Known as one of the first “screwball” comedies this classic film was the first ever to sweep the major Academy Awards (Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, Writing), that feat wouldn’t happen again until One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. This film marked the emergence of Clark Gable as a true Hollywood superstar and was the first of 6 Academy Award Nominations for the incomparable director Frank Capra. For this film Capra was at his best, garnering his first of 3 Academy Awards and second of six nominations, he would also win for Mr. Deeds Goes to Town and You Can‘t Take it With You.
The movie opens sort of in the middle of the story, a young socialite (Claudette Colbert as Ellie Andrews) is married to a famous pilot at the disapproval of her father. It seems her father has “kidnapped” her keeping her on his yacht in Miami. She jumps off the boat and wants to try and get to New York to see her husband. Knowing her father has money she knows she will be tracked so she decides to take a bus to New York, rather than travel by train (customary for the time). At this point we meet the swashbuckling hero, Clark Gable (as Peter Warne, sort of an earlier non-space version of Han Solo). His character is a down on his luck, semi drunk newspaper man who has just quit his job. Once he realizes that Ms. Andrews is on the run and that getting her exclusive story could mean big bucks he decides to help her get to New York. Capra’s skill as a director is in full force here early in the film. There is not much but two people on a bus, making dinner stops but Capra keeps the movie moving along at a solid pace.
The two central characters begin to grow closer and there is a great foreshadowing scene the first night they spend a night together at a motor inn. Ms. Andrews only has the clothes on her back so Peter gives her a pair of her pajamas. Being 1934, she is reluctant to change in front of him or even sleep in the same room. Peter runs a rope across the room and hangs a blanket calling it the “walls of Jericho.” Ellie finally realize that Peter can help get her to her destination.
Now Capra begins to bring us back and forth. We start to see what is going on with Ellie’s affluent father who has put out an all points bulletin for her. Peter is in constant contact first with the father for a reward, then with his old newspaper boss telling him he has the big story of the year.
Finally they arrive in Philadelphia, their last night on the road when Ellie confesses she is in love with Peter. That night Peter sneaks out to drive to New York and buy her a ring, now we are in classic Hollywood formula mode. Being the original “screwball” comedy you will recognize what is going to happen here. Ellie gets up and thinks Peter has run away, so she gets to New York and gets back with her husband. But Peter goes to her father and convinces him that he didn’t dessert Ellie but really wants to marry her. And in the end we have the Hollywood ending where they are together, I wont reveal the final scene, it is a good ending and definitely a sign of the times.
Overall I would this film is a 3 (5 star system). The movie can be choppy at points and the humor does not translate great. Frank Capra skill as a director is all over this movie. It doesn’t necessarily stand the test of time but it is one of the first big time movie stars and one of the 5 best directors collaborating so it is worth viewing.
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All these movies must be pretty good as they won Oscars, so you need to skew your 10-point rating system to really run the gamut from 1 to 10. Otherwise everything will be a 7 to a 10. I guess you could just have a 4 point rating system, 7 being the lowest. Whatever. I'm trying to throw you a bone here by posting a comment.
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