It Happened One Day: A Silly, Sweet Slice of Charley Chase

If you’re in the mood for a quick, uncomplicated laugh from way back when, It Happened One Day is probably worth a look. Folks who dig early slapstick and the sheer charm of Charley Chase will find something to smile about here. But if you need modern pacing or intricate plots, you might find it a bit too simple, maybe even a little quaint.

Charley Chase steps in as the new guy at an office, and you know, things immediately get messy. He’s got that signature blend of earnestness and total disaster waiting to happen. It's really quite something.

Then he meets the boss's daughter, played by Betty Mack. She’s got this really *sweet* smile that just lights up the screen, even if the whole romance plot moves at lightning speed. It's like, *bam*, they meet, *bam*, they're smitten. So fast! 🥰

Oscar Apfel, as the boss, does a great job being suitably grumpy and oblivious. His big, booming presence really sets off Charley’s more subtle, flustered energy. You can just *feel* his annoyance.

There’s this one bit where Charley tries to discreetly pass a note, and it just keeps getting *caught* on things. It’s not a huge gag, but the timing is just so precise, you can’t help but chuckle. The whole thing with the flying papers, it just works.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of It Happened One Day (1934) through its definitive frames.

The whole thing feels like a stage play sometimes, with people entering and exiting rooms a bit too perfectly. But that’s part of the charm, I guess, for these old shorts. The quick cuts between the characters’ faces, almost like they’re saying "look at this!" to us.

I did notice the office set looked super minimal. Like, one desk, two chairs, and a plant. It makes you focus on the actors, which is probably the point, but it also felt a bit like they ran out of prop budget for the background stuff. 🌿

Charley Hall has a small role, and he just *looks* funny. Even when he’s just standing there, you expect something silly to happen with him. It’s that kind of classic bit player energy, you know?

It’s not trying to be anything deep, just a simple story about a guy trying to impress his new boss while also falling for his daughter. And it does that job pretty well, honestly. The whole "new job, new girl" trope feels fresh, somehow, even now.

You probably won't remember every single joke, but you’ll definitely remember Charley Chase’s knack for getting into, and then awkwardly out of, trouble. It’s a nice little slice