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{{short description|1934 film by Frank Capra}}
{{About||the album by Holly Cole|It Happened One Night (album) {{!}} ''It Happened One Night'' (album)}}
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{{Infobox film
| name           = It Happened One Night
| image          = It-happened-one-night-poster.jpg
| caption        = Theatrical release poster
| director       = [[Frank Capra]]
| producer       = {{ubl|Frank Capra|[[Harry Cohn]]}}
| screenplay     = [[Robert Riskin]]
| based_on       = {{based on|"Night Bus"<br>1933 story in ''[[Cosmopolitan (magazine)|Cosmopolitan]]''|[[Samuel Hopkins Adams]]}}
| starring       = {{ubl|[[Clark Gable]]|[[Claudette Colbert]]}}
| music          = {{ubl|[[Howard Jackson (composer)|Howard Jackson]]|[[Louis Silvers]]}}
| cinematography = [[Joseph Walker (cinematographer)|Joseph Walker]]
| editing        = [[Gene Havlick]]
|studio = [[Columbia Pictures]]
| distributor    = Columbia Pictures
| released       = {{Film date|1934|02|22}}
| runtime        = 105 minutes<!--Theatrical runtime: 105:00--><ref>[https://bbfc.co.uk/releases/it-happened-one-night-1970-2 "'It Happened One Night' (A)."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200802003609/https://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/it-happened-one-night-1970-2 |date=August 2, 2020 }} ''[[British Board of Film Classification]]'', March 13, 1934; retrieved November 18, 2014.</ref>
| country        = United States
| language       = English
| budget         = $325,000<ref>Rudy Behlmer, ''Behind the Scenes'', Samuel French, 1990 p. 37</ref>
| gross          = $2.5 million (worldwide rentals)<ref name=wall>{{cite magazine |date=November 7, 1962 |title=Wall St. Researchers' Cheery Tone|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |page=7}}</ref>
}}
[[File:It Happened One Night (1934) - Trailer.webm|thumb|The film's trailer]]
'''''It Happened One Night''''' is a 1934 American [[Pre-Code Hollywood|pre-Code]] [[romantic comedy]] film with elements of [[Screwball comedy film|screwball comedy]] directed and co-produced by [[Frank Capra]], in collaboration with [[Harry Cohn]], in which a pampered [[socialite]] ([[Claudette Colbert]]) tries to get out from under her father's thumb and falls in love with a roguish reporter ([[Clark Gable]]).

The screenplay by [[Robert Riskin]] is based on the August 1933 short story "Night Bus" by [[Samuel Hopkins Adams]], which provided the shooting title. Classified as a "pre-Code" production, the film was released just four months before the [[Motion Picture Association|MPPDA]] began rigidly enforcing the [[Hays Code]] in July 1934.<ref name="Brown118">Brown 1995, p. 118.</ref>

It is seen as one of the [[List of films voted the best|greatest films ever made]] and was the first of only three films (along with ''[[One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (film)|One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest]]'' and ''[[The Silence of the Lambs (film)|The Silence of the Lambs]]'') [[List of Big Five Academy Award winners and nominees|to win all five major]] [[Academy Awards]]: [[Academy Award for Best Picture|Best Picture]], [[Academy Award for Best Director|Best Director]], [[Academy Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]], [[Academy Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]], and [[Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay|Best Adapted Screenplay]].

In 1993, it was selected for preservation in the U.S. [[National Film Registry]] by the [[Library of Congress]], being deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".<ref>{{Cite web|title=Complete National Film Registry Listing |url=https://www.loc.gov/programs/national-film-preservation-board/film-registry/complete-national-film-registry-listing/|website=Library of Congress, Washington, DC|access-date=2020-05-01|archive-date=December 17, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141217172059/https://www.loc.gov/programs/national-film-preservation-board/film-registry/complete-national-film-registry-listing/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>[https://www.loc.gov/film/registry_titles.php "National Film Registry."] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130328133050/http://www.loc.gov/film/registry_titles.php |date=March 28, 2013}} ''[[Library of Congress]]''. Retrieved: October 28, 2011.</ref> In 2013, the film underwent an extensive restoration by [[Sony Pictures]].<ref>[http://library.creativecow.net/cow_news/Restoring-It-Happened-One-Night/1 "Restoring the Frank Capra Classic, It Happened One Night"]. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170709161955/https://library.creativecow.net/cow_news/Restoring-It-Happened-One-Night/1 |date=July 9, 2017 }} ''CreativeCOW.net''. Retrieved: April 16, 2014.</ref><ref>[http://www.shootonline.com/node/53534 "Colorworks completes brilliant 4K restoration of Frank Capra classic 'It Happened One Night{{'"}}]. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140419014804/http://www.shootonline.com/node/53534 |date=April 19, 2014 }} ''[[Shoot (advertising magazine)|Shoot]]'', November 18, 2013. Retrieved: April 16, 2014.</ref> The film's copyright was renewed in 1962, and under current United States law it will enter the public domain on January 1, 2030.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/catalogofcopyr3161213libr/page/41/mode/1up?view=theater&q=happened |title=Catalog of Copyright Entries |publisher=Library of Congress |year=1962 |language=en |access-date=2023-12-28}}</ref>

==Plot==
Wall Street heiress Ellie Andrews has eloped with glamorous pilot King Westley. Her father Alexander senses that Westley married Ellie for her money. Mr. Andrews sequesters Ellie on his Florida yacht while his lawyers arrange an [[annulment]]. However, Ellie breaks out and swims to shore, where she boards a [[Greyhound Lines|Greyhound bus]] bound for New York City to reunite with Westley. Mr. Andrews makes headlines by putting out a $10,000 reward ({{Inflation|index=US|value=10000|start_year=1934|r=0|fmt=eq|cursign=$}}) for her safe return.

