It Happened One Night (1934 Frank Capra)

The seed for Planes, Trains and Automobiles and Runaway Bride? Robert Riskin's Oscar winning screenplay is devoid of the sentimentality which streaks later Capra films. Instead rich spoiled brat Claudette Colbert mellows through interaction with gruff but nice newspaperman Clark Gable in cross-country (Miami to New York) journey.

Joe Walker's photography is particularly shimmery in night scenes and he catches Claudette's delicate tears beautifully. (He didn't even get nominated.)

Walter Connolly good as father (his face lights up when Gable says she's needs a 'sock' to be kept in order once a day), Roscoe Karns a sleazy fellow traveller, Jameson Thomas the totally unsuitable husband, Alan Hale the newspaper editor.

Columbia, based on Samuel Hopkins Adams' short story. There's one of those great montage sequences in it, no doubt done by someone other than Capra (not, I think, Vorkapic (MGM) or Don Siegel (Warners)).

Embraces new technology in its wiring of a photo and the use of an autogyro.

Famous Walls Of Jericho ending is still splendid. The film is somehow beautiful and magical with its feet firmly on the ground.