Ryan Luetzow (R.L.): The Oscars are 97 years old. From “Wings” to an “Anora,” movies have changed a lot in that time. That's why I'm looking back at one Best Picture winner from each decade to try and understand the movies that were at one time called the best. This is the Best Picture Show.

R.L.: Welcome to the Best Picture Show, the show about the very best hitchhiking maneuvers. My name is Ryan Luetzow, and today we're talking about “It Happened One Night,” a very funny movie, which is why today I have with me Senior Jokester, Colin Browning. Hi, Colin.

Colin Browning (C.B.): Hi. 

R.L.: You're a comedy guy. We could talk about comedy in general, because it's kind of like an under looked genre. 

C.B.: It is. 

R.L.: Given how many movies are comedies.

C.B.: Yeah, no, I do think comedies and rom coms in particular get kind of a bad rap. But I do think they are, like, really charming character pieces. And I do think the Frank Capra magic is real. I watched this movie maybe a few weeks ago. Sitting with it, what do you think are like, the key, like, jokey moments? Because I was trying to think, I was struggling.

R.L.: Yeah, because it is, it's definitely a screwball comedy. So kind of just the way they say things is funny inherently, just because it's kind of, it's very fast and witty. There aren't, like, big comedy, like set pieces, necessarily. 

C.B.: Yeah, I think that's a trait of a lot of rom coms where they're maybe not necessarily joke heavy, but they are very good, like, character movies.

R.L.: Yeah. 

C.B.: I really do appreciate them for that. 

R.L.: It's almost like a rom com, like the comedy part indicates more just that it's like light-hearted, like comedy and like a Shakespearean sense, where, like, it has a happy ending, you know?

C.B.: Yeah, videos of cats are comedies. 

R.L.: I mean, yeah. But then there's some, like, rom-coms that are, like, full on, like, super funny. Well, this is, like, I feel like the prototypical rom-com. It sets up a lot of like, the tropes, you know, like the two that are kind of stuck together. They don't necessarily like each other that much at first, and then they kind of grow to love each other. You compared it to “Shrek?”

C.B.: Yes, it's very much the plot of “Shrek.” “Shrek” with humans. 

R.L.: Yeah, he has to retrieve the girl. There's no donkey, though, 

C.B.: Yeah, but there is King Wesley. 

R.L.: Lord Farquaad is King Wesley. 

C.B.: Who's better? King Wesley or Lord Farquaad?

R.L.: Who do I like more? 

C.B.: Well, I was gonna say that, but I think who's more skilled? 

R.L.: Who's more skilled? Oh, definitely. King Wesley. He can fly a plane. Lord Farquaad can't do anything. 

C.B.: The thing is, I feel like the more we learn about Lord Farquaad, the more embarrassing he is. We don't know much about King Wesley. We know, like, two things. We know he's a pilot and that he sucks. 

R.L.: But does he suck? 

C.B.: Oh, yeah. 

R.L.: What does he do that sucks?

C.B.: What I recollect from my memories of King Wesley, It's always other people talking about him.

R.L.: Well that's most of his appearances though.

C.B.: It's very funny, though. And the father character, he doesn't let his daughter leave the boat.

R.L.: That's definitely funny when she jumps off the boat. 

C.B.: Oh, yeah, that's like… 

R.L.: Because that's right off the bat. And you're like, “Oh, this is a wacky movie.” 

C.B.: Yeah, this movie is doing silly stuff.

R.L.: Yeah. 

C.B.: But then, like, we think, the father is this tyrant, but really, it's just he hates King Wesley.

R.L.: Yeah because when it's Clark Gable, he's fine with it. It's not like he doesn't want her to get married. He just hates King Wesley. 

C.B.: What does Clark Gable have that King Wesley doesn't? Clark Gable, who we're referring to by his character name. 

R.L.: That’s true. 

C.B.: What’s his name? Peter, it’s Peter, right?

R.L.: Peter Warren. He's got big ears. 

C.B.: He's got a nice mustache. 