On the bus, Ellie meets Peter Warne, a newly unemployed newspaper reporter. Peter is annoyed by Ellie, who expects special treatment and lacks practical life skills. However, he is drawn to Ellie's strong personality and helps her after a thief steals most of her money. During a scheduled stop in [[Jacksonville, Florida|Jacksonville]], Ellie misses the bus, having assumed that the driver would wait for her. Peter reads the headlines about Ellie's escape and stays behind to accompany her. He gives her a choice: if she gives him an exclusive on her story, he will help her get back to New York. If not, he will tell her father where she is. Ellie agrees.

Because there are no more buses that day, Peter and Ellie rent a motel room together. Peter strings up a makeshift [[room divider]] between their respective beds, which he jokingly calls the "[[Fall of Jericho|walls of Jericho]]". In the morning, Mr. Andrews' private detectives question Peter and Ellie. They evade the detectives by pretending to be a married couple having a stormy argument.

When the next bus ditches into a swamp, Peter and Ellie try [[hitchhiking]]. They argue about Ellie's privilege and Peter's cockiness, but begin to fall in love. Peter tries and fails to hail a series of cars, while Ellie succeeds on her first attempt by displaying a leg. However, the driver Ellie hails is a [[highwayman]] who drives away with their luggage. Peter chases him down and steals his car, allowing them to continue their journey.

At a motel in [[New Jersey]], Ellie confesses her love to Peter, who is moved, but rebuffs her advances because he considers himself unworthy of Ellie as long as he remains unemployed. In the early morning, he drives to New York to sell his story to his old newspaper for $1,000. Because he leaves without Ellie, the motel concludes that Ellie is a loose woman and evicts her. Ellie believes that Peter has deserted her and calls her father to drive her home. On her way back, she passes by Peter, who realizes he is too late.

Mr. Andrews reluctantly arranges a second, formal wedding with Westley, but shortly before the ceremony, Ellie confesses to her father that she is in love with Peter. She resolves to marry Westley anyway after Peter reaches out to Mr. Andrews about a "financial" matter, which she assumes is the $10,000 reward. In reality, Peter just wants Mr. Andrews to reimburse him for his expenses from the trip, which come out to $39.60. Mr. Andrews is impressed by Peter's honesty and asks him whether he loves Ellie; after dodging the question several times, Peter admits that he loves her.

While walking Ellie down the aisle, Mr. Andrews reveals Peter's full story. He expresses his approval of Peter and says that if Ellie changes her mind, he will help her escape the wedding and pay Westley to go away. At the last minute, Ellie dumps Westley at the altar.

As Mr. Andrews predicted, Westley agrees to give up Ellie for $100,000. Peter, who is anxiously waiting for the annulment to go through before he can sleep with Ellie, telegrams Mr. Andrews that "the walls of Jericho are toppling". Mr. Andrews confirms that Peter can "let 'em topple". At the honeymooners' motor court, the owners hear a trumpet play and a blanket fall to the floor in the couple's cabin, after which the lights go out.

==Cast==
* [[Clark Gable]] as Peter Warne
* [[Claudette Colbert]] as Ellen "Ellie" Andrews
* [[Walter Connolly]] as Alexander Andrews
* [[Roscoe Karns]] as Oscar Shapeley, an annoying bus passenger who tries to pick up Ellie
* [[Jameson Thomas]] as "King" Westley
* [[Alan Hale Sr.|Alan Hale]] as Danker, a singing car driver who wants to steal a suitcase
* [[Arthur Hoyt]] as Zeke, a motel owner
* [[Blanche Friderici]] as Zeke's wife
* [[Charles C. Wilson (actor)|Charles C. Wilson]] as Joe Gordon, newspaper editor and Peter's boss

;Uncredited cast
{{castlist|
* [[Ernie Adams (actor)|Ernie Adams]] as the bag thief
* [[Irving Bacon]] as a gas station attendant
* [[George Breakston]] as a boy bus passenger whose mother collapses
* [[Ward Bond]] as bus driver #1
* [[Eddy Chandler]] as bus driver #2
* [[Mickey Daniels]] as a vendor on the bus
* [[Bess Flowers]] as Agnes, Gordon's secretary
* [[Harry Holman]] as the auto camp manager at the end of the film
* [[Claire McDowell]] as the collapsed mother in the bus
* [[Harry Todd]] as the flagman at railroad crossing
* [[Maidel Turner]] as the auto camp manager's wife
* [[Wallis Clark]] as Lovington
* [[Frank Yaconelli]] as Tony
* [[Dolores Fuller]] as a child
* [[Ken Carson (country singer)|Ken Carson]] as a guitar player on the bus
}}

