It Happened One Night Synopsis: A runaway heiress makes a deal with the rogue reporter trailing her, but the mismatched pair end up stuck with each other when their bus leaves them behind.
When spoiled socialite Ellie Andrews (Claudette Colbert) jumps ship – literally – from her father’s yacht to avoid having her new marriage annulled, she hops a Greyhound bus to New York to reunite with her playboy aviator husband, King Westley. Along the way, she crosses paths with Peter Warne (Clark Gable), a cynical, recently fired newspaper reporter who smells a career-making story. Circumstances and mishaps force Peter and Ellie to travel together, but soon their mutual loathing turns into something much more genuine.
I absolutely adored this movie. It’s a rom-com classic for a reason, after all. It Happened One Night may not be the first rom-com, but it’s certainly one of the first to create so many beloved tropes that are still found in the genre today. It has a deceptively simple premise, but it works so well thanks to a wonderful script from Robert Riskin, impeccable direction from Frank Capra, and the charged chemistry between Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert.
I found Colbert to be vivacious and engaging as Ellie. She’s a spoiled heiress, sure, but she also has a rebellious spirit, and as she is forced into the “real world” with Peter, she finds pleasure in the small things, like learning how to “properly” dunk a donut, and having to wait in line to shower at a motel. As Peter, Gable has a charming edge to him. He challenges Ellie’s classism, just as she challenges his. He never lets Ellie off the hook, but she also proves that she’s not helpless. Throughout their travels, Ellie and Peter grow to need one another, and Colbert and Gable absolutely shine together on screen.
Frank Capra was known for his mastery of accelerated pacing. With It Happened One Night, Capra really found just the right balance of keeping things quick and witty, while still allowing the budding romance to breathe and blossom. He let Ellie and Peter shine, keeping the story focused on the characters, rather than the chaotic situations they often found themselves in. The result was so natural and authentic that it’s easy to see why this movie became the blueprint for future romantic comedies.
It Happened One Night won all five Academy Awards for which it was nominated: Best Picture, Director, Writer, Actor, and Actress. The movie deserved every single win. It’s a lovely, genuinely funny romance that doesn’t need a convoluted plot or high-concept gimmicks to be successful or interesting. Just a witty script, a competent director, and two leads that share unsurpassed chemistry. That’s not asking much, is it?
It Happened One Night remains influential among filmmakers today. If you haven’t seen this film yet, you’re doing yourself a disservice. It remains one of the very best in its genre – and in cinema in general.
Watched: 02/03/2026
Notable Song: Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf by Clark Gable
