This is undeniably the great Frank Capra's best film. Any career that includes such classics as MR. DEEDS GOES TO TOWN, MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON, MEET JOHN DOE, and IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE is obviously a feat by itself. But to have IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT amongst those credits is simply amazing. This film is the one that really started the screwball comedy genre, and its influence is still very strong today. Definitely one of the seminal pictures in motion picture history, a deserved 5-Oscar winner. The excellent writing and acting are pulled together under the brilliant direction of Frank Capra, undeniably the greatest film director in terms of conveying a powerful story. Hitchcock and Welles may have been the masters of detail and technique, but when it comes to absolutely selling a story to an audience, Capra is tops. What a legacy he left for future generations to enjoy! His film IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE is still the most often-watched film at the holiday season, but IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT is one of the *very* very few truly perfect films ever made.
Review of It Happened One Night