==Production==
===Casting===
[[File:Gable and Colbert - It Happened One Night Columbia 1934 Press Still 7.4 X 9.4 (cropped).jpg|thumb|Gable and Colbert in a production still]]
Neither Gable nor Colbert was the first choice to play the lead roles. [[Miriam Hopkins]] rejected the part of Ellie. [[Robert Montgomery (actor)|Robert Montgomery]] and [[Myrna Loy]] were then offered the roles, but both turned down the script. Loy later noted that the final story as filmed bore little resemblance to the script that she and Montgomery had been given.<ref>Kotsabilas-Davis and Loy 1987, p. 94. Note: Loy described the first script she saw as "one of the worst [that] she had ever read."</ref> [[Margaret Sullavan]] also rejected the part.<ref>Wiley and Bona 1987, p. 54.</ref> [[Constance Bennett]] was willing to accept the role if she could produce the film herself but [[Columbia Pictures]] would not agree to that condition. [[Bette Davis]] then wanted the role<ref>Weems, Erik. [http://eeweems.com/capra/_it_happened_one_night.html ''It Happened One Night – Frank Capra''.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070417011517/http://eeweems.com/capra/_it_happened_one_night.html |date=April 17, 2007}} ''eeweems.com'', April 2013. Retrieved: April 1, 2015.</ref> but she was under contract with [[Warner Bros.|Warner Brothers]] and [[Jack L. Warner]] refused to lend her.<ref>Chandler 2006, p. 102.</ref> [[Carole Lombard]] was unable to accept because Columbia's proposed filming schedule would conflict with her work on ''[[Bolero (1934 film)|Bolero]]'' at [[Paramount Pictures|Paramount]].<ref>McBride 1992, p. 303.</ref> [[Loretta Young]] also turned it down.<ref>[https://www.flickr.com/photos/rattlingdjs/1697495016/ "Loretta Young 1999."] ''flickr.com''. Retrieved: November 14, 2007.</ref>

[[Harry Cohn]] suggested Colbert, who initially turned down the role.<ref>Karney 1995, p. 252.</ref> Her first film, ''[[For the Love of Mike (1927 film)|For the Love of Mike]]'' (1927), had been directed by Capra and was such a disaster that neither wanted to work with the other again.{{sfn|Tapert|1998|p=172}}<ref>McBride 1992, pp. 304, 307.</ref> Later, she agreed to the role only if her salary was doubled to $50,000 and if her scenes were completed in four weeks so that she could take a planned vacation.<ref>{{cite web |title=1934: Best Picture |url=https://www.britannica.com/oscar/article-9397448 |website=Britannica Presents: All About Oscar|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131002022647/https://www.britannica.com/oscar/article-9397448 |archive-date=2013-10-02 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

According to Hollywood legend, Gable was lent to [[Columbia Pictures]], then considered a minor studio, as punishment for refusing a role at his own studio. That tale has been partially refuted by more recent biographies. [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]] did not have a project ready for Gable and the studio was paying him his contracted salary of $2,000 per week whether he worked or not. [[Louis B. Mayer]] lent him to Columbia for $2,500 per week, hence netting MGM $500 per week while he was gone.<ref name="Harris">Harris 2002, pp. 112–114.</ref> Capra, however, insisted that Gable was a reluctant participant in the film.<ref>Capra 1971, p. 164.</ref>

===Filming===
[[Image:Claudette Colbert in It Happened One Night.jpg|left|thumb|266x266px|The [[hitchhiking]] scene]]
Filming began in a tense atmosphere as Gable and Colbert were dissatisfied with the quality of the script. Capra understood their dissatisfaction and let screenwriter Robert Riskin rewrite it.<ref name="Harris"/> Colbert continued to show her displeasure on the set. She also initially balked at pulling up her skirt to entice a passing driver to provide a ride, complaining that it was unladylike. Upon seeing the chorus girl who was brought in as her [[body double]], an outraged Colbert told the director, "Get her out of here. I'll do it. That's not my leg!"<ref name=Pace>Pace, Eric. [https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9802E6D91439F932A05754C0A960958260 "Claudette Colbert, unflappable heroine of screwball comedies, is dead at 92."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090213101932/http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9802E6D91439F932A05754C0A960958260 |date=February 13, 2009 }} ''The New York Times'', July 31, 1996, p. D21.</ref> Capra claimed that Colbert "had many little tantrums, motivated by her antipathy toward me," but "was wonderful in the part."<ref name=Pace/> Part of the film was made on [[Thousand Oaks Boulevard]] in [[Thousand Oaks, California]].<ref>Bidwell, Carol A. (1989). ''The Conejo Valley: Old and New Frontiers''. Windsor Publications. p. 82. {{ISBN|9780897812993}}.</ref>

==Reception==
[[Image:Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert in It Happened One Night film trailer.jpg|thumb|[[Film frame|Frame]] from the film's [[Trailer (promotion)|trailer]]]]
After filming was done, Colbert complained to a friend that she had "just finished the worst picture in the world."<ref name=Pace/><ref>[http://www.moviediva.com/MD_root/reviewpages/MDItHappenedOneNight.htm "Review: 'It Happened One Night'."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070206150256/http://www.moviediva.com/MD_root/reviewpages/MDItHappenedOneNight.htm |date=February 6, 2007 }} ''moviediva.com'', April 2005. Retrieved: December 7, 2009.</ref> Columbia appeared to have low expectations for the film and did not mount much of an advertising campaign for it.<ref>Tueth, p. 20.</ref>

