1934: It Happened One Night 

: It Happened One Night :

There seems to be general agreement about this one. Among everyone but me.

Filmsite.org had no other suggestions for this year (almost unheard of), Rotten Tomatoes finds it 98 % fresh, and the pic swept the academy awards: best picture, director, screenplay, actor and actress. This feat was not to be repeated until One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest in 1975 and then Silence of the Lambs.

It stars Claudette Colbert, who doesn’t do much for me, and Clark Cable who I personally find to be a hunk of burning love. He ranks as one of my top ten favorite actors of all time.

The movie, though, can best be described as “zany” and officially carries the term “screwball comedy.” And while I love stand-up comedy especially and other forms of comedy in general, I really don’t care for humorous movies of any stripe. I didn’t even like Trainwreck and I’m Amy Schumer’s #1 fan.

The plot is simple: a self-absorbed heiress runs away from daddy to be with the man she thinks she wants only to find the man she truly wants. A misunderstanding ensues followed by a brief separation followed by happily ever after.

But I have to admit something to you. That happily ever after included daddy-sanctioned premarital sex and I was shocked. I did not see it coming and to be frank the film scandalized me in all its black and white portents of innocence.

Upon reflection I decided to run it past my grandma-meter. And I bet she would have chuckled at the closing scene of It Happened One Night, thoroughly happy for the engaged couple who had waited so long and through such adversity for the opportunity to get engaged and enjoy one another. So I’ll put my outrage under a tight cap and give this movie a grandma thumbs up.

As far as Sonya’s personal rating scale, I continue to judge movies by whether I would watch them again. I would never watch this again (although I did appreciate the Clark Gable eye candy).