R.L.: He's got a nice mustache. He's charming. He’s Bugs Bunny-ish.

C.B.: It's a really intentional facial hair choice, which I think it seems like a drag. 

R.L.:  I think that's just what he looked like. 

C.B.: Oh no, it is. But it seems like too much work to me. 

R.L.:  You think he like mooses, it up and everything? 

C.B.: Definitely. 

R.L.: I just kind of imagine, for all black and white movies, they're all like caked in white makeup, and, you know, like they don't, if you saw them in color, they just look like monsters, you know, because they have to expose it so much. 

C.B.: There is always, like, a degree of separation with old movies where it's like, oh, I'm listening to the transatlantic accent, and these people don't even think it's silly. 

R.L.: Yeah, that's just how they talk. 

C.B.: Yeah, we only see it as a novelty now. Well, the thing I look forward to is, in about 100 years from now, when people are listening to the Best Picture podcast and they're listening to our voices and they’re like, “They're not even doing a bit! They thought that was normal!” 

R.L.: I think with Frank Kaplan movies, people will look back at them and be like, “Man, it was such a simpler time.” But I don't think that ever really was what the world was like. 

C.B.: Right. 

R.L.: They're very idealized kind of Americana. 

C.B.: Yeah, it does have a very, like, idealistic view of, like, very specific things, though. So, like, if you don't go on the bus that much, you're like, “Oh, the bus is a magical place.”

R.L.: “This bus is a magical place?”

C.B.: “People just sing on the bus?”

R.L.: And each one takes, like, “I'll take the next verse,” and then they all know the song. That's my favorite scene in the movie. I think it rolls. I don't know, sleeping in a barrel of hay probably isn't that comfortable, but it seems great. In my favorite movie, “Kiki's Delivery Service,” she flies above a train passing through the countryside, lands in it and sleeps in hay. And it looks like the best thing ever. I'd love to jump onto a train car and sleep in some hay. 

C.B.: Movies do a good job making random things look fun. 

R.L.: Yeah.

C.B.: Doesn't that piggyback ride look fun? 

R.L.: Not really.

C.B.: No, not at all. 

R.L.: He spanks her. That is weird. 

C.B.: No, that is weird. 

R.L.: That scene seems like a comedic setup, like we're talking about set pieces. But it's not really. It's like, kind of funny. That's more of a character moment of him thinking that she's spoiled. 

C.B.: It does do, like, the misunderstanding thing that “Shrek” also does. 

R.L.: Yeah, I think this one is not too bad because it's pretty understandable, you know, like, why everyone does what they do. 

C.B.: It's not too bad as a viewer, because they kind of just drop it immediately. 

R.L.: Yeah. 

C.B.: Father offers Clark Gable like $10,000 at one point. 

R.L.: Yeah.

C.B.: And this just led me into this tailspin of what money was worth. 

R.L.: Exactly! 

C.B.: A hotel room was $2 so how much is $10,000? 

R.L.: He shows up and he's like, “I want $200,” and at first, when he said that, I'm like, “oh, that's probably, like, a million dollars or something.” And then they're like, “Wow, that's so low.” I'm like, “Oh, I guess that was low.” 

C.B.: Okay, the big elephant in the room, I don't think we've addressed yet. The movie is called, “It Happened One Night.” It takes place over multiple nights.

R.L.: Yeah, like, three or something.

C.B.: Why is it called that? Do you even know what night it's referring to? 

R.L.: The night they met.

C.B.: Yeah, but, you know. 

R.L.: It's not that impressive, like, “and we met in one night.” Does it usually take you more time to meet somebody? 

C.B.: They didn’t meet during the day, I guess. It does capture. I think it's like a nice vibe, like, it's kind of like a scary tale. 

R.L.: Super great vibe. I think it's based on a short story that was called that. In the short story, it might have all taken place in one night. I'm not sure. It's like, how in “Lord of the Rings” The Two Towers,” the two towers aren't in the movie because they moved that part to “Return of the King.” 

C.B.: Oh, wow, yeah, that's awesome. 

