1) Relate what was discussed in
class or the text to the screening.
In class, we learned
that during the early 20th century, Hollywood went through a period
where it became highly sexualized, a far cry from the idealized versions of
society portrayed by film coming out of the Victorian era. Nude women appeared
on screen under the reasoning that it was for artistic purposes. Stars like
Theda Bara and Jean Harlow, also known as “the Vamp” and “the Platinum Blonde”
respectively, tantalized audiences. Just as the action onscreen was heating up,
the stars themselves were becoming embroiled in scandals due to their wild
behavior. At first, the movie studios tries to appease their stars by supplying
them with drugs and alcohol and covering up their actions so that their images
would remain pristine in the eyes of the public who were paying to see their
films.
 |
| Theda Bara |
 |
| Jean Harlow |
Some scandals, however, were
so big they could not be kept out of the press. These included the affair and
eventual marriage of Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks, Fatty Arbuckle’s
murder trial for the death of Virginia Rappe, the murder of William Desmond
Taylor and the untimely death of Wallace Reid.
To protect the movie industry from being hurt by these controversies, the
Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America was created. The MPPDA was
designed to self-censor the industry across the board, as opposed to the many
state and local censorship boards that imposed different sets of standards and
made film distribution difficult. The MPPDA, also known as the Hays Office,
served not only to self-regulate, but also to improve the image of the motion
picture industry. The Hays Office proved to be ineffective, and was followed by
the Production Code, written by the Catholic Legion of Decency and headed by
Joseph Breen. The Production Code was composed of both moral philosophy and a
precise list of forbidden material.
Women, no longer
permitted to act as sultry sirens in satin gowns, began wearing tailored suits
and relying on quick wit rather than seduction to get ahead in films. The 1930’s
were dominated by films about and starring women who were strong, smart, competent
and working-class. One of these women was Claudette Colbert. As the power of
women rose in films, screwball comedies began appearing on screens. These
comedies showcased a war of the sexes without featuring the actual sex that was
forbidden. Women and men could spar with each other verbally and women were
shown to be equal or better than their male counterparts.
One of the most famous
of these screwball comedies was the 1934 film It Happened One Night, directed by Frank Capra. The film told the
story of a spoiled actress, played by Colbert, who runs away from her wealthy
father in an effort to reunite with husband, meeting a reporter, played by
Clark Gable, who offers her help in exchange for being the one to break the
story, only for the two of them to fall in love along the way. It Happened One Night swept the Academy
Awards, winning Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Director, Best Picture and Best
Writing and is still enjoyed by audiences 80 years later. (Londino, "Sound Censorship and It Happened One Night)
2) Find a related article and
summarize the content. (on
the film, director, studio, actor/actress, artistic content, etc.) You can
use the library or the internet. Cite
the article or copy the url to your journal entry. Summarize in your own
words the related article but do not plagiarize any content.
It Happened One Night made history as the first film to win Best Picture, Best Actor,
Best Actress, Best Director and Best Writing (now called Best Screenplay.) No
movie would achieve that again until 1975. Though the film won these
prestigious honors after its release, production itself was troubled. The
screenplay was considered uninspiring and the project was referred to as “just
another bus picture.” No one involved expected the film to be a great success
and Claudette Colbert stated to a friend “I’ve just finished the worst picture
in the world,” after filming wrapped.
Colbert herself was not
the first choice for the role of Ellen Andrews. Myrna Loy, Carole Lombard,
Miriam Hopkins, Bette Davis and Constance Bennett were all considered before
Colbert was finally cast. Colbert had previously acted in a movie directed by
Frank Capra that she ended up hating and was reluctant to take another role
from him. She only agreed under the conditions that her usual salary be doubled
and filming be done in an incredibly short time span so that she could leave to
work on a project that she had more desire for.
In 1934, Clark Gable was
a contract player for MGM. While he was rising in popularity, studio executives
were wary of his ego. MGM commonly punished its players who were misbehaving by
“exiling” them. Columbia was considered the worst of the big studios at the
time, referred to as “Poverty Row” and “Siberia.” Gable was loaned to Columbia
as a sort of punishment and came into the project with a bad attitude, allegedly
showing up to the first production meeting drunk. However, despite his initial
misgivings, he grew to love both Capra and the character of Peter Warne.
