Clark Rides the Night Bus

When Ellie Andrews (Claudette Colbert) literally jumps ship to join her new husband King Westley (Jameson Thomas) - over her father's vehement objections - hell breaks loose. Alexander Andrews (Walter Connolly) hires every detective he can find to search for Ellie, but she has other ideas. She boards the night bus to New York City to reach Westley. Unfortunately, Ellie has no idea of how to be on the lam; she is befriended by reporter Peter Warne (Clark Gable) who plans on using her story to get back in good graces with his editor. Our film is It Happened One Night (1936).

Victoria Riskin provided an introduction to this film, which was part of the Fay Wray/Robert Riskin Retrospective at the AFI Silver Theatre.  Mr. Riskin collaborated with Frank Capra on the film -  Mr. Capra read the story Night Bus by Samuel Hopkins Adams, which was published in Cosmopolitan, and approached Mr. Riskin about adapting it for the screen (Fay Wray and Robert Riskin: A Hollywood Memoir by Victoria Riskin); they pitched it to Harry Cohn at Columbia.

Myrna Loy, Miriam Hopkins, Constance Bennett and Margaret Sullavan were all approached to play Ellie. Finally, Claudette Colbert (who was not enthusiastic) consented to do the part, contingent upon a hefty salary. Similarly, Robert Montgomery was requested for the part of Peter, but Louis B. Mayer decided to send Clark Gable instead; Mayer resented Gable's increased salary demands and decided four weeks at a Poverty Row studio was fit punishment (AFI Catalog).  By the film's conclusion, no one was particularly thrilled with the result - except the audiences!

Claudette Colbert is excellent as Ellie. It's a difficult part - Ellie needs to be snooty enough to be believable as a spoiled brat, but warm enough to attract Peter's attentions from the start. Ms. Colbert had not wanted to work with Frank Capra again (there had been some animosity on the 1927 film For the Love of Mike) and she was unwilling to show her legs for the now-famous hitchhiking scene. However, when Mr. Capra brought in a model to be "the leg," Ms. Colbert said, "get her out of here, I'll do it -- that's not my leg!" and did the scene that has become synonymous with the film (TCM article). She left the film convince it was "the worst picture in the world," but by 1982, when Frank Capra received the AFI Lifetime Achievement award, she was much more enthusiastic. (You can see her speech here).

While Mr. Gable had worn a mustache in other films, the reaction to his appearance in It Happened One Night convinced him that he should keep it permanently (Clark Gable: A Biography by Warren G. Harris). He also began wearing a trenchcoat as a lucky charm. Mr. Gable gives Peter Warne just enough arrogance to stand up to Ellie, but he's also warm and gentle. There's a scene in which a woman faints on the bus - Peter's ambivalence in wanting to help her, but knowing that he hasn't very much money, makes you warm to the character. Gable also has the unique ability to play comedy without being silly. Watch him undress in a scene that could have been ridiculous - with him doing it, it's a masterpiece.

The film is replete with some very impressive character performances. Roscoe Karns is decidedly slimy as Oscar Shapeley, the lecherous traveling salesman.  Alan Hale seems friendly and innocuous as Danker, the driver who picks up our hitchhikers (but he's not). And finally, there is Walter Connolly as Ellie's beleaguered father, a man who only wants the best for his only child, but isn't always very good at letting her know that.

It Happened One Night became the first comedy to win an Oscar, and the first film to win Oscars in the five major categories: Picture, Actor, Actress, Director and Writing (Robert Osborne commentary).  It became the model for a subset of the screwball comedy genre (See: The Runaway Bride: Hollywood Romantic Comedy of the 1930's by Elizabeth Kendall). It spawned two remakes (both musicals): Eve Knew Her Apples (1945) with Ann Miller, and You Can't Run Away from It (1956) with June Allyson. It appears on multiple AFI lists: #46 on 100 Years, 100 Movies (Anniversary Edition) and #36 on the original list; #8 on 100 Years, 100 Laughs; and #38 on 100 Years, 100 Passions. In 1993, it was added to the National Film Registry.

If you've never seen this excellent film, treat yourself and find a copy. In the meantime, we'll leave you with the scene that nearly bankrupted the men's undershirt industry: