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IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT – This Saturday at the Hi-Pointe – Classic Film Series
“Well you’ve shown me an excellent example of the hiking part. When does the hitching come in?”
Frank Capra’s 1934 film IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT was the first film to win the Oscar “grand slam” (Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director and Screenplay) and is considered a pioneer of the screwball comedy genre. Lucky St. Louisans will have the chance to see it on the big screen when it plays next Saturday, February 8th at The Hi-Pointe Theater at 10:30am as part of their Classic Film Series.
IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT concerns an heiress, Ellie Andrews (Claudette Colbert) who runs away from her father to join her new husband, society aviator King Westley (Jameson Thomas). On the bus, she meets a reporter named Peter Warne (Clark Gable) who is down on his luck. The strike a bargain: Peter can have an exclusive on Ellie’s story if he’ll help her get to New York.
After 80 years, the charm of IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT still holds up in part because Capra throws in some cool period Americana detail; scenes take place at depression-era rest stops, trailer parks, and on highways. Though many actors turned down the lead roles, the combination of Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert is perfect. Gable is an appropriately gruff know-it-all with plenty of sex appeal while Colbert is beautiful, spoiled and uppity. And even peripheral fans of the film have heard that when Gable undressed and was wearing no undershirt, sales of undershirts plummeted. Perhaps a little less well known is that Gable’s standing by a fence talking with a carrot in his mouth is allegedly the inspiration for Bugs Bunny. The most famous scene, of course, is Gable demonstrating how to hitch a ride and failing and Colbert lifting her skirt to get one immediately. Hot stuff back in ’34! The supporting cast includes Walter Connolly as Ellie’s father, Roscoe Karns, Alan Hale and Ward Bond.
You can see IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT this Saturday morning (February 8th) at 10:30am at St. Louis’ fabulous Hi-Pointe Theater as part of their Classic Film Series. The Hi-Pointe is located at 1005 McCausland Ave., St. Louis, MO 63117.
Admission is only $5.
The Hi-Pointe’s website is HERE
And check out his IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT trailer:
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