R.L.: It's crazy that they let them call the movie “The Two Towers” in 2002.

C.B.: What are some of the best, Best Picture titles? What about “Wings?” Is “Wings” a good title?

R.L.: “Wings” is good. “Chariots of Fire” is a good title. It doesn't mean anything in the movie, well it does. It's like an old English poem, but it's not in the movie. “A Minecraft Movie.” Minecraft movie, that'll be a good one. “Oppenheimer,” that's his name. “Anora,” that's her name. 

C.B.: Yeah, that's a good one. 

R.L.: Well, it actually is clever, because it's not what she goes by, she goes by Annie. 

C.B.: Right. 

R.L.: Anora is like her Russian name. “Anora” could be called “It Happened One Night.” 

C.B.: No.

R.L.: No, “Shrek.” “Shrek” could be called “It Happened One Night.” 

C.B.: Yeah, that's like, only maybe two days. 

R.L.: Yeah, my “Dinner With Andre” really happened in one night. 

C.B.: Ah, yeah, that's a good one. 

R.L.: Yeah.

C.B.: Wow. 

R.L.: “Die Hard” happened one night. 

C.B.: Maybe every movie could be called that. 

R.L.: Yeah, I mean, this one doesn't. There's no qualifying. 

C.B.: Should we call every movie that?

R.L.: Yeah. 

C.B.: Get rid of movie titles. This is hard. 

R.L.: Yeah. 

C.B.: Just number them. 

R.L.: Movie 10 million. Oh, I didn't see 9999.

C.B.: But the next one's better. 

R.L.: Yeah, this one sucks. 

C.B.: How do you do sequels? 

R.L.: I mean, that one's like, movie 6,000,237 two. 

C.B.: Well, famously, yeah, the sequel did happen one night. It happened two night. That's why we need this one to be called that so we can number them properly in the sequel. 

R.L.: Yeah, it's always funny when a movie has, like, a perfect setup for a sequel title, and then they don’t, like “Now You See Me 2,” not called “Now You Don’t.”

C.B.: They just messed that one up. 

R.L.: Or like, “Bad Boys for Life” is the third one. 

C.B.: Really?

R.L.: So “Bad Boys” four is “Bad Boys Ride or Die.” 

C.B.: Oh that’s really funny. What are the big cheer moments in “It Happened One Night?” 

R.L.: I think it's nice when they give the money to the little sick kid, do you remember that? 

C.B.: What, no?

R.L.: On the bus? He's like, “Mister! My mom's awful ill” or something like that. 

C.B.: Are you an impressionist yourself? 

R.L.: Oh you know.
C.B.: It’s like I was watching the movie. 

R.L.: “Mister! Please! We’re awful ill and we don’t have the money.”

C.B.: Is he British?

R.L.: No, but they’re all trans atlantic. This movie is transatlantic because it goes across the land.

C.B.: That's true. 

R.L.: This is a road trip movie. 

C.B.: Yes. 

R.L.: Good one. 

C.B.: Yeah. I was thinking about other iconic road trip movies, and I was struggling to think of them. 

R.L.: “The Muppet Movie” is a great one. “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure.” “Wild at Heart.” 

C.B.: Yeah. These are good ones. 

R.L.: “Straight story.” Two David Lynch ones. I love road trip movies. 

C.B.: Do you like it in road trip movies when they're being chased? 

R.L.: Yes. I love a chase. And I love when there's multiple factions. Like, “Midnight Run” is the best example of the factions, because, like, everyone's teaming up, and, like, there's all the different like, groups and, oh my god, it’s perfect.

C.B.: Do you also like, like, something like, It's a “Mad, Mad, Mad World,” where it's just like, “Oh, they're after, everyone.”

R.L.: Yeah, all the different people, yeah. 

C.B.: I like, when the object is simple, the objective. 

R.L.: Or, like, “A Goofy Movie.” The object is Michael Jackson.

C.B.: Is “Cars” a road trip movie? No, it’s not, they stay in that town. 

