Blog#10 "I Just Finished the Worst Picture in the World."[14]

What actor or actress would say that? Without knowing that film would be the first to won five major Academy Awards for Best Picture (Columbia Pictures (Frank Capra and Harry Cohn)), Best Director (Frank Capra), Best Actor (Clark Gable), Best Actress (Claudette Colbert), and for Best Writing, Adaptation (Robert Riskin). Two other films that won those same awards were One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) and The Silence of the Lambs (1991). Also, there was two remakes that were musicals called Eve Knew Her Apples (1945) starring Ann Miller,^[3] and You Can't Run Away from It(1956) starring Jack Lemmon and June Allyson.   


What movie am I talking about, will it's an American romantic comedy "with the elements of screwball comedy" named It Happened One Night from 1934.
 Before Claudette was the leading lady, there were other women offered the role like Miriam Hopkins, Myrna Loy("were then offered the roles, but each turned the script down, though Loy later noted that the final story as filmed bore little resemblance to the script that she and Montgomery had been offered for their perusal.^[4]"), Margaret Sullavan, Constance Bennett( she was willing to play the role but Columbia Pictures didn't allow her.), Bette Davis(she wanted the part but "Warner Brothers and Jack Warner refused to loan her."), Carole Lombard( was unable to play the role, she was working on another film called Bolero), and Loretta Young turn the role down.For the leading man Robert Montgomery but he turn it down.

Claudette had worked in her first movie (For the Love of Mike (1927)) with Frank as director and it was a disaster. She vowed not to work with him again but later she agreed to play the leading lady if her "salary was doubled to $50,000" and to completed filming with in four week, for her to take a well planned vacation.


Frank now had his leading lady but not a leading man. Until Columbia Pictures wanted some kind of  "punishment" for actor Clark Gable, for refusing a role from the studio.


Claudette was unhappy while the filming this film, at one point she was outraged with Frank. When he got a body double for her. She told him, "Get her out of here. I'll do it. That's not my leg!" After the movie she told her friend, "I just finished the worst picture in the world."^{[14]. Once the film was release with the word of mouth the movie became a major hit and the biggest hit for actress Claudette.} 

Notes: "Through the filming, Capra claimed, Colbert "had many little tantrums, motivated by her antipathy toward me," however "she was wonderful in the part."^[14] After her acceptance speech at the Oscars ceremony, she went back on stage and thanked Capra for making the film.^[15]"

^{In 1935, after her Academy Award nomination, Colbert decided not to attend the presentation, feeling confident that she would not win the award, and instead, planned to take a cross-country railroad trip. After she was named the winner, studio chief Harry Cohn sent someone to "drag her off" the train, which had not yet left the station, and take her to the ceremony. Colbert arrived wearing a two-piece traveling suit which she had the Paramount Pictures costume designer, Travis Banton, make for her trip.[18]}

I highly recommend this movie to everyone of any age group. Sometime it's on TCM( Turner Classic Movies (around the world)) or even check it out on youtube (there are some movies that you can watch for free.)

I will see everyone soon maybe with an update or the next blog( I been very busy that I haven't been able to write my updates for the week, I hope for this week I find the time to.). Remember stay young^.^.