It Happened One Night

What you really want to watch.

 There are certain films and shows that resonate with audiences everywhere they generate discussion and debate about everything from gender, class, citizenship and race, to consumerism and social identity.  This new teachable canon of film and television introduces students to alternative classics that range from silent film to CSI. 

Its most famous prop is a blanket, and its star endorsement was that real men do not wear undershirts. The humble and even corny touchstones of Frank Capra s Academy–Award winning 1934 comedy It Happened One Night belie its power and consequential status in the history of classic Hollywood cinema. Through mad–cap action, spunky heroines, gender politics, and class/gender conflicts, It Happened One Night invites discussion of film history, the studio system, and the problems posed by sound cinema for early–1930s censorship codes. A strong case study for teaching American Depression Era history, and film genre development.

Upcoming books in the series:

Miami Vice by James Lyons
CSI by Derek Kompare 
Law & Order by Alison McCracken 
Magnolia by Christina Lane 
Top Hat by Peter Evans 
Hairspray by Dana Heller 

Introduction.

1.Rules and Unruliness: Screwball Comedy and the Road Movie.

2. The Production Code and the Wall of Jericho.

3. Contexts: Capra, Class, and Depression–Era America.

4. Stardom: Gable and Colbert

Linda Mizejewski is Professor of Women s Studies at Ohio State University.

"Filled with clearly explained theory, it is an exemplary guide for film students and teachers. Its shrewd reading of the film empowers the text; the meticulous research and subtle analysis is sophisticated enough for high level readers yet accessible enough for those new to the field. ... This book is not just for lovers of Capra, Gable, or even ′old films′ the concepts of gender, class, stardom, and censorship developed in this text are pertinent for any film buff." ( M/C Reviews, April 2010)