth, maybe as a result of they noticed themselves and their
lives depicted realistically on the display. Additionally, It Occurred One Evening was thought of risqué again within the day, and
was launched earlier than the July 1934 clamp down of the enforced censorship code
for movies.
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| Claudette Colbert’s wealthy lady exhibits know-it-all reporter Clark Gable the way to get a carry, in 1934’s “It Occurred One Evening.” |
I feel this film was
a refreshing change of tempo for its time and it’s why It Occurred One Evening swept the Oscars that 12 months. It is attention-grabbing
that Gable beat William Powell’s first time as Nick Charles in The Skinny Man, which led to a long-running
film collection. Or that Myrna Loy wasn’t even nominated as Nora Charles! And that
Bette Davis was a write-in for her
profession changer, Of Human Bondage.
How was it that
Claudette Colbert thought she wouldn’t win the Oscar? Her solely official
competitors was MGM’s perennial nominee Norma Shearer and opera singer Grace
Moore. It Occurred One Evening was
launched with little fanfare in February 1934, to mixed-to-good notices. However by
Oscar evening a 12 months later, the sleeper comedy had change into an enormous hit with the
public. Colbert nonetheless departed by practice for a long-overdue trip solely to be
introduced again when she received, accepting her Oscar in a Travis Banton touring
go well with.
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| Shirley Temple offers Claudette Colbert her Greatest Actress Oscar. |
The cinematography by
Joseph Walker is gorgeous, this artist labored on almost all of Capra’s movies.
The out of doors evening scenes or the rain glowing on the bus and motel home windows,
are simply beautiful. The script by Robert Riskin is shiny and intelligent, depicting
folks of all selection. And Frank Capra’s route is heat and character-driven,
Capra at his greatest.
It Occurred One Evening has a long-lasting allure, with characters that
really feel fairly actual, fairly an accomplishment for a film that occurred almost one
century in the past!
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| The partitions of Jericho, about to return down, in 1934’s “It Occurred One Evening.” |
Right here’s Clark Gable, a
quarter of a century later, enjoying one other tough across the edges reporter,
out to get a narrative and the main girl, this time Doris Day, in Instructor’s Pet. My take right here: https://ricksrealreel.blogspot.com/2022/04/teachers-pet-1958.html
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| Here is Clark Gable 1 / 4 of a century later, in 1958’s “Instructor’s Pet.” |