R.L.: “Cars 2” they go across. No, it's a plane trip. They're going to new places. 

C.B.: Oh yeah. 

R.L.: I guess they go to lots of different countries. “Cars 3” I think, is a road trip movie. 

C.B.: I remember “Cars 3” like it was yesterday. 

R.L.: Yeah, I've seen it once in theaters for Father's Day. 

C.B.: Congrats. 

R.L.: Thanks, he's a good one. They get lost or Lightning McQueen and Cruz. 

C.B.: I’m going to be honest I don’t think so. I think he like, almost dies.

R.L.: That's the opening, though.

C.B.: Isn't that the whole movie? 

R.L.: No, because, like he and Cruz Ramirez, his new manager. 

C.B.: His name is Cruz. You can be on first name basis with him. 

R.L.: She actually. 

C.B.: Oh, she. Sorry. I don't know who this is. 

R.L.: Lightning McQueen, and the new character, Cruz Ramirez, I think they get stuck together, and Lightning has to get back in time for his big comeback race, but then, over the course, he realizes it's time for him to become a coach like Doc and Cruz is the next generation. 

C.B.: Okay, can we pause this recording right now and then go watch it and then come back?

C.B.: All right, we're back. 

R.L.: I think it’s the second best “Cars.”  

C.B.: Oh yeah. Do you think “It Happened One Night” would have been cooler if Larry the Cable Guy was in?

R.L.: Do you know there's like, two separate movies that got sequels starring Larry the Cable Guy when he wasn't in the first one?

C.B.: I know one of them. 

R.L.: And neither of them are connected to the first one at all. They're just like, “What if Larry the Cable Guy guy did the premise?” 

C.B.: I think it's a great idea. “Tooth Fairy.” 

R.L.: And “Jingle All the Way.” 

C.B.: “Jingle all the way.” So your point is, “It Happened Tonight with Larry the Cable Guy.” 

R.L.: Exactly.

C.B.: What’s his bit? Is he King Wesley, or is he… 

R.L.: it's just him. 

C.B.: It's just him?

R.L.: He has to get back so he can get married. Then he realizes…

C.B.: I think he just really wants to be a journalist. 

R.L.: He is a journalist. He's also the son of a rich oligarch, or whatever. He's gonna get married to King Wesley, same character. And then he realizes over the course of his trip that self love is more important, because he's both of them. 

C.B.: That's beautiful. 

R.L.: Yeah. This movie came out in 1934. 

C.B.: Great year. 

R.L.: Yeah, that was a huge year for movies. 

C.B.: What else happened that year?

R.L.: Probably like, there's some weird stuff going on in Germany that we're concerned about. Chancellor Dollfuss of Austria is assassinated by Nazis, yep. Weird stuff in Germany. The Dionne sisters first quintuplets to survive beyond infancy, born in Canada. 

C.B.: Oh, that's good. That's a good one. 

R.L.: I'm surprised it took them that long. 

C.B.: Quintuplets. How many is that? Is that five? 

R.L.: Five. 

C.B.: That's a lot.

R.L.: But like, there were never five that survived until 1934. Isn't that a little strange? 

C.B.:What was the average lifespan back then? I feel like it was really low. 

R.L.: Probably, like 30.

C.B.: Thirty?

R.L.: I don’t know. 

C.B.: Is it the first in Canada or the first ever? 

R.L.: The first ever to survive beyond infancy, comma, are born in Canada.

C.B.: Oh, okay, that is big. Well congrats to them. 

R.L.: Yeah I know.

C.B.: They're almost 100. 

R.L.: Yeah, wonder if any of them are still alive. 

C.B.: Honestly, maybe. I would go to a third recording if you can get one of these quintuplets. 

R.L.: One of them died when they were 20. One of them died when they were 35. One of them died when they were 67.

C.B.: That wasn't that long ago. 

R.L.: And then the other two aren't listed as dead. 

C.B.: That's interesting. 

R.L.: Two of them are alive!

C.B.: We could get them. Do they have their email? 

R.L.: Annette Allard and Cécile Langlois. 