The film premiered at [[Radio City Music Hall]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Hall |first=Mordaunt |date=February 23, 1934 |title=Claudette Colbert and Clark Gable in a Merry Jaunt From Miami to New York |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1934/02/23/archives/claudette-colbert-and-clark-gable-in-a-merry-jaunt-from-miami-to.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180716000112/https://www.nytimes.com/1934/02/23/archives/claudette-colbert-and-clark-gable-in-a-merry-jaunt-from-miami-to.html |archive-date=July 16, 2018 |access-date=June 22, 2015 |website=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> Initial reviews were generally positive. [[Mordaunt Hall]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' called it "a good piece of fiction, which, with all its feverish stunts, is blessed with bright dialogue and a good quota of relatively restrained scenes". Hall described Colbert's performance as "engaging and lively" and Gable as "excellent". ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' reported that it was "without a particularly strong plot" but "manages to come through in a big way, due to the acting, dialog, situations and directing".<ref>{{cite news |date=February 27, 1934 |title=It Happened One Night |journal=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |location=New York |page=17 }}</ref> ''[[Film Daily]]'' praised it as "a lively yarn, fast-moving, plenty humorous, racy enough to be tantalizing, and yet perfectly decorous".<ref>{{cite news |date=February 23, 1934 |title=It Happened One Night |journal=[[Film Daily]] |location=New York |page=6 }}</ref> The ''[[New York Herald Tribune]]'' called it "lively and amusing".<ref name="Mizejewski, p. 11">Mizejewski, p. 11.</ref>

[[John Mosher (writer)|John Mosher]] of ''[[The New Yorker]]'' panned it as "pretty much nonsense and quite dreary", which was probably the review Capra had in mind when he recalled in his autobiography that "sophisticated" critics had dismissed the film.<ref>{{cite news |last=Mosher |first=John C. |author-link=John Mosher (writer) |date=March 3, 1934 |title=The New Yorker |title-link=The New Yorker |journal=New York |page=67 }}</ref><ref>Mizejewski, p. 12.</ref> Despite the positive reviews, the film was only moderately successful in its initial run. After it was released to secondary movie houses, ticket sales became brisk, especially in smaller towns where the film's characters and simple romance struck a chord with moviegoers who were not surrounded by luxury.<ref name="Mizejewski, p. 11" /> It turned out to be a major box office smash, easily Columbia's biggest hit until the late 1980s.<ref>McBride 1992, pp. 308–309.</ref> During its initial release, the film earned $1 million in [[box office|theater rentals]] from the United States and Canada.<ref name="mcbride">{{Cite book| last=McBride| first=Joseph |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DMkLpTFBEtUC&dq=%22It+Happened+One+Night%22+rentals+1934&pg=PA309 |title=Frank Capra: The Catastrophe of Success |publisher=University Press of Mississippi |year=1992 |page=309| isbn=978-1-60473-839-1 }}</ref>

[[Rotten Tomatoes]] compiled 108 reviews of the film to form a 98% score and an [[Weighted arithmetic mean|average rating]] of 9.1/10. The consensus reads, "Capturing its stars and director at their finest, ''It Happened One Night'' remains unsurpassed by the countless romantic comedies it has inspired".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/it_happened_one_night|title=It Happened One Night (1934)|via=www.rottentomatoes.com|access-date=February 19, 2019|archive-date=June 5, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605025835/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/it_happened_one_night|url-status=live}}</ref> The film holds a score of 87 out of 100 on [[Metacritic]], based on 16 critics.<ref>{{Cite web |title=It Happened One Night Reviews |url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/it-happened-one-night |access-date=August 13, 2023 |website=[[Metacritic]] |publisher=[[Fandom, Inc.]]}}</ref>

Colbert was nominated for an Academy Award, but decided not to attend the ceremony since she felt she would not win and planned to take a cross-country railroad trip. After she was named the winner, studio chief [[Harry Cohn]] sent someone to "drag her off" the train, which had not yet departed, to bring her to the ceremony. Colbert arrived wearing a two-piece traveling suit which she had had the [[Paramount Pictures]] costume designer, [[Travis Banton]], make for her trip.<ref>Sharon Fink. "Oscars: The Evolution of Fashion." ''St. Petersburg Times'', February 24, 2007.</ref>

===Academy Awards===
The film won all five of the [[Academy Award]]s for which it was nominated at the [[7th Academy Awards]] for 1934:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Award !! Result !! Winner
|-
| [[Academy Award for Best Picture|Outstanding Production]] || {{won}} || [[Frank Capra]] and [[Harry Cohn]] (for [[Columbia Pictures]])
|-
| [[Academy Award for Best Director|Best Director]] || {{won}} || [[Frank Capra]]
|-
| [[Academy Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]] || {{won}} || [[Clark Gable]]
|-
| [[Academy Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]] || {{won}} || [[Claudette Colbert]]
|-
| [[Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay|Best Adaptation]] || {{won}} || [[Robert Riskin]]
|-
|}

''It Happened One Night'' was the first film [[List of Big Five Academy Award winners and nominees|to win the "Big Five" Academy Awards]] (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Writing). {{As of|2025}}, only two films have matched this feat: ''[[One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (film)|One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest]]'' in 1975 and ''[[The Silence of the Lambs (film)|The Silence of the Lambs]]'' in 1991.<ref>[http://awardsdatabase.oscars.org/ampas_awards/DisplayMain.jsp?curTime=1252044858649 "Awards."] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120111092629/http://awardsdatabase.oscars.org/ampas_awards/DisplayMain.jsp?curTime=1252044858649 |date=January 11, 2012 }} ''awardsdatabase.oscars.org''. Retrieved: September 4, 2009.</ref>

On December 15, 1996, Gable's Oscar was auctioned off for $607,500 to [[Steven Spielberg]], who donated the statuette to the Motion Picture Academy.<ref>McKittrick, Rosemary. [http://www.liveauctiontalk.com/free_article_detail.php?article_id=53 "Gable's Gold: Auction cashes in on Hollywood idol."] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303183113/http://www.liveauctiontalk.com/free_article_detail.php?article_id=53 |date=March 3, 2016 }} ''liveauctiontalk.com''. Retrieved: December 7, 2009.</ref> In June of the following year, Colbert's Oscar was offered for auction by [[Christie's]] but attracted no bids.<ref>Story, Paula (8 June 1997). [https://apnews.com/article/ed8e94c38780e82ebb5580c270a96f3d "Marilyn Monroe's gown draws $57,000 at Christie's auction"]. ''APNews.com''. Retrieved 2 January 2023.</ref>

