The representation of class and gender in It Happened One Night
It Happened One Night (Capra, 1934) was one of the first screwball comedy films. While exploring complex issues of class and gender, Capra tells the story of a rich heiress who, having escaped her controlling father, undertakes a journey to New York where she meets a working-class reporter. Initially, cinema was just for the upper classes which is what makes Capra’s film so intriguing because it seemingly favours the working class. The audience is taken on the same journey as Ellie as she experiences the realities of poverty during the economic depression of the 1930’s. Perhaps, then, this film was made for the upper class in the hope that they would understand the working class better. The screwball comedy also relies heavily on witty dialogue. The verbal sparring that fills this story between the two protagonists presents a battle between not just class, but also gender.
The settings of It Happened One Night are heavily rooted in the depression of America; Ellie and Peter journey through different situations showing the reality of the poverty that filled America at this time. During this hour and forty-five minutes, the couple travel from cramped buses, to run down motel rooms to sleeping under the stars in an empty field. These settings ensure the audience understand the realities of what it was like to be working class during the depression. Capra’s choice to make a woman of a higher class and status travel through such terrain emphasises the stark differences between the upper and lower classes. Linda Mizejewski writes in her book about Capra’s film that “great pains” (Mizejewski, pg 73, 2009) are taken to place this film in the “Depression-era America, where millionaires still sail their yachts but many more people ride the bus and use their last dollars to buy the tickets” (Mizejewski, pg 73, 2009). Placing the luxurious setting of the yacht at the start of the film seemingly sets the tone as one of extravagance, however with the run down settings that fill the majority of the rest of the film, the audience (who were likely to be wealthy) are told that this was not the norm: their sympathy for the working class grows at the same time that Ellie’s does.
But it’s not just the settings of It Happened One Night that root it into the working-class world. Stanley Cavell explains that the understated, invisible “nothingness” (Cavell, pg 158, 2004) style of the film suits the worlds that we are shown (Cavell, pg 158, 2004). Not only are the settings themselves plain and unglamorous but the cinematography and production design are also naturalistic and minimalist. Linda Mizejewski notes that James Harvey expands on Cavell’s idea explaining that the mis-en-scene of It Happened One Night is “consistently, conscientiously shabby, with that anonymous washed-out look (1987:114)” (Mizejewski, pg 73, 2009). What is so interesting about Capra’s film, in particular, is the choice to explore the working- and upper-class side by side through the characters of Ellie and Peter. By placing Ellie in these working-class settings, we may expect to see someone disgusted by such a way of life, however we get quite the opposite: Ellie grows to love the excitement and adventure of the bus and random motels. Though understandably she does not adapt immediately, at the end of the film she favours the stay in a cheap motel room over the excessive wedding and marriage she is offered. Elizabeth Kendall suggests that “as the lovers negotiate across the gulf of class and gender, they are metaphorically healing the painful divisions in American society” (Kendall, pg 49, 2002).
Capra has created a film of hope for the American people showing that two very different characters can come together and overcome their divisions. Rather than a film to distract the American people, It Happened One Night shows “the extreme outbursts of hope in human possibility that were also part of the realities of those times” (Cavell, pg 160, 2004). It could also be said that the film is a triumph for the working class. Though Peter believed he needed money to make Ellie happy, in fact all Ellie needed was his love and acceptance, suggesting that money does not make you happy. Capra’s film makes space for “energies of idealism” (Carney, 1986) perhaps suggesting to a 1930’s audience that the American dream was possible if you are not afraid to hope.
As well as class, another division between Ellie and Pete is gender. Elizabeth Kendall notes in her writing about Colbert and her significance as the runaway bride, that It Happened One Nightwas the start of the “Depression romantic comedy… [which saw a] feisty but also vulnerable heroine… [who promoted femininity and] an unashamed belief in the validity of emotions” (Kendall, 1990). Colbert’s character was a new type of heroine who had her own mind and opinions but was also not ashamed to show her femininity. In the opening scene on the yacht, Ellie throws the tray of food onto the floor in front of her as an act of pure defiance, spurring her decision to escape her father and set off on a mission for independence; straight away we are shown Ellie’s strength. However, when her father comes to see her before the wedding, we see her vulnerability. She sits alone in her bedroom until her father comes in and wraps her up in his arms like a child as she cries. Some may argue that this shows her as weak, however Kendall exclaims that this shows Ellie’s duality and realness explaining that Ellie “stands for privilege and helplessness at the same time” (Kendall, 1990). She is an emotional character but by no means weak.
