It Happened One Night
A Man and a Woman No One Seems to Know
In It Happened One Night, Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert spend the night in a motel and register as man and wife to protect the identity of Ellie Andrews. In the morning, two detectives and the owner of the motel knock on the door on Gable’s and Colbert’s room to find out where or more information about the missing Ellie Andrews. Colbert then goes into panic, and has the idea of jumping out the window, for she does not want to go back to her father and husband. Gable calms her down and tells her to get her hair in front of her eyes and unbutton her dress. Next, the detectives knock on the door. Gable now rambles loud enough, in a southern accent, about some fake letter he got last week so the detectives
can hear him. Colbert has no idea what is going on but plays along the best she can. Up to now Ellie Andrews has always had someone help her out with everything and probably has never done anything for herself because she has always been told “what to do and how to do it.” Right before this when she is in panic, Andrews grabs Peter Warne as if he is superman and can save the day. With Andrew’s action, she is putting much trust in Warne by depending on him. Warne could simply turn Andrews in and get a huge reward, but he also wants to further their relationship, even though Andrews is married.
As the film continues, Andrews plays as good as performer as Warne. By the second knock, Andrews says, in the same accent as Warne, “Come in.” If this line was read from the script in the “high-class voice” of Andrews, Andrews would have been found and shipped back to her father. But, the voice and life Colbert puts into the character and separate’s reading the script, from watching the film. The improvising that Andrews and Warne did in this scene can make someone that only viewed the minute of improvising done believe that Andrews and Warne are a married middle to lower class couple staying a night in a motel. As the scene continues, Warne gets angry at the detectives for asking Andrews her name. Warne then makes a fuss towards the detectives and wants to pick a fake fight. Andrews, playing the southern charmer, wants to make peace by saying, “It was just a simple question.” Warne then goes against Andrews as well, and tell her “to stop butting in when I am having an argument.” Andrews’s replies with, “You don’t have to lose your temper.” Warne then mocks Andrews and Andrews starts a fake crying. This continues, but the idea of that both characters know what the other is thinking is what shows that the relationship is building. There is no pause after any response that would lead into suspicion from the detectives. Line after line, Andrews and Warne know what the other is going to say which makes their improvising seem more realistic not only to the audience but to the detectives questioning them.
Our understanding of Andrews and Warne relationship heightens with this scene. With Andrews first sleeping in the same room with a man, Andrews trusting Warne with knowing what to do so she is not sent away, and Warne not betraying Andrews for a reward. Andrews, as a character though, still needs some guidance with problems that arise but after a bit of a “push off” Andrews is fine to do whatever she pleases without extra help from others. Warne becomes more sincere towards woman with breakfast he cooked for Andrews, and the laughter they share together after the detectives leave.
In It Happened One Night, Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert spend the night in a motel and register as man and wife to protect the identity of Ellie Andrews. In the morning, two detectives and the owner of the motel knock on the door on Gable’s and Colbert’s room to find out where or more information about the missing Ellie Andrews. Colbert then goes into panic, and has the idea of jumping out the window, for she does not want to go back to her father and husband. Gable calms her down and tells her to get her hair in front of her eyes and unbutton her dress. Next, the detectives knock on the door. Gable now rambles loud enough, in a southern accent, about some fake letter he got last week so the detectives
can hear him. Colbert has no idea what is going on but plays along the best she can. Up to now Ellie Andrews has always had someone help her out with everything and probably has never done anything for herself because she has always been told “what to do and how to do it.” Right before this when she is in panic, Andrews grabs Peter Warne as if he is superman and can save the day. With Andrew’s action, she is putting much trust in Warne by depending on him. Warne could simply turn Andrews in and get a huge reward, but he also wants to further their relationship, even though Andrews is married.
As the film continues, Andrews plays as good as performer as Warne. By the second knock, Andrews says, in the same accent as Warne, “Come in.” If this line was read from the script in the “high-class voice” of Andrews, Andrews would have been found and shipped back to her father. But, the voice and life Colbert puts into the character and separate’s reading the script, from watching the film. The improvising that Andrews and Warne did in this scene can make someone that only viewed the minute of improvising done believe that Andrews and Warne are a married middle to lower class couple staying a night in a motel. As the scene continues, Warne gets angry at the detectives for asking Andrews her name. Warne then makes a fuss towards the detectives and wants to pick a fake fight. Andrews, playing the southern charmer, wants to make peace by saying, “It was just a simple question.” Warne then goes against Andrews as well, and tell her “to stop butting in when I am having an argument.” Andrews’s replies with, “You don’t have to lose your temper.” Warne then mocks Andrews and Andrews starts a fake crying. This continues, but the idea of that both characters know what the other is thinking is what shows that the relationship is building. There is no pause after any response that would lead into suspicion from the detectives. Line after line, Andrews and Warne know what the other is going to say which makes their improvising seem more realistic not only to the audience but to the detectives questioning them.
Our understanding of Andrews and Warne relationship heightens with this scene. With Andrews first sleeping in the same room with a man, Andrews trusting Warne with knowing what to do so she is not sent away, and Warne not betraying Andrews for a reward. Andrews, as a character though, still needs some guidance with problems that arise but after a bit of a “push off” Andrews is fine to do whatever she pleases without extra help from others. Warne becomes more sincere towards woman with breakfast he cooked for Andrews, and the laughter they share together after the detectives leave.