===Others===
The film was included in the following [[American Film Institute]] lists:
* 1998: [[AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies]] – #35<ref>{{cite web |title=AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies |url=http://www.afi.com/Docs/100Years/movies100.pdf |publisher=[[American Film Institute]] |access-date=July 17, 2016 |archive-date=April 12, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190412113202/http://www.afi.com/Docs/100Years/movies100.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>
* 2000: [[AFI's 100 Years...100 Laughs]] – #8<ref>{{cite web |title=AFI's 100 Years...100 Laughs |url=http://www.afi.com/Docs/100Years/laughs100.pdf |publisher=[[American Film Institute]] |access-date=July 17, 2016 |archive-date=June 24, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160624052741/http://afi.com/Docs/100Years/laughs100.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>
* 2002: [[AFI's 100 Years...100 Passions]] – #38<ref>{{cite web |title=AFI's 100 Years...100 Passions |url=http://www.afi.com/Docs/100Years/passions100.pdf |publisher=[[American Film Institute]] |access-date=July 17, 2016 |archive-date=June 24, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160624052654/http://afi.com/Docs/100Years/passions100.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>
* 2007: [[AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies (10th Anniversary Edition)]] – #46<ref>{{cite web |title=AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies (10th Anniversary Edition) |url=http://www.afi.com/Docs/100Years/100Movies.pdf |publisher=[[American Film Institute]] |access-date=July 17, 2016 |archive-date=June 6, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130606072909/http://www.afi.com/Docs/100Years/100Movies.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>
* 2008: [[AFI's 10 Top 10]]: Romantic Comedy – #3<ref>{{cite web |title=AFI's 10 Top 10: Top 10 Romantic Comedy |url=http://www.afi.com/10top10/category.aspx?cat=2 |publisher=[[American Film Institute]] |access-date=July 17, 2016 |archive-date=June 15, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160615004316/http://www.afi.com/10top10/category.aspx?cat=2 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Influence==
''It Happened One Night'' made an immediate impact on the public. In one scene, Gable undresses for bed, taking off his shirt to reveal that he is bare-chested. An [[urban legend]] claims that, as a result, sales of men's [[Sleeveless shirt#A-shirt|undershirts]] declined noticeably.<ref>[http://www.snopes.com/movies/actors/gable1.asp "The shirt off his back."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190928073553/https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/the-shirt-off-his-back/ |date=September 28, 2019 }} ''snopes.com'', May 10, 2014. Retrieved: December 7, 2009.</ref> The movie also prominently features a Greyhound bus in the story, spurring interest in bus travel nationwide.<ref>[http://www.greyhound.com/en/about/historicaltimeline.aspx "Historical Timeline."] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121208220135/https://www.greyhound.com/en/about/historicaltimeline.aspx |date=December 8, 2012 }} ''Greyhound.'' Retrieved: October 14, 2011.</ref>

The unpublished memoirs of animator [[Friz Freleng]] mention that this was one of his favorite films. ''It Happened One Night'' has a few parallels with, and may have even inspired certain characteristics of, the cartoon character [[Bugs Bunny]], who made [[A Wild Hare|his first appearance]] six years later, and who Freleng helped develop. In the film, a minor character, Oscar Shapely, continually calls the Gable character "Doc," an imaginary character named "Bugs Dooley" is mentioned once in order to frighten Shapely, and there is also a scene in which Gable eats carrots while talking quickly with his mouth full, as Bugs does.<ref>Dirks, Tim. [http://www.filmsite.org/itha.html "Review: 'It Happened One Night'."] ''filmsite.org''. Retrieved: December 7, 2009.</ref>

==Restoration==
In 2013 ''It Happened One Night'' was [[Film preservation#Digital Film Preservation|digitally restored]]. A new [[wet-transfer film gate|wet-gate]] [[fine grain master positive|master]] was produced by [[Sony]] Colorworks for scanning at [[4K resolution|4K]]. The images were digitally treated at [[Prasad Corporation]] to remove dirt, tears, scratches, and other artifacts. Care was taken to preserve the original look of the film.<ref>{{cite web |title=Capra's classic 'It Happened One Night' restored in 4K |date=18 November 2013 |url=https://postperspective.com/capras-classic-it-happened-one-night-restored-in-4k/ |website=Randi Altman's PostPerspective |access-date=3 September 2018 |archive-date=March 23, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160323002540/http://postperspective.com/capras-classic-it-happened-one-night-restored-in-4k/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Remakes and adaptations==
The film has inspired a number of [[remake]]s, including the [[Musical film|musicals]] ''[[Eve Knew Her Apples]]'' (1945) starring Ann Miller and ''[[You Can't Run Away from It]]'' (1956) starring [[June Allyson]] and [[Jack Lemmon]], which was directed and produced by [[Dick Powell]].<ref>Dirks, Tim. [http://www.filmsite.org/itha.html "It Happened One Night (1934) ."] ''Filmsite Movie Reviews.'' Retrieved: November 17, 2011.</ref>

