It Happened One Night 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.5

It Happened One Night 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman November 1, 2022

Sony has released the classic 1934 film 'It Happened One Night,' starring Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert, directed by Frank Capra, to the UHD format. At time of writing, this UHD disc (as well as the companion and included Blu-ray) is exclusive to the third volume of the prestigious 'Columbia Classics Collection' boxed set, where five other films are included. The film was previously released to Blu-ray by Criterion in 2014. This set includes a blend of Criterion's extras and other vintage supplements that are new to Blu-ray. The UHD includes the feature film remake in 1080p. Note that not all of the Criterion extras are included. Also included for the Blu-ray is new 1080p video sourced from the 4K master and mono lossless audio.

Official synopsis: Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert team up for laughs as mismatched lovers in this 1934 screwball comedy classic. Spoiled Ellie Andrews (Colbert) escapes from her millionaire father (Walter Connolly), who wants to stop her from marrying a worthless playboy. En route to New York, Ellie gets involved with an out-of-work newsman, Peter Warne (Gable). When their bus breaks down, the bickering couple set off on a madcap hitchhiking expedition. Complications fly when the runaway heiress and brash reporter fall in love. Directed by Frank Capra, 'It Happened One Night' was the first movie to be honored with all five major Oscars: Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director, and Best Screenplay.

For a full film review, please see Dr. Svet Atanasov's excellent analysis accompanying the 2014 Criterion release by clicking here.

It Happened One Night 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Note: The Included screenshots are sourced from Sony's 4K mastered Blu-ray disc.

Sony's 2160p/Dolby Vision UHD release of It Happened One Night is quite the looker and everything one would expect of a classic film-sourced black-and-white UHD from Sony, which consistently delivers the best UHDs in the business, especially in its catalogue releases and notably through this Columbia Classics line. The 2160p resolution certainly brings out the very best for the image. Truth be told it is not a substantial leap over the Blu-ray in terms of raw textural gain. Clarity is certainly improved a bit, and definition is enhanced so that hair and skin are more finely revealing, but there's not a drastic difference. Pores are not suddenly more evident, for example, but the small gains to sharpness and visibility certainly do add up throughout the frame, whether characters, clothes, or environmental details and all of the fine support characteristics around them. Nevertheless, viewers will appreciate how Peter Warne's wool vest, for example, shows finer fabric detail and density at the 38-minute mark. These are not, again, major gains, but they are solidly foundational adds that make this easily the best textural experience for the film.

The Dolby Vision grading is where the image gains its most impressive advancement over the Blu-ray. The grading transforms the image from hovering around a creamy middle ground to one that offers stark grayscale contrasts, a beautiful, vibrant white balance, and superior black level depth. There is an obvious gain to brightness as well as to nuanced gradations through the full grayscale range. There are some shots and scenes that offer both lesser sharpness and some darker corners (look at the 40:40 mark for example). Consider also that the image is free of any obtrusive source flaws or encode problems and this is a beautiful restoration from Sony.

It Happened One Night 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio mono soundtrack is in good shape, especially considering the source elements are now nearly 90 years old. The opening title music is a little uneven, as is dialogue, but the presentation is generally satisfying and best defined as "mostly clear" and "highly capable." Dialogue does image nicely to the center, though not perfectly so; there is obvious mild drift to the sides. Still, clarity is fine, even with a sometimes very subtle underlying hiss. Light atmospheric effects are pleasantly integrated, such as on a busy bus around the 8-minute mark. A few heavier effects – the bus rumbling and honking at the 8:38 mark – are surprisingly rich and robust. There is no sense of surround immersion, of course, but the net effect is positive enough. Musical clarity is fine with good spacing out to the sides.

It Happened One Night 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Sony's UHD release of It Happened One Night includes supplements spread between both the UHD disc and the Blu-ray disc. The UHD disc includes on extra, but it's a good one: a feature-length film. All of the other supplements are included on the bundled Blu-ray. Note that the Blu-ray incudes supplements that are carried over from the Criterion disc but does not bring all of them over. There are also a few other supplements which are not newly produced, but which are new to Blu-ray and are noted as such. New content is reviewed below while coverage of the carryover material from the Criterion release can be found by clicking here. As it ships in the above-linked "Columbia Classics Collection" boxed set, a slipcover and a digital copy code are included.

UHD:

• NEW! Feature Film: You Can't Run Away from It (1080p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 1:34:42): This image looks gorgeous. The ~2.39:1 image offers a handsome, healthy filmic look. Grain is steady and present, supporting a cinematic texturing and high yield detail on faces, clothes, and environments. There are a few flaws; look for a stray fiber at the bottom of the screen around the 10:39 mark, for example. Colors are excellent: full, healthy, and steady, with pleasing whites, deep blacks, and healthy skin tones. The Dolby Digital 2.0 lossy soundtrack is sufficient, with clean center-imaged dialogue, good musical definition and space, and finely detailed support cues. The video and audio presentations are well worthy of a standalone release, but what a treasure to have this included for free as part of this package!

Blu-ray:

• Frank Capra Jr. Remembers..."It Happened One Night" (480i, 4x3, 11:15)
• Screwball Comedy? A Conversation Between Critics Molly Haskell and Phillip Lopate (1080p, 38:35)
• NEW! Original Live Radio Broadcast (480i, Dolby Digital 2.0, 4x3, 59:37): The full radio broadcast, including advertisements, starring the main cast from the film. This production was originally broadcast on March 20, 1939, as part of Lux Radio Theatre programming. A still image of a radio appears center screen against twinkling stars.
• NEW! Audio Commentary: Frank Capra Jr. discusses the film and also much of the history behind it. It is a fairly well-spoken track and a fine complimentary voice to the film as it story is told from the director's son's perspective.
• NEW! Vintage Advertising (1080p): Still images of promotional posters, artwork, and photographs. Available individually or as part of a slide show.
• Theatrical Trailer (1080p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 4x3, 1:24).

It Happened One Night 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Sony's UHD release of It Happened One Night is alone almost worth the purchase price for the Columbia Classics collection. The picture quality is absolutely stellar, and the supplements are terrific, even if the set does not include everything from the Criterion disc. The film itself is, of course, a bonafide classic of its genre and of the film medium. As it ships in the Columbia Classics collection, this release earns my highest recommendation, but do hang on to the Criterion disc for the additional bonus materials.