‘History is Made at Night’: This 1930s Romantic Comedy Told the ‘Titanic’ Love Story 60 Years Before James Cameron

Despite being the classic shipwreck romance, James Cameron's ‘Titanic’ wasn't as revolutionary as many people think. ‘History Is Made At Night’, a romantic comedy from the 1930s, employed a strikingly similar structure decades before ‘Titanic’ broke box office records and won multiple Oscars. Despite being less well-known, this chaotic jewel surprisingly modernized romance, comedy, suspense, and even disaster scenes.

The plot centres on Irene (Jean Arthur), who is frantically trying to get a divorce from her evil shipowner husband Bruce (Colin Clive). Bruce sends his driver, Michael (Ivan Lebedeff), to be "caught" with Irene in a compromising setting as part of his plot to frame her for infidelity. Finally, Irene is saved by Paul (Charles Boyer), a charming waiter-turned-jewel thief who inadvertently stumbles into her situation. What begins as a difficult beginning turns into an enthralling romance. Boyer's calm, guarded appeal contrasts well with Arthur's nervy, quick-talking vitality, resulting in a captivating romance in which two dreamers discover common ground despite their differences.

Image Courtesy: Harvard Film Archive

The picture defies genre norms and was directed by Frank Borzage, who is renowned for his romantic and escapist tales. The film starts as a screwball comedy but evolves into a thriller when Paul accidentally kills Michael and Irene runs back to her husband in terror. Before taking a bold turn into a full-fledged catastrophe, the plot later slows into a passionate romance reminiscent of ‘Before Sunset’.

In the climax, Irene and Paul are on a ship that belongs to Bruce's business. Bruce gives the ship's captain the order to accelerate carelessly out of jealousy, which causes the ship to collide with an iceberg. It foreshadows the catastrophe as being "worse than the Titanic." The shipwreck scene, which is remarkably well done for the time, gives the normally lighthearted tone of the movie a real sense of tension.

Image Courtesy: IMDb

Will Paul and Irene make it through their dangerous journey? That is for the audience to learn. With its bold blending of genres and its Titanic-style finale, this overlooked gem can once again enchant audiences thanks to the Criterion Collection. It demonstrates how romantic tales about sinking ships have captured people's attention for a long time before Cameron ever set sail.

–Farheen Ali