''It Happened One Night'' was adapted as a one-hour radio play on the March 20, 1939 broadcast of ''[[Lux Radio Theatre]]'', with Colbert and Gable reprising their roles.<ref name="Pittsburgh">{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=sO4aAAAAIBAJ&pg=2795%2C3881883&q=Theater+Clark+Gable+Claudette+Colbert+It+Happened+One+Night |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Pittsburgh Radio Programs - Monday Afternoon and Evening |page=9 |newspaper=The Pittsburgh Press |date=1939-03-20 |access-date=2020-10-10 |archive-date=November 5, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211105045459/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=sO4aAAAAIBAJ&sjid=M0wEAAAAIBAJ&pg=1833%2C3881967&q=Claudette+Colbert+Clark+Gable |url-status=live }}</ref> The screenplay was also adapted as a radio play for the January 28, 1940, broadcast of ''[[The Campbell Playhouse (radio series)|The Campbell Playhouse]]'', starring [[Orson Welles]] (Mr. Andrews), [[William Powell]] (Peter Warne) and [[Miriam Hopkins]] (Ellie Andrews).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://orsonwelles.indiana.edu/items/show/2013 |title=The Campbell Playhouse: It Happened One Night |date=January 28, 1940 |website=Orson Welles on the Air, 1938–1946 |publisher=Indiana University Bloomington |access-date=2018-07-29 |archive-date=July 28, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180728191358/https://orsonwelles.indiana.edu/items/show/2013 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=Brooklyn>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/52692077/?terms=%22Orson+Welles+Playhouse%22 |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Sunday Radio Programs – Today's Best Bets |newspaper=The Brooklyn Daily Eagle (New York) |page=6B |date=1940-01-28 |access-date=2019-01-08 |archive-date=August 2, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200802024456/https://www.newspapers.com/image/52692077/?terms=%22Orson+Welles+Playhouse%22 |url-status=live }}</ref>

''It Happened One Night'' has been adapted into numerous [[Cinema of India|Indian films]]. These include four [[Hindi]] adaptations: ''[[Nadaan (1951 film)|Nadaan]]'' (1951), ''[[Chori Chori (1956 film)|Chori Chori]]'' (1956), ''[[Nau Do Gyarah]]'' (1957) and ''[[Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahin]]'' (1991),<ref name="thehindu">{{Cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/it-happened-to-be-a-hit/article6401141.ece|title=It happened to be a hit!|last=Guy|first=Randor|date=September 11, 2014|work=[[The Hindu]]|access-date=November 10, 2016|author-link=Randor Guy|archive-date=November 10, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161110153455/http://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/it-happened-to-be-a-hit/article6401141.ece|url-status=live}}</ref> one [[Bengali language|Bengali]] adaptation ''[[Chaowa Pawa (1959 film)|Chaoa Paoa]]'' (1959),<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.firstpost.com/entertainment/watch-five-iconic-suchitra-sen-scenes-from-her-best-movies-1344903.html |title=Watch: Five iconic Suchitra Sen scenes from her best movies |date=January 17, 2014 |website=[[Firstpost]] |access-date=January 29, 2019 |archive-date=January 29, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190129181713/https://www.firstpost.com/entertainment/watch-five-iconic-suchitra-sen-scenes-from-her-best-movies-1344903.html |url-status=live }}</ref> two [[Tamil language|Tamil]] adaptations: ''[[Chandrodayam]]'' (1966) and ''[[Kadhal Rojavae]]'' (2000),<ref name="thehindu" /><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.thehindu.com/2000/01/21/stories/09210225.htm |archive-url=https://archive.today/20190318032718/https://www.thehindu.com/2000/01/21/stories/09210225.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 18, 2019 |title=Film Review:''Kadhal Rojavae'' |last=Padmanabhan |first=Savitha |date=January 21, 2000 |work=[[The Hindu]] |access-date=March 18, 2019}}</ref> and one [[Kannada]] adaptation ''[[Hudugaata]]'' (2007).<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.sify.com/movies/hudugaata-review-kannada-pclwq2ehfedig.html |title=Hudugaata |date=June 10, 2007 |website=[[Sify]] |access-date=March 18, 2019 |archive-date=August 9, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200809015957/https://www.sify.com/movies/hudugaata-review-kannada-pclwq2ehfedig.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==In popular culture==
The 1937 [[Laurel and Hardy]] comedy ''[[Way Out West (1937 film)|Way Out West]]'' parodied the famous hitchhiking scene with [[Stan Laurel]] managing to stop a stage coach using the same technique.<ref>[http://www.filmsite.org/wayo.html "Way Out West (1937)."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111008173212/http://www.filmsite.org/wayo.html |date=October 8, 2011 }} ''Filmsite Review.'' Retrieved: October 14, 2011.</ref> ''[[A Life Less Ordinary]]'' (1997) by Danny Boyle has a plot that shares similarities with ''It Happened One Night'' and clearly references the movie in its own hitchhiking scene.<ref>{{Cite web |title=SPLICEDwire {{!}} "A Life Less Ordinary" review |url=https://splicedwire.com/97reviews/ordinary.html |access-date=2024-12-29 |website=splicedwire.com}}</ref>

[[Mel Brooks]]'s film ''[[Spaceballs]]'' (1987) parodies the wedding scene. As she walks down the aisle to wed Prince Valium, Princess Vespa ([[Daphne Zuniga]]) is told by King Roland ([[Dick Van Patten]]) that Lone Starr ([[Bill Pullman]]) forsook the reward for the princess's return and only asked to be reimbursed for the cost of the trip.<ref>Crick 2009, p. 158.</ref>

Other films have used familiar plot points from ''It Happened One Night''. In ''[[Bandits (2001 film)|Bandits]]'' (2001), Joe Blake ([[Bruce Willis]]) erects a blanket partition between motel room beds out of respect for Kate Wheeler's ([[Cate Blanchett]]'s) privacy. He remarks that he saw people do the same thing in an old movie.<ref>Granger, Susan. [http://www.all-reviews.com/videos-3/bandits.htm "Bandits."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120120061831/http://www.all-reviews.com/videos-3/bandits.htm |date=January 20, 2012 }} ''All Reviews'', 2001. Retrieved: October 14, 2011.</ref> In ''[[Sex and the City 2]]'', [[Carrie Bradshaw|Carrie]] and [[Mr. Big (Sex and the City)|Mr. Big]] watch the film (specifically the hitchhiking scene) in a hotel; later in the film Carrie uses the idea which she got from the film to get a taxi in the Middle East.

