Critic Reviews

It Happened One Night (1934) Rank 5 Reviews

Expert Review Summary

Movie critics combined give It Happened One Night (1934) a score of 3.3588 out of 4

based on (17) reviews

Click on the numbers to the right of the graph to see reviews of that rating

Excellent

(10)

Very Good

(5)

Good

(2)

Fair

(0)

Poor

(0)

Reviews by Score:

ToxicUniverse.com (John Nesbit)

This is only right because Capra makes this relatively lightweight film work with his impeccable eye for items that work and his expert planning, economizing the shoot from his usual 6-8 weeks for such a project down to four. As a result, the ...read the complete It Happened One Night movie review at ToxicUniverse.com (John Nesbit)

Three Movie Buffs (Scott Nash)

Ranked number 35 on the American Film Institute's greatest films of all time list, It Happened One Night is a true classic in every sense of the word, one that withstands the test of time and indeed defies it completely. ...read the complete It Happened One Night movie review at Three Movie Buffs (Scott Nash)

The Flick Filosopher's take

The ultimate dizzy, romantic, screwball comedy, It Happened One Night is not to be missed. ...read the complete It Happened One Night movie review at The Flick Filosopher's take

MovieJustice (Dan DeVore)

This isn't one of my favorite films, but I will admit it is entertaining, funny, and better than movies today that are of the same genre. Frank Capra had a way of creating characters in his movies that you can fall in love with immediately and care about. ...read the complete It Happened One Night movie review at MovieJustice (Dan DeVore)

Cinema Laser (Derek M. Germano)

IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT is one of Hollywood greatest comedy classics and worthy of a place of honor in most DVD libraries. Fortunately Columbia TriStar has delivered a DVD edition worthy of this classic. Recommended. ...read the complete It Happened One Night movie review at Cinema Laser (Derek M. Germano)

TV Guide Entertainment Network, Movie Guide

The great sleeper of 1934, and a true Hollywood landmark: Not only was it the first picture to win Oscars in all five major categories, it was also one of the earliest great screwball comedies. ...read the complete It Happened One Night movie review at TV Guide Entertainment Network, Movie Guide

The BigScreen Cinema Guide - Reader Reviews

The film might be old, but the ideas aren't. "It Happened One Night," won five Academy Awards. ...read the complete It Happened One Night movie review at The BigScreen Cinema Guide - Reader Reviews

Crazy for Cinema (Lisa Skrzyniarz)

A film even modern audiences can and should enjoy. Don't miss out on one of Hollywood's classic cinema treats. ...read the complete It Happened One Night movie review at Crazy for Cinema (Lisa Skrzyniarz)

Decent Films Guide - faith on film

One of the most enduring romantic comedies of Hollywood's golden age, Capra's It Happened One Night is an unassuming road picture starring Clark Gable as an out-of-work newspaperman and Claudette Colbert as a spoiled heiress who travel together from M ...read the complete It Happened One Night movie review at Decent Films Guide - faith on film

Edinburgh U Film Society (Mark Radice)

This is one of those films that ranks as an almost mandatory inclusion on critics favourite pictures lists, deservedly so, for everything matches well to form a fluid, balanced movie. But, most importantly, it also happens to be funny. ...read the complete It Happened One Night movie review at Edinburgh U Film Society (Mark Radice)

Crazy for Cinema

The comedies of the 30s and 40s are filled with runaway heiresses and the rambunctious reporters that fall in love with them, but few manage to capture the sparkling chemistry achieved in this Oscar-winning Colbert/Gable vehicle. ...read the complete It Happened One Night movie review at Crazy for Cinema

DVD Net (Amy Flower)

The leads carry the whole film with a fabulous rapport, there's some fabulously witty and engaging scripting and, goodness gracious me, you even get to see some of Claudette's leg - it's scurrilous I tell you! ...read the complete It Happened One Night movie review at DVD Net (Amy Flower)

DVD Verdict (Norman Short)

The main characters really shine, and even the wealthy father becomes likable after a not-so-flattering beginning. ...read the complete It Happened One Night movie review at DVD Verdict (Norman Short)

Ozus' World Movie Reviews (Dennis Schwartz)

"A very funny and breezy comedy." ...read the complete It Happened One Night movie review at Ozus' World Movie Reviews (Dennis Schwartz)

Salon (Stephanie Zacharek)

Before Frank Capra was kidnapped by aliens and reconditioned to make programmatic paper-doll humanitarian fare like "It's a Wonderful Life," he spent four weeks making an imperfectly perfect little movie called "It Happened One Night." Claudette Colbert ...read the complete It Happened One Night movie review at Salon (Stephanie Zacharek)

Senses of Cinema (Martha P. Nochimson)

...the final cut of the film is a clever and insightful example of old Hollywood's ability to speak meaningfully about the battle of the sexes, the constraints of the Production Code notwithstanding. ...read the complete It Happened One Night movie review at Senses of Cinema (Martha P. Nochimson)

DVD MovieGuide

Night suffers from some very significant plot holes but still seems charming and amusing. I don't know if it really deserves its status as a classic, but it remains a solid film after all these years. ...read the complete It Happened One Night movie review at DVD MovieGuide