For our fifth “Great Directors” classic film at the Harbor Theater this year, we are taking you to the world of Frank Capra, director of some of the most beloved movies in film history, for three of which he won the Best Director Oscar: “You Can’t Take it With You,” “ Mr. Deeds Goes to Town,” and our selection for our series, 1934’s “It Happened One Night.” It also won the Oscars for Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Writing Adaptation, in other words, in poker, it was a royal flush.

As with the first movie in this year’s series, “The African Queen,” we once again will follow the journey of a mismatched couple. Only in this case it is a spoiled heiress, Ellie Andrews (Claudette Colbert), who impetuously marries a scheming King Westley, leading her tycoon father (Walter Connolly) to spirit her away on his yacht. After jumping ship, Ellie falls in with cynical newspaper reporter Peter Warne (Clark Gable), who offers to help her reunite with her new husband in exchange for an exclusive story. But during their travels, the reporter finds himself falling for the feisty young heiress.

Despite the movie’s age, almost 90, its story holds up well. The comedy is still priceless, the characters are fully realized, and the story is well-told. But maybe the most surprising aspect of the movie is just how sexy it is. “It Happened” stands as proof that no undressing need occur to make physical chemistry sizzle on the screen. If Bogart and Hepburn stand as the “road trip” by boat consummate couple, then Gable and Colbert absolutely take that prize for road trip by bus.

I was particularly taken by the comment of one film critic, Michael Oleszczyk, who had this to say about the movie in 2013, “It’s not until we watch the movie again—preferably on a big screen and with a responsive audience, that we may rediscover how truly great it is. "It Happened One Night" is one of the easiest movies to love …. So, if you will be watching it again or having the great chance to see it for the first time, we promise this is one Florida to New York journey you won’t forget.

“It Happened One Night” will be showing at 2 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 8 and Saturday, Feb. 10, with introductory video commentary by Bates College film professor and Harbor Theater friend, Dr. Jon Cavallero.

The Harbor Theater is located at 185 Townsend Ave. in Boothbay Harbor.