Our generation and those before us—more or less the majority of females— have exulted in a repertoire of romantic comedies, otherwise known as “rom-coms.” We have all seen hits in this genre, like Pretty Woman and of course, the multitude of the classic tale of best friends falling in love, such as When Harry Met Sally. Throughout our day, we have seen countless, perhaps too many, editions of Nicholas Sparks and a plethora of these types of archetypes in the rom-com category. Yet, we do not cease to continuously expose our eyes to ardent scenes in the rain between two lovers or the always-expected moment of reunion after a heart-wrenching breakup. But when and what has caused this obsession with rom-coms. Which film has curated this history of infatuation for this genre?
It Happened One Night (1934). Indeed, my revelation of the source of our admiration for rom-coms did happen one night as I watched this glorious film. Starring Gone with the Wind’s Clark Gable and the ever-so charismatic Claudette Colbert, It Happened One Night brought to the world the chain of delight for romantic comedies. Although Hollywood manufactured several romantic comedies before this Oscar dazzler, It Happened One Night was a hit that took people by storm. The story of a runaway heiress, who falls in love with a rebellious reporter became the first film to grab five Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Screenplay. Despite initial tension surrounding the film —Gable was reportedly put on suspension by MGM, causing him to act in this movie (produced by Columbia Pictures), Colbert publicized her distaste for the storyline, and the director, Frank Capra expressed his concern that the film was not doing well in the box office—It Happened One Night arose the doubt of many to be one of Columbia’s greatest hits.
“Don’t follow trends, start them!”-Frank Capra
Capra brought to the audience of the struggling 1930’s, a love story that is composed of delightful comedic stunts, some sexual innuendos as well as the lovey-dovey moments that we all dream about. A part from the plot (find the plot summary here), the chemistry between Gable and Colbert is undeniably what makes this film. As I watched Ellie (Colbert) fall asleep on Peter’s (Gable) shoulder and their lingering stares onwards, I realized that this must have been the original story that sparked generations of fascination with rom-coms. Of course, there were other revolutionary moments in the film that made me have this sudden epiphany. Some of these scenes may seem overdone or perhaps, even to the border of crossing being cliche. However, one must think about the generation in which this movie was introduced to. A generation fleeted by struggles, yet, presented a light-hearted film of just the right balance of romance and comedy. Generations have fallen in love with this film and will continue to laugh and fall in love with It Happened One Night.