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Most people think that Clark Gable won the Oscar for his portrayal of Rhett Butler in "Gone With the Wind." But no, this 1934 movie won Gable the gold long before GWTW, where he did NOT win. Here Gable is Peter Warne, a down-on-his-luck newspaper reporter who happens on the most exciting story of the year. That story involves Ellen Andrews (Claudette Colbert), a rich ingenue who has swum away from captivity aboard her father's yacht to be with the man she loves, King Westley. They meet aboard a train from Florida to New York and instantly take a dislike to each other. She is aloof; he is brash. But when Ellen's suitcase with all her belongings and money gets snatched in South Carolina, she is very much in need of help. And Peter sees dollars in the story he could write about saving this damsel in distress. What he doesn't realize is that he might fall in love with this woman. Yes, this is the movie where Clark Gable sets the undershirt industry on its back when he removes his shirt and exposes a bare chest. Yes, this is the movie where Ellen outdoes Peter's hitchhiking antics by exposing the upper part of her delicious leg. Also look for the scene where they sing "The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze" with the other bus travelers. And the scene where the walls of Jericho fall with the trumpet blast is priceless. You may not know that this movie was the first movie to win all 5 top Oscars: Best Actor (Gable), Best Actress (Colbert), Best Picture, Best Director (Frank Capra), and Best Adapted Screenplay (Robert Riskin). This feat was not tied until "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" in 1975. A special feature to the DVD includes an interview with Frank Capra, Jr., who tells the story of how the movie was made. An interesting note is the Claudette Colbert almost didn't make the movie because she wanted to go on vacation to Sun Valley. Neither Gable nor Colbert realized the reaction of audiences to this movie, which invented the romantic comedy genre. Also, the charisma of the two leads together was far underestimated. This movie is timeless. You will want to watch it again and again and make it part of your permanent collection of DVDs. Except for the black and white filming and the old-timey bus and train rides, you would think that this movie was recently made.Read full review
This movie has been a favorite of mine since I saw it over 50 years ago. Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert are truly magical together. Gable is an hard luck free lance reporter. Colbert plays a spoiled heiress involved with a fortune seeking playboy, primarily to spite her father. From her father's yacht, see jumps overboard so she can get back to her playboy boyfriend in New York. There, she crosses paths with Gable at a bus terminal, where their relationship begins. He decides to help her get back to New York for exclusive rights to her story. The movie garnered all three Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Movie plus two more for a total of five. This is a cute, funny, movie with a magnetic plot. It is truly wholesome entertainment for any classic movie buff from the Hollywood Golden era. One a scale of one to five, I give it a five.Read full review
Love this film about a sarcastic reporter and the runaway heiress. Some of my favorite lines include Gable stating to Colbert "What makes dames like you so dizzy?" And when they are trying to hitchhike, Gable goes on and on about techniques that don't work while Colbert shows a leg (daring in those days) and a car picks them up immediately. Hilarious!
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
What can you say with Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert, great story and surely a great movie for anyone over 50 years of age and others if given the chance.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
I love old movies and this is one of my found favorites.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
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