Tina Olsin Lent communicates similar ideas in her writing on gender relations in the screwball comedy. She argues that It Happened One Night was an example of a new liberal ideology that showed men and women as equals in marriage (Lent, 1995). Ellie’s character is not just an onlooker in this film as women were previously. The camera begins with Ellie at the start of the film, not with Peter, therefore we are told that Ellie controls the action in this film: this is a film about her. Ellie puts the “plot in motion at the beginning and [is the one] who saves the romance at the end” (Kendall, pg 49, 2002). Kendall also brings forward another interesting observation in her writing. She also notes that Colbert’s character holds a strong influence from Mae West (Kendall, pg 40, 2002). Offering the scene where the couple hitchhike as an example, she explains that when Ellie stops a car by lifting her dress up to reveal her leg, she embodies the Mae Western motto “I’ve got a system all my own [perfectly]” (Kendall, pg 47, 2002). It seems, also, that Claudette Colbert follows in West’s footsteps not just through Ellie but through her private life as well. Significantly, at the time of It Happened One Night, Colbert was married to a man she did not live with (Collins, 1998). With this modern marriage of hers undoubtedly informing her independent performance, along with the possible influence of the suffragette movement (from only a few years prior), Ellie seems to be one of the first truly liberated female characters. In fact, the famous ending of the film seems to confirm as such because we do not see who plays the trumpet or pulls the blanket down. By leaving the ending ambiguous, Capra allows for equality between the sexes (Cavell, pg 81, 1984).
Capra’s decision to make Ellie a more liberated woman marries itself with his decision to subvert traditional class and gender roles.
Throughout the film, the status of Peter and Ellie is constantly being challenged. Elizabeth Kendall notices that in a traditional setting, Gable’s character, as a working-class reporter, stands beneath Ellie (the heiress), however on the bus he becomes her protector (Kendall, pg 42, 2002). Similarly, the man in a traditional relationship would be the one to make the first move however, in the second motel room, Ellie is the one to open up to Peter and “[transgress]… patriarchal codes” (Mizejewski, pg 66, 2009). Kendall explains that “Capra has mixed up their class and gender traits to make a new model of the American couple” (Kendall, pg 45, 2002), one that is not reliant or restrained by the imaginary boundaries put onto them by society. The scene in the first motel room, in particular, embodies Kendall’s analysis. After both characters enter the motel room and Peter puts up the blanket, at first Ellie remains on Peter’s side. Initially it seems she is just challenging him and his stubbornness but by staying on this side of the room and not crossing over to her side she is figuratively trying to embrace his way of life. She refuses, just for a moment, to cross over to her side where the divide between them becomes stronger. Linda Mizejewski explains that the composition of this shot of Ellie and Peter separated by the blanket “shows the many divisions between them” (Mizejewski, pg 55, 2009).
