Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert in It Happened One Night.
Pictorial Press Ltd/Alamy Stock Photo
It Happened One Night is one of only three films to nab the Oscar “big five”, winning prizes for best actor, actress, adapted screenplay, director and picture.
Universal Pictures
Bros star and creator Billy Eichner blamed the poor box-office showing on “straight people” who “just didn’t show up”.
Detail from a poster for the romantic comedy Happiness is a Four-Letter Word.
© Junaid Ahmed/Happiness is a Four-Letter Word
The rise of the black romantic comedy in South Africa dovetailed perfectly with the advent of streaming services - creating a box office phenomenon.