In "The Bogman of Letchmoor Heath", the second episode of the horror/comedy television series ''[[She-Wolf of London (TV series)|She-Wolf of London]]'' (1990–1991), lead characters Randi Wallace ([[Kate Hodge]]) and Ian Matheson ([[Neil Dickson]]) rent a motel room, and, uncomfortable with the lack of privacy afforded, Ian stretches a bed sheet like a curtain between the two beds. Ian makes reference to ''It Happened One Night'' but Randi is unfamiliar with the film, remarking that she would rather "read a book".

Beginning in January 2014, the comic ''[[9 Chickweed Lane]]'' tied a story arc to ''It Happened One Night'' when one of the characters, Lt. William O'Malley, is injured during World War II and believes himself to be Peter Warne. As he sneaks through German-occupied France, several plot points run parallel to that of ''It Happened One Night'' and he believes his French contact to be Ellen Andrews.<ref>McEldowney, Brooke. [http://www.gocomics.com/9chickweedlane/2014/01/08 "9 Chickweed Lane"]. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140429221834/http://www.gocomics.com/9chickweedlane/2014/01/08 |date=April 29, 2014 }} ''gocomics.com''. Retrieved: April 29, 2014.</ref>

''It Happened One Night'' has been cited as an influence on several other films. Films that have been compared to the picture for their similar premises include ''[[Love on the Run (1936 film)|Love on the Run]]'' (1936),<ref>Maltin, Leonard. [https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/290/love-on-the-run "Leonard Maltin Ratings & Review: 'Love on the Run' (1936)."] ''Turner Classic Movies''.</ref> ''[[The Bride Came C.O.D.]]'' (1941), ''[[A Lady Takes a Chance]]'' (1943), ''[[Roman Holiday]]'' (1953),<ref>{{cite web |last1=Macnab |first1=Geoffrey |title=Roman Holiday at 70: Why it’s the most influential romcom of all time |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/independentpremium/culture/roman-holiday-audrey-hepburn-gregory-peck-romcom-b2226690.html |website=Independent |access-date=4 August 2025}}</ref> ''[[The Sure Thing]]'' (1985),<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ebert |first1=Roger |title=The Sure Thing movie review & film summary (1985) {{!}} Roger Ebert |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-sure-thing-1985 |website=www.rogerebert.com |access-date=4 August 2025}}</ref> ''[[Spaceballs]]'' (1987),<ref>{{cite web |last1=Solomon |first1=Matt |title=The Original 'Spaceballs' Was Based on This Oscar-Winning Movie, Not 'Star Wars' |url=https://www.cracked.com/article_47005_the-original-spaceballs-was-based-on-this-oscar-winning-movie-not-star-wars.html |website=Cracked.com |access-date=4 August 2025 |language=en |date=16 June 2025}}</ref> ''[[Runaway Bride (film)|Runaway Bride]]'' (1999),<ref>{{cite web |last1=Patterson |first1=John |title=A bride too far |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/1999/aug/06/comment |website=The Guardian |access-date=4 August 2025 |date=6 August 1999}}</ref> ''[[Forces of Nature (1999 film)|Forces of Nature]]'' (1999),<ref>{{cite web |last1=Fattore |first1=Gina |title=Forces of Evil |url=https://chicagoreader.com/film-tv/forces-of-evil/ |website=Chicago Reader |access-date=4 August 2025 |date=1 April 1999}}</ref> and ''[[Leap Year (2010 film)|Leap Year]]'' (2010).<ref>{{cite web |last1=Gleiberman |first1=Owen |title=Leap Year |url=https://ew.com/article/2010/01/07/leap-year/ |website=EW.com |access-date=4 August 2025 |language=en}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of Academy Award records]]
* [[List of Big Five Academy Award winners and nominees]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