Gable’s part in the
movie became a sensation, due to both his acting and his outfits. His costume
included a trench coat, Norfolk jacket, v-neck sweater and a button down shirt
that set trends in men’s wear. Due to this, Gable considered the trench coat
lucky and often wore won in his later films. Even in modern times, designers
try to emulate Gable’s classic look from this movie. Gable’s biggest impact on
fashion occurred in the scene where his character teases Claudette Colbert by
demonstrating how different men undress. After audiences saw that Gable was not
wearing an undershirt, sales for the garment dropped around 30%.
Robert Kalloch was the
costume designer for It Happened One Night.
Besides outfitting Gable, he also dresses Colbert in lavish silks befitting
the character of socialite Ellen Andrews. He also used to expertise to create
subtle changes in the characters’ outfits over the course of the film through
use of layers. Though the film takes place over a short amount of time, there
are a variety of looks that keep the visuals fresh for the viewers and it’s thanks
to Kalloch.
3) Apply the article to the film screened in
class. How did the article support or change the way you thought about
the film, director, content, etc.?
I had seen the film on
my own several times prior to viewing it in class and already knew some of its
history. The article was able to shed light on an aspect of the film that I had
not thought of previously – the costume design. Looking back, I realize and can
appreciate how much work went into creating the unique pieces for each
character, such as Peter Warne’s “reporter” ensemble and Ellie Andrew’s
stunning silk wedding gown.
The article further
supports my feelings that It Happened One
Night is an exquisite film with a lasting impression on both Hollywood and culture,
especially taking into account the low expectations and reservations the stars
had about acting in it. Just as the
picture’s success was largely unanticipated, the article also reiterated the great
and unforeseen impact the movie had on fashion, particularly Gable’s short
shirtless appearance affecting undershirt sales hugely, going to how that
inspiration and success can come from the unlikeliest or most surprising of
places and that underdogs should never be counted out.
4) Write a critical analysis of the film, including your personal opinion,
formed as a result of the screening, class discussions, text material and
the article. I am less interested in whether you liked or disliked a
film, (although that can be part of this) than I am in your understanding
of its place in film history or the contributions of the director.
It Happened One Night deserves its place
in Hollywood history and all of the accolades it has received. Clark Gable and
Claudette Colbert bring lifelike qualities to characters that in the hands of
less talented actors might have been rendered two-dimensional. The romance in
the film is also expertly portrayed and not at all overdone. Audiences can
witness the subtleties as the characters slowly begin to realize they are
falling in love with one another as real people would.
The movie’s humor is
also a treat and holds up despite over eighty years passing since its initial
release in 1934. The quick wit displayed by the main characters as they snipe
at each other is almost a star in its own right and one of the defining
elements of the film. Frank Capra directs the action onscreen brilliantly and
while the characters are simply travelling, mostly unglamorously, from Florida
to New York, the journey seems like an almost grand adventure as time goes on
and hijinks ensue.
The
scenes in It Happened One Night are iconic, and much like Charlie Chaplin’s
roll dance from The Gold Rush, have been duplicated and parodied many
times, especially the scene in which Claudette Colbert lifts her skirt to show
off her leg and halt a passing car. This film has been paid homage to in such
varied media as Sex and the City, Bandits, and Spaceballs, as
well as many more and will no doubt continue to be honored in the future. Likewise,
the characters themselves are memorable, without being cliché. Ellie Andrews
and Peter Warne spend the majority of the film teasing, disagreeing and even
outright berating each other at some points. However, it is evident throughout the
picture that they do care for each other and by the end of the film are deeply
in love and a perfect match. Overall, It Happened One Night is a
fantastic film that will enthrall and delight viewers for years to come.
CHECKLIST FOR PLAGIARISM
1) (x) I
have not handed in this assignment for any other class.
2) (x) If
I have reused any information from other papers I have written for other
classes, I clearly explain that in the paper.
3) (x) If
I used any passages word for word, I put quotations around those words, or used
indentation and citation within the text.
4) (x) I
have not padded the bibliography. I have used all sources cited in the
bibliography in the text of the paper.
5) (x) I
have cited in the bibliography only the pages I personally read.
6) (x) I
have used direct quotations only in cases where it could not be stated in
another way. I cited the sources within the paper and in the bibliography.
7) (x) I
did not so over-use direct quotations that the paper lacks interpretation or
originality.
8) (x) I
checked yes on steps 1-7 and therefore have been fully transparent about the
research and ideas used in my paper.
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