It Happened One Night This movie is a well put together movie and directed for being filmed during the depression. All thought the movie was filmed in (1934) I still found comedy in it today. Ellen Andrews character played by Claudette Colbert reminds me of a complete spoiled brat, she plays the character extremely well. She plays being spoiled, selfish and naïve and the original run away bride. She reminds me of the epitome of a complete spoiled brat who thinks everything needs must be bestowed to her. I feel that is why Colberts character Ellen Andrews and Gables character Peter Warne had fallen in love with each other as they had, because she had never been spoken to or treated that way she had from anyone because of his enormous personality. These two characters opened up the prelude to the romantic comedy seen for movies today like The Proposal, Failure to Launch, and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. There are some scenes in the movie that today would seem toned down and not as risqué as it was in the 1940s, such as then Andrews hails a hitch hike using her leg and says “The limb is mightier then the thumb” this is both funny and then unheard of. Another part is the fact that they are even sleeping in the same room and put a sheet up through the middle of the room just to make it seem more appropriate. A part that I didn’t notice the first time watching it is when Warn is buttoning up Andrews shirt after they out witted the men who are searching to find Andrews for her father. They way the characters speak though out the movie back then is quite different a couple I remember off had is the man on the bus saying to Warn “When a hot momma gets hot, boy how she sizzles.” Peter Warn using the word hooey was funny to me and is a word that I am going to stick into my vocabulary to start using rather than some other language I use around the little ones. The amount of reward money is huge especially during the depression $10,000 is unheard of and for some today that is a lot of money. I also found it odd that when they both are down and out, how Warne offers her raw carrots he picked she says no thanks, what did the wealthy never eat their carrots raw and only cooked? So this was odd to me because in todays world we eat carrots raw for the health benefits the vegetable offers. I also enjoyed that Peter Warne never actually called in the location of Elle Andrews, for a down and out news reporter who was is dire need of some cash fast he surly could of made one call and with in hours been paid for her safe return to her father. When Ellie arrives home and about to be married she is sulking in her bedroom when her fathers Mr. Andrews ask her what is the matter. He says “Now don’t tell me you’ve fallen in love with a bus driver… Who is he?” she explains she barely knows him and says that he being Peter despises her and says something like He despises everything about me says I’m spoiled and that he blames her father for everything wrong with her. Mr. Andrews response was hilarious because is says “Now that’s a fine man to fall in love with,” and she says loudly “Oh, he’s marvelous.”
So later in the film when Peter Warne comes to meet Me. Andrews for the money we wants back for caring for Ellie Andrews it seems shocking to Mr. Andrews that Peter is not interested in the reward money of $10,000 just the $39.60 he spent to get he to New york. This shows Peter is not a greedy man but a good man and is nothing like King who is about to marry Ellie. The wedding part where she runs off and to the car reminds me of my wedding to my wife. She and I have been married five years now and she had recently told me that she was vey nervous before walking down the isle and to loosen her nerves my father in law said that he had a car running outside for he incase she changed her mind. This of course now is funny to be and I’m glad she waited to tell me but I wonder if this movie is where he come up with that idea for her. The run away bride Ellie set up movies of the future for movies like Julia Roberts The Run Away Bride and other romantic comedies like Bride wars and Brides Maids. All in all I am happy that Frank Capa pushed the boundaries with risqué scenes and impeccable humor otherwise we may not have all the enjoyable romantic comedies we have today.