===Bibliography===
{{Refbegin}}
* Brown, Gene. ''Movie Time: A Chronology of Hollywood and the Movie Industry from Its Beginnings to the Present.'' New York: Macmillan, 1995. {{ISBN|0-02-860429-6}}.
* Capra, Frank. ''Frank Capra, The Name Above the Title: An Autobiography''. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1971. {{ISBN|0-306-80771-8}}.
* Chandler, Charlotte. ''The Girl Who Walked Home Alone: Bette Davis, A Personal Biography''. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2006. {{ISBN|0-7432-6208-5}}.
* Crick, Robert Alan. ''The Big Screen Comedies of Mel Brooks.'' Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, 2009. {{ISBN|978-0-7864-4326-0}}.
* Harris, Warren G. ''Clark Gable, A Biography''. London: Aurum Press, 2002. {{ISBN|1-85410-904-9}}.
* Hirschnor, Joel. ''Rating the Movie Stars for Home Video, TV and Cable''. Lincolnwood, Illinois: Publications International Limited, 1983. {{ISBN|0-88176-152-4}}.
* Karney, Robyn. ''Chronicle of the Cinema, 100 Years of the Movies''. London: Dorling Kindersley, 1995. {{ISBN|0-7513-3001-9}}.
* Kotsabilas-Davis, James and Myrna Loy. ''Being and Becoming''. New York: Primus, Donald I. Fine Inc., 1987. {{ISBN|1-55611-101-0}}.
* McBride, Joseph. ''Frank Capra: The Catastrophe of Success''. New York: Touchstone Books, 1992. {{ISBN|0-671-79788-3}}.
* Mizejewski, Linda. ''It Happened One Night''. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, 2010. {{ISBN|978-1-4443-1016-0}}.
* Michael, Paul, ed. ''The Great Movie Book: A Comprehensive Illustrated Reference Guide to the Best-loved Films of the Sound Era''. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall Inc., 1980. {{ISBN|0-13-363663-1}}.
* Shirer, William L. ''Berlin Diary: The Journal of a Foreign Correspondent 1934–1941.'' Edison, New Jersey: BBS Publishing Corporation, 1985. {{ISBN|978-0-88365-922-9}}.
* {{cite book |last1=Tapert |first1=Annette |title=The Power of Glamour : The Women Who Defined the Magic of Stardom |publisher=New York : Crown |isbn=978-0-517-70376-2|date=1998 |url=https://archive.org/details/powerofglamourwo0000tape/page/n7/mode/2up}}
* Tueth, Michael V. ''Reeling with Laughter: American Film Comedies—from Anarchy to Mockumentary''. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, 2012. {{ISBN|978-0-81088-367-3}}.
* Wiley, Mason and [[Damien Bona]]. ''Inside Oscar: The Unofficial History of the Academy Awards''. New York: Ballantine Books, 1987. {{ISBN|0-345-34453-7}}.
{{Refend}}

==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
* [https://www.loc.gov/static/programs/national-film-preservation-board/documents/it_happened.pdf ''It Happened One Night''] essay by Ian Scott on the [[National Film Registry]] website
* [https://books.google.com/books/about/America_s_Film_Legacy.html?id=deq3xI8OmCkC ''It Happened One Night''] essay by Daniel Eagan in America's Film Legacy: The Authoritative Guide to the Landmark Movies in the National Film Registry, A&C Black, 2010 {{ISBN|0826429777}}, pp.&nbsp;222–224
* {{IMDb title|0025316}}
* {{TCMDb title|12648}}
* {{AFI film|6316}}
* {{rotten-tomatoes|it_happened_one_night}}
* [http://www.filmsite.org/itha.html ''It Happened One Night''] at [[Filmsite.org]]
* [http://www.virtual-history.com/movie/film/1810/it-happened-one-night ''It Happened One Night''] at Virtual History
* [http://ark.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/ft7b69p14j/ Six Screen Plays by Robert Riskin, Edited and Introduced by Pat McGilligan, Berkeley: University of California Press, 1997 – Free Online – UC Press E-Books Collection]
* [https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/3369-it-happened-one-night-all-aboard ''It Happened One Night: All Aboard!''] an essay by Farran Smith Nehme at the [[Criterion Collection]]

'''Streaming audio'''
* [https://archive.org/download/Lux04/Lux_39-03-20_It_Happened_One_Night.mp3 ''It Happened One Night''] on ''[[Lux Radio Theatre]]'': March 20, 1939
* [https://archive.org/download/otr_campbellplayhouse/CampbellPlayhouse40-01-28ItHappenedOneNight.mp3 ''It Happened One Night''] on ''[[The Campbell Playhouse (radio series)|The Campbell Playhouse]]'': January 28, 1940
* {{Internet Archive film clip|id=ItHappenedOneNightTrailer|description="''It Happened One Night'' trailer (1934)"}}

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{{S-aft|after=''[[One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (film)|One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest]]''}}
{{S-bef|before=''First film to achieve this''}}
{{S-ttl|title=Academy Award winner for [[Academy Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]] and [[Academy Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]]}}
{{S-aft|after=''[[One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (film)|One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest]]''}}
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{{Frank Capra}}
{{AcademyAwardBestPicture 1927-1940}}
{{National Board of Review Award for Best Film}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:It Happened One Night}}
[[Category:1934 films]]
[[Category:1934 romantic comedy films]]
[[Category:1930s screwball comedy films]]
[[Category:American black-and-white films]]
[[Category:American road movies]]
[[Category:American romantic comedy films]]
[[Category:American screwball comedy films]]
[[Category:Best Picture Academy Award winners]]
[[Category:Fiction about buses]]
[[Category:Comedy of remarriage films]]
[[Category:Films scored by Howard Jackson (composer)]]
[[Category:Films scored by Louis Silvers]]
[[Category:Films about interclass romance]]
[[Category:Films about journalists]]
[[Category:Films about runaways]]
[[Category:Films based on American short stories]]
[[Category:Films directed by Frank Capra]]
[[Category:Films featuring a Best Actor Academy Award–winning performance]]
[[Category:Films featuring a Best Actress Academy Award–winning performance]]
[[Category:Films set in country houses]]
[[Category:Films whose director won the Best Directing Academy Award]]
[[Category:Films whose writer won the Best Adapted Screenplay Academy Award]]
[[Category:Greyhound Lines]]
[[Category:Films about hitchhiking]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Robert Riskin]]
[[Category:United States National Film Registry films]]
[[Category:Columbia Pictures films]]
[[Category:1930s English-language films]]
[[Category:1930s American films]]
[[Category:Films based on works by Samuel Hopkins Adams]]
[[Category:English-language romantic comedy films]]