Mizejewski also talks about the morning after this scene. Ellie wakes up to the sound of a plane flying overhead, which the audience understand to be Mr Andrews’ and, significantly, Ellie is situated underneath the private plane, amongst the common people (Mizejewski, pg 76, 2009). The composition of this shot, with Ellie in the midground, and a window open behind her showing a man with a rake in the background, shows the modesty of where she is staying; “most of this scene is framed to show the entire room in broad daylight, badly revealing the humbleness of the accommodation” (Mizejewski, pg 76, 2009). The tracking shot that follows when Ellie ventures outside to the showers further exemplifies this. Until this point, the audience had not seen the motel in daylight and so it is only at this moment, while hearing the private plane, that we realise the rural conditions in which they are staying. The audience are reminded that these characters are worlds apart. However, we also learn that Ellie is beginning to understand the world of the working class and this adaptation is also evident at the showers. Comically, she does not notice the queue of women waiting and opens the door to a woman already showering. Capra yet again humbles Ellie’s privilege because she does not get offensive and simply agrees to wait in line with the other women. Though standing in line, however, she still stands out: “she is pictured as both special and ordinary” (Mizejewski, pg 79, 2009). This is a symbol of her changing attitude: she is still very much upper class but through undergoing these working-class activities, she has started to change. It is this “transgression of the class line” (Mizejewski, pg 78, 2009), Mizejewski explains, that is “necessary for her union with Peter” (Mizejewski, pg 78,2009).
But, not only does Ellie become more open to other ways of life, but so does Peter as he learns to care for Ellie at the same time. Stanley Cavell explains how Peter is very domesticated because he goes shopping, he cooks and keeps offering her food (Cavell, pg 92, 1984). For example, when Ellie returns from the showers, Peter has prepared a full breakfast for the both of them. Furthermore, Peter teaches Ellie how to dunk a doughnut into her coffee: yet again, taking on a maternal, teaching role as he gives Ellie another lesson on “ordinary living” (Mizejewski, pg 81, 2009). Bruce Rosenstock notes in his reading on Capra and the politics of Romanticism, that Gable is not our traditional hero; this film “rejects the glamorized fascist hero” (Rosenstock, 2005) that we are used too. Both characters undergo a continuous reversal of traditions throughout the film.
It is possible to see Peter as a movement away from the macho, overbearing male of 1930’s Hollywood. Elizabeth Kendall notes that “the Gable character… breaks with the stock leading-man image” (Kendall, pg 45, 2002) as a result of the Depression. Because it was so hard for men to find work at the time, the usual patriarchal role of providing for their families had disappeared and therefore the man “can do only one thing well: take care of someone who’s lost” (Kendall, pg 45, 2002). This directly links to Gable’s character who is fired from his job and the start of the film and spends the rest of his time looking after Ellie; “he’s a surprisingly frank embodiment of the ineffectuality of the American male in the face of the Depression” (Kendall, pg 45, 2002). Furthermore, Joe Fisher analyses the choice of Clark Gable for the role of Peter in his reading on masculinity in movies. He explains that Gable had a macho, working class persona during the Depression giving him a reputation as an “authentic” American (Fisher, 1993). It seems interesting then, that Capra chose Gable for this softer role; perhaps one argument is that Capra intended to challenge what an authentic man really meant.
However, there are some other critics who still see Peter as no different from the usual patriarchal figure in 1930’s Hollywood. Timothy Connelly explains that Gable’s stardom in the years leading up to It Happened One Night demonstrated his reputation for “natural” masculinity (Connelly, 2004) making him the perfect choice for Peter but not because of his caring attributes. Instead because of the sexist elements of his character like when he spanks Ellie as he carries her over the river, or when he explains that someone needs to take a sock to her face every now and then. These elements of Capra’s story indicate that the film is not as progressive as one may originally think. Linda Mizejewski writes that though It Happened One Night does show some moments of “thrilling female empowerment… [it does also show] moments of highly conservative masculine re-entrenchment” (Mizejewski, pg 93, 2009).
Directly contradicting Kendall’s interpretation of Gable’s character, Maltby explains that the Depression was a deeply emasculating time for men and so It Happened One Night helps to restore patriarchal order (Maltby, 1998) with Ellie’s journey being Peter’s attempt to tame and control her. Rather than a journey for independence, perhaps Peter trying to teach Ellie to behave differently is really a way to control her thoughts rather than develop a mind of her own. Kathleen Rowe explains that ultimately at the end of the film, Ellie sacrifices her independence and succumbs to her traditional place in marriage at Peter’s side (Rowe, 1995). Kathrina Glitre explains in her writing on the Hollywood Romantic Comedy, that though the war brought married women some independence, women seeking professional employment, were less successful (Glitre, pg 96, 2016) which explains why Ellie is still trapped under patriarchal power.
