The seventh film to win for Best Picture was It Happened One Night. Starring Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert, the film was one of the last romantic comedies produced before the Hays code went into effect.
The film would prove to be a lucky one for the cast; it was the first film to win all of the major awards, including Best Picture, Director, Actor, Actress and screenplay. This feat would not be duplicated until 1972's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.
In It Happened One Night, Clark Gable plays a reporter who sweeps the spoiled daughter of a millionaire off her feet. The screwball comedy was a huge success, taking American audiences out of the despair of the Great Depression for just a couple of hours. The film itself was said to be a harrowing experience. Both stars hated the script and proved to be difficult to deal with. According to director Frank Capra, Clark Gable eventually settled down. Claudette Colbert, however, did not. In a strange twist of fate, the screenplay that Ms. Colbert and Mr. Gable hated so much actually won an Academy Award. Claudette eventually apologized to Frank Capra back stage at the Academy Awards ceremony. After all, the role had earned her a Best Actress statuette.