C.B.: Yeah, no. I think that's a good idea. I think that's some good viral marketing for you. Is that you get the quintuplets that were born in the same year as “It Happened One Night.”

R.L.: Chicago defeated Detroit in the Stanley Cup.

C.B.: I don't have strong feelings on that.

R.L.: “It Happened One Night” sweeps the Academy Awards, winning Best Picture, director, actor and actress. 

C.B.: That's cool. 

R.L.: Big four.

C.B.: The thing is, no one's gonna say like “Anora” was the best thing that happened in 2024.

R.L.: That's true. 

C.B.: What is the best thing that happened in 2024?

R.L.: I don't know, Chappell Roan?

C.B.: That was cool. 

R.L.: That’s true. It is pretty cool to be the best thing that happened in the whole year.

C.B.: Right, right. 

R.L.: Well, the quintuplets. 

C.B.: But they're still quintuplets being born in 2024 

R.L.: But none of them are the first quintuplets to survive. 

C.B.: That's really cool. We gotta get them on the podcast.

R.L.: Gotta get two of them.

C.B.: One thing about “It Happened One Night” that re-entered my brain is I feel like the modern rom com. They're so heavily indebted to like their music and licensed soundtracks and things like that. And I feel like “It Happened One Night” is really not that to me. What I remember most about “It Happened One Night,” you do have that bus scene, but I do think the large things that I remember are like the small scenes with the donuts at the table, or the weird piggyback ride that kind of plays to silence and like things like that. I do think it is like a unique charm that this movie has, and a lot of movies from this era have that is maybe a little bit lost. 

R.L.: The set pieces are the like, strange little relationship things. Like in relationships, a lot of times in real life you remember, like the little things, more you know, like the strange little things that are hard to like communicate. I think this movie does a good job. 

C.B.: You get to see Clark Gable undress. It's very exciting. 

R.L.: Yeah, he looks great. 

C.B.: When Clark Gable undresses and he's not wearing an undershirt. This led to a massive plummeting in the sales of undershirts across America is what I've heard. What I've also heard is this might be because of the Great Depression. 

R.L.: That would also make sense. Oh, yeah, we should talk about the ending. It's really great. 

C.B.: Well, first of all, we have the wedding. King Wesley shows by plane. 

R.L.: Yeah, by plane. The only way for King Wesley to do it. 

C.B.: That's just how he does it. 

R.L.: He's a pilot, and he sucks. 

C.B.: Do you think he walks ever or…

R.L.: No, he flies to the supermarket. 

C.B.: That's what I'm talking about. 

R.L.: That is amazing. And that kind of made me be like, “maybe she should be marrying King Wesley.” 

C.B.: Can we erase all the parts where I said King Wesley sucks, and we can, like, dub over and say he's cool?

R.L.: Yeah just give me a clean take, and I'll put in. 

C.B.: King Wesley is cool. All right, yeah. Thank you.

R.L.: What does the father have against King Wesley? 

C.B.: I think it's that he's, like, this novelty, thrill seeker kind of guy. To me. I find that kind of awesome. 

R.L.: Yeah. 

C.B.: In the sequel with Larry the Cable Guy, “It Happened Tonight,” maybe we can get…

R.L.: Yeah. You won't have to waste all this time with the two main characters interacting, because it's just Larry the Cable Guy. So we can get some more backstory of why he's in love with King Wesley. 

C.B.: Right. And then those quintuplets who have been waiting 94 years. 

R.L.: We're gonna have to recast three of them. 

R.L.: There's a lot of like factions at the end that doesn't really result in a giant chase where, like every faction is against each other, which is kind of what I was hoping for. But it's like, he's driving back, and there's a cop car, and he's like, King Wesley's flying around. Everyone's going every which way. And it ends up working out. 

C.B.: When you get like vehicle movies from that are this old, it's hard to make it exciting, because you look at these cars, they go so slow. 

R.L.: There's a scene where Clark Gable runs faster than the car, like he's like, next to it. 