Capra’s It Happened One Night is based on the short story Night Bus (Kendall, pg 37, 2002). The woman in this story was a “robust and haughty heiress” (Kendall, pg 37, 2002) as Elizabeth Kendall explains. Capra wanted, in this film, to create a woman of the time: someone who was not weak and feeble but due to the impacts of the depression was able to be brave and independent in a time of struggle. It seems clear that Capra wanted to further develop the relationships between his hero and heroine in this film. Neither Ellie nor Peter confine themselves to just one role or personality trait. Kendall explains that Colbert’s “class ascendancy… [turns into] Gable’s gender ascendancy” (Kendall, pg 42, 2002) because Ellie is more resourceful while Peter grows more tender and caring (Kendall, pg 42, 2002). At first Ellie is of a higher status to Peter in the sense that she is from the upper class, however this changes because it is Peter who needs to look after her. Similarly, at first Peter holds power over Ellie because he is a man, but Ellie shows her “devil-may-care spirit” (Kendall, pg 37, 2002) while hitchhiking and is braver than Peter when she abandons the world she knows to be with him.
Stanley Cavell analyses the scene where the two protagonists walk away from the camera before hitchhiking in order to show how these characters are equal. Cavell points out, importantly, that this takes place immediately after the near kiss of the night before and so the built-up sexual tension follows them into this moment. (Cavell, pg 158, 2004). The scene begins with their backs to the camera walking side by side. Cavell talks about the significance of the modes of transportation in the film and how these offer us insight into their “power, isolation, vacuity” (Cavell, pg 160, 2004). The private plane shows Mr Andrews privilege, the bus shows the unity of the working class and the act of walking emphasises Ellie and Peter’s lack of wealth. Ellie has been demoted to the working class where she is forced to feel the impact of the depression: “being on the road and being hungry are familiar images of the Depression” (Cavell, pg 160, 2004). As well as this, their walking also shows their unity; they are both in this situation together. Ellie may be in an uncomfortable situation while Peter may be more at home, yet they still walk together. Walking is a very simple act in which one person cannot be better than the other therefore at this moment the couple are equal; they walk through life together.
Furthermore, the ordinary setting that surrounds the two is incredibly bleak: an empty road surrounded on either side by plains of grass and trees is something every audience can relate too and so it creates the possibility to seemingly “reach out and touch” (Cavell, pg 156, 2004). Capra’s intention here is to create familiarity for the audience while at the same time creating hope so that we feel connected to the realness of the film while also experiencing something new: the unity of gender and class. Cavell explains that Capra allows for the “imagination of a better world than we have made” (Cavell, pg 160, 2004) where these divisions no longer exist. Cavell also focuses on the choice to have the couple walk away from us: with the camera positioned behind our protagonists, we can not see their expressions and so we give them privacy to be open and honest with each other (Cavell, pg 159, 2004) indicating that they can be open with each other despite their differences. Essentially what Cavell concludes is that though the barriers of class and gender stand between these characters, “there is union in their moving in concert exactly away from us” (Cavell, pg 159, 2004). What this pair does together is not as important than the fact that whatever they do during this journey: whether it is walking, sitting on a bus, or hitchhiking, they do together (Cavell, pg 83, 1984).
To conclude, it seems that Capra has created something unique where two characters from entirely different backgrounds can come together. Andrew Bergman concludes that It Happened One Night is “Capra’s fantasy about class equality” (Bergman, 1971) because Ellie is brought down from her upper-class status into the world of the working class and is able to sympathisewith them. Kathrina Glitre suggests that “the dual-focus narrative in screwball comedy… [disrupts]… patriarchal binary logic” (Glitre, pg 100, 2016) allowing for a progressive story about gender equality where the woman is more independent and the man more tender. Though this film is not perfect by our 21st Century standards, for a Depression-era film it has a very hopeful, progressive outlook. Perhaps ultimately these characters would have never ended up together if they had not been taken out of their class and gender restrictions.
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