Four-Star Films : ‘It Happened One Night’

Frank Capra’s 1934 romantic comedy, the first movie to win all five major Oscars, belongs in the pantheon of great American films. Wise-cracking reporter Clark Gable is trailing spoiled runaway heiress Claudette Colbert and they cross paths on a bus from Florida to New York. Very early on, Colbert teaches Gable that when it comes to hitchhiking, a shapely leg is mightier than the thumb--while he in turn cuts her down to size. The film is loaded with great moments, including the famous Wall of Jericho sequence involving a blanket dividing a motel room (Gable revealed he didn’t wear undershirts and that sent a tremor through the clothing industry) (Cinemax Thursday at noon).

Other four-star films airing this week:

The Grapes of Wrath / AMC, Sunday, 8 a.m.; early Monday, 1 a.m.

Sullivan’s Travels / AMC, Tuesday, 11:30 a.m. and 9:30 p.m.

The Gold Rush / AMC, Wednesday, 8:10 a.m.

Mr. Deeds Goes to Town / Cinemax, Wednesday, noon.

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington / Cinemax, Friday, noon.

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance / TNT, Saturday, 9 a.m.