The director's son gives interesting anecdotes about Frank Capra's making of the 1939 hit comedy, "It Happened One Night."The director's son gives interesting anecdotes about Frank Capra's making of the 1939 hit comedy, "It Happened One Night."The director's son gives interesting anecdotes about Frank Capra's making of the 1939 hit comedy, "It Happened One Night."
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- ConnectionsFeatures It Happened One Night (1934)
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Background on the first big 5 Oscars winner
This short documentary was made to go with the DVD sales of "It Happened One Night." Frank Capra Jr. narrates with film clips from the movie. He tells some noteworthy things about the film that his dad directed, and which was the first ever to win the top five Academy Award Oscars. What made it even more remarkable, he said, is that Columbia was just one of the small, struggling studios at the time. And, this film was made quickly and on a shoestring. Few people at Columbia or elsewhere thought much of it. But, Frank Capra and one or two others saw something great in the story. They altered the original story, which Capra had enticed Columbia to buy for the film rights.
When they were ready to make the movie, they got Clark Gable lined up and then went after Claudette Colbert. They caught her packing and ready to leave the next day for a month's vacation at Sun Valley. She said her normal salary was $25,000 and she would do the film for double that and only if it could be made in those four weeks. Well, they did it. Capra said the movie had very few sets, and those used were fairly simple. The interior of a bus was mounted on a platform. A small cottage room was altered and used a second and third time. Most of the rest of it was shot outdoors. So, there wasn't much expense. The budget for the whole thing was $325,000, of which $50,000 was Colbert's salary.
Capra said that Claudette Colbert complained every day of the shooting. But his dad and Clark Gable had fun shooting the film. When it was done, Colbert apparently said that it was the worst film she had ever made. Such irony then that it was her only film for which she won an Academy Award.
Capra Jr. says that while the Hollywood folks didn't think much of the film initially, the public loved it. And it played a long time in theaters. People would go to see it a second time and take someone else with them. He said it held the record for many years of having played in the most theaters around the country. This is an interesting background on a big Oscar-winning film and one of the best comedies of all time.
The top five Academy Awards Oscars are best picture, best director, best actor, best actress and best screenplay. Only two other films since "It Happened One Night" in 1939 have won the Big Five. They are "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" in 1975, and "The Silence of the Lambs" in 1991.
When they were ready to make the movie, they got Clark Gable lined up and then went after Claudette Colbert. They caught her packing and ready to leave the next day for a month's vacation at Sun Valley. She said her normal salary was $25,000 and she would do the film for double that and only if it could be made in those four weeks. Well, they did it. Capra said the movie had very few sets, and those used were fairly simple. The interior of a bus was mounted on a platform. A small cottage room was altered and used a second and third time. Most of the rest of it was shot outdoors. So, there wasn't much expense. The budget for the whole thing was $325,000, of which $50,000 was Colbert's salary.
Capra said that Claudette Colbert complained every day of the shooting. But his dad and Clark Gable had fun shooting the film. When it was done, Colbert apparently said that it was the worst film she had ever made. Such irony then that it was her only film for which she won an Academy Award.
Capra Jr. says that while the Hollywood folks didn't think much of the film initially, the public loved it. And it played a long time in theaters. People would go to see it a second time and take someone else with them. He said it held the record for many years of having played in the most theaters around the country. This is an interesting background on a big Oscar-winning film and one of the best comedies of all time.
The top five Academy Awards Oscars are best picture, best director, best actor, best actress and best screenplay. Only two other films since "It Happened One Night" in 1939 have won the Big Five. They are "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" in 1975, and "The Silence of the Lambs" in 1991.
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- SimonJack
- Feb 3, 2018
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- Frank Capra, Jr. recuerda... 'Sucedió una noche'
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- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime11 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1
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