It Happened One Night
A runaway Wall Street heiress desperate to reunite with her pilot husband flees her father's bounty‑hunting yacht and teams up with a down‑on‑his‑luck reporter on a cross‑country bus, racing against relentless pursuers and their own clashing worlds to stay one step ahead.
“An unforgettable entertainment...the outstanding performance of two outstanding careers!”
Synopsis
A runaway heiress strikes a deal with a rogue reporter following her, but the unlikely pair find themselves stranded together when their bus departs without them.
Credits
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How many hands made this film
The scale of the collaboration
A crew of 114+ credited
Why a floor?
This is a minimum, not a total. We only count the credits we’ve captured so far, and coverage is uneven — a blockbuster might show a few hundred names while another of the same size shows a couple dozen. The real crews all ran into the thousands. The number here only grows as full credits are enriched — so we frame it as a floor, never a headcount.
Craft leads on file
Edited by Gene HavlickShot by Joseph WalkerScored by Howard JacksonCostumes by Robert Kalloch
Box Office
1934 · Box office
💰 Box-office hit — grossed 14× its budget
Why 2.5×?
Cinemas keep roughly half of every ticket sold, and a wide release’s marketing often costs about as much again as the film — so a movie needs to gross around 2.5× its production budget just to break even theatrically. It’s a rule of thumb, not the studio’s ledger (home video and streaming come later).
Worldwide gross
$4.5M
Full synopsis
Versions & cuts
- cut TV· 65 min
Also known as
- Es geschah in einer Nachtde
- Sucedió una nochees
- New York - Miamifr
- New York-Miamifr
- Accadde una notteit
Release dates around the world1 country · showhide
- United StatesFeb 18, 1934
Companies
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Cast & Crew
114 unique people credited
Top billed cast
Clark Gable
as Peter Warne
Claudette Colbert
as Ellie Andrews
Walter Connolly
as Alexander Andrews
Roscoe Karns
as Oscar Shapeley
Jameson Thomas
as King Westley
Alan Hale
as Danker
Arthur Hoyt
as Zeke
Blanche Friderici
as Zeke's Wife
Charles C Wilson
as Joe Gordon
Ernie Adams
as The Bag Thief
Jessie Arnold
as Woman at Auto Camp
Irving Bacon
as Gas Station Attendant
Supporting cast
78William Bailey
as Clark
William Begg
as Wedding Party Guest
William A Boardway
as Wedding Guest
Ward Bond
as Bus Driver #1
Harry C Bradley
as Henderson
George P Breakston
as Boy Bus Passenger
Charles A Browne
as Reporter
James Burke
as Detective
Edmund Burns
as Best Man at Wedding
Frank Capra
as Bus Singer
Ken Carson
as Guitar Player on Bus
Eddy Chandler
as Bus Driver #2
Wallis Clark
as Lovington
Ray Cooke
as Drunk Reporter
Joseph Crehan
as Detective
Ray Creighton
as Bus Passenger
Oliver Cross
as Wedding Guest
Jack Curtis
as Policeman
Mickey Daniels
as Vendor on Bus
Eva Dennison
as Society Woman
Neal Dodd
as Minister at Wedding
Oliver Eckhardt
as Mr. Dykes
Billy Engle
as Bus Passenger
Jack Evans
as Man Saying 'Your Bus Leaves in 5 Minutes
Bess Flowers
as Agnes
Allen Fox
as Bus Passenger
Dolores Fuller
as Young Girl in the Shower Line
Joaquin Garay
as Mexican Bus Passenger
Dick Gordon
as Wedding Guest
Carlton Griffin
as Wedding Guest
Kit Guard
as Bus Passenger
Sherry Hall
as Drunk Reporter
A R Haysel
as Bus Dispatcher
Frank Holliday
as Detective
Harry Holman
as Last Auto Camp Manager
Harry Hume
as Policeman
William Irving
as Passenger on Second Bus
Sam Josephson
as Bus Passenger
Milton Kibbee
as Drunk Reporter
Carl M Leviness
as Wedding Guest
Mimi Lindell
as Bus Passenger
Marvin Loback
as Bus Passenger
King Lockwood
as Wedding Guest
Rose May
as Bus Passenger
William Mccall
as Bus Passenger
Claire Mcdowell
as Mother on Bus
Kate Morgan
as Bus Passenger
Gayle Morris
as Flower Girl
Patsy O Byrne
as Bus Passenger
Earl Pingree
as Policeman
June Preston
as Crying Girl
Hal Price
as Reporter
Margaret Reid
as Bus Passenger
Ky Robinson
as Detective
Blanche Rose
as Bus Passenger
Rita Ross
as Bus Passenger
Matty Roubert
as Newsboy
Marvin Schecter
as Bus Passenger
Harry Schultz
as Bus Passenger
Bert Scott
as Bus Passenger
Scott Seaton
as Wedding Guest
Harry Semels
as Bus Passenger
S S Simon
as Bus Passenger
Linda Lee Solomon
as Minor Role
Bert Starkey
as Bus Passenger
Ethel Sykes
as Maid of Honor
Jane Talent
as Bus Passenger
Emma Tansey
as Ticket Buyer
Harry Todd
as Flagman at Railroad Crossing
Maidel Turner
as Last Motel Manager's Wife
William Wagner
as Waiter at Wedding
John Wallace
as Bus Passenger
Fred Walton
as Butler
Dave Wengren
as Bus Passenger
Billy West
as Reporter
Charles Wilroy
as Bus Passenger
Buck Woods
as Cook Serving Food to Passengers
Frank Yaconelli
as Tony
Directors
1Writers
2Producers
2Other crew
23Stephen Goosson
Art Director (uncredited)
Cliff Shirpser
assistant camera (uncredited)
Charles C Coleman
assistant director (uncredited)
Lita Recio
Blanche Frederici (uncredited)
Joseph Walker
Cinematographer, photography
Roger Maxime
Clark Gable (uncredited)
Madeleine Larsay
Claudette Colbert (uncredited)
Howard Jackson
Composer (uncredited)
Mischa Bakaleinikoff
composer: Columbia Pictures Fanfare (uncredited)
Robert Kalloch
Costume Designer (uncredited)
Eugene Joseff
costume jeweller (uncredited)
Harry Cohn
Credits, president: Columbia Pictures Corporation
Parents Guide
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