C.B.: That's the thing is, like, when Claudette Colbert, Ellie, misses the bus that one time, she could probably just run after it. 

R.L.: Yeah, it's not that big a deal. 

C.B.: She could catch up. 

R.L.: So, yeah, we don't actually see the two reconcile after the misunderstanding, which is kind of interesting. Like, there's no big like, “Oh, I was wrong. I was wrong.” Like, it's kind of implied the whole movie, they always put up a sheet in between their beds, and it just cuts to this hotel. And it's like the owners, they're like, “They want a curtain and a trumpet?” And then it just cuts to this insert of like, the sheet falling down, and then, like a trumpet noise playing. Like, he's like, announcing their upcoming intercourse with a trumpet. 

C.B.: Yeah, it's like a perfect bit of like, theatricality that's not really realistic. 

R.L.: No, but it's so funny.

C.B.: Like, a fun character, little beat that I think is really cute, and I like it a lot. 

R.L.: And, you know, a little risque too. 

C.B.: Oh, yeah. Whatever they had to do to be accepted by widespread audiences leads them to, like, little clever moments like this, which is fun. There’s a lot of, like, role playing in this movie. 

R.L.: Yeah, I think that's a rom com thing too. Like, there's a few parts where they have to pretend to be husband and wife, which kind of is like, “Well, if you’re already pretending…” you know? 

C.B.: In almost every bit where they're like, role playing as husband and wife, they're like, arguing. 

R.L.: Like, that's, that's just what husbands and wives do. Yeah, because they have to get the cops to go away. So they're like, “Yeah, I'm, I'm screaming at my wife. Can't you see?” And they’re like, “Oh, excuse me. Sorry.” 

C.B.: But it also implies a separation between stories in real life, or in the story they're constantly arguing, but in real life, wow, they put the curtain down. So it does acknowledge maybe the artifice of things like this. 

R.L.: Yeah, “It Happened One Night,” good movie, very fun. 

C.B.: Yeah.

R.L.: It's a breeze. It's snappy. 

C.B.: Yeah it is a breeze. Sometimes when you watch old movies, they really do feel like homework. I feel like this was not the case. 

R.L.: The last thing, are you a plane guy or a train guy? 

C.B.: Well, I don't want to be disrespectful to King Wesley. I feel like that is kind of his thing, the whole plane bit. 

R.L.: Yeah.

C.B.: I feel like I'm a train guy. I do ride trains more frequently.

R.L.: Really?

C.B.: I’m from the DC metro area, I ride trains a lot. I feel I'm sort of a little engine that could type, you know?

R.L.: You relate to the character?

C.B.: Oh, yeah. I think I can. I really do think I can. Third option, Greyhound bus. 

R.L.: Well, the music's playing and they're yanking me off the stage with the cane. I never say this, but the best guest award goes to you. Colin Browning, thank you so much for being on the show. 

C.B.: Are you serious? 

R.L.: Yeah you got it!

C.B.: Oh my god. It’s an honor.

R.L.: Okay. Do you have anything you want to plug? 

C.B.: Laughing Matter, a ROAR Studios podcast. 

R.L.: Wow!

C.B.: I know. Have you heard of it? 

R.L.: Yeah!

C.B.: Wow. It's very exciting. All episodes are out now. It's a fun little project I got to work on in the spring, interviewing college comedians about how they express themselves comedically, and I would love for you to laugh with us. Yeah, you can listen to it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or the Los Angeles Loyolan website. 

R.L.: Check it out. 

R.L.: The Best Picture Show is a podcast hosted by Ryan Luetzow and produced by ROAR Studios. Opinions and ideas expressed in this podcast are those of individual student content creators and are not those of Loyola Marymount University, its board of trustees or its student body. You can subscribe to us on Spotify and Apple podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts, and be sure to follow us at Watch listen roar. This episode was produced by Ryan Luetzow. Special. Thanks to Emma Russell for technical guidance and Associate Producer Emma Singletary. Thanks to Colin Browning for joining us, and thank you so much for listening. Play us out