Ever notice that every blockbuster movie has the same fundamental pieces? A hero, a journey, some conflicts to muck it all up, a reward, and the hero returning home and everybody applauding his or...

On the RoadIt Happened One Night happens off the coast of Miami and in New York, but most of all it takes place on the road between these two places—and at various campgrounds along the way. This...

The story in Capra's film unfolds in a pretty linear way, though at first we have some catching up to do—which is why there's so much exposition given upfront during the first scene, on the priva...

Romantic ComedyYou know you love it, even if you may be ashamed to admit it. But it's okay—no shame here, because at Shmoop, we value rom-coms for the great entertainment they provide and also fo...

It Happened One Night.Wait, did it? What happened? Which night?The most likely answer is that two strangers randomly met on a bus one night and started an unexpected adventure that would bring them...

The film's ending is like the sign on a hotel room door that says, "DO NOT DISTURB." Or maybe it's like a title card that reads, "SEX IN SESSION."In either case, the last shot in the film provides...

PGClark Gable scandalized audiences by appearing shirtless in the film's first cabin scene, when he undresses. In other ways, too, It Happened One Night may strike you as surprisingly frank about s...