Es geschah in einer Nacht

The progenitor of all cheesy Hollywood romances, though it somehow isn't even a little bit cheesy itself, and despite its simple story has so much originality and positive love charge that few successors can match it. And the main culprits are both the two wonderful main characters, between whom, thanks to their cleverly depicted differences, things sparkle perfectly, and the golden touch of Frank Capra, who not only keeps plain sentimentality perfectly at bay, but also moves the development of Peter and Ellie's entertaining relationship into a completely believable and natural position. The ending was slightly disappointing, as the emotional climax takes place about ten minutes before the true happy ending, which was surprisingly forgettable, but to be honest, in the history of its sweet genre, mostly defined by popular conventions and constantly recycling motifs, It Happened One Night is a dazzling and lasting revelation... 85% (07.12.2015)

Clark Gable is fascinating, Claudette Colbert exactly the opposite. When the charmer Peter is drunk, when he provokes the closest person, but especially when he hitchhikes (even after so many decades, an incredibly funny study), a smile doesn't leave my face. When his central partner tries to act, I feel embarrassed, whether she tries to be humorous or play a serious note. The script doesn't make this inconsistency any easier for me, when it can present a perfect gag once every half hour, but can stretch the last twenty minutes literally unbearably. This golden classic simply stayed a fair distance away from me. (08.09.2010)

Unforced natural performances, dialogues that don’t make you wince and are often so witty and funny that are a joy to listen to. I almost wouldn't hesitate to write that Capra was ahead of his time in his sensitivity. Some of the dialogue scenes, such as wading in the river carrying a girl on the shoulders, or the hitchhiking, were unexpected and excellent, except I would advise Gable that he really shouldn't smoke in haystack, especially when his girlfriend is huddled in it. The guys here complain about the ungracefulness of Claudette Colbert, and even say she’s ugly, I can't agree with that, I found her cute and relatable. Clark Gable is a straight-up stud, as always, no wonder women went crazy for him back then. But I won't give it 5 stars, because I found the ending contrived in relation to the rest of the film and the sudden epiphany of the father unbelievable, as well as his naively understanding nature, people like that exist only in movies :) (17.11.2022)

Romantic comedy that will make you feel like you have to see it, or at least something similar. But when one realizes that it was made in 1934 and is still, after eighty years, a funny, entertaining, and emotional film, it is something that sets Capra's film apart from other, younger pieces. Gable and Colbert are captivating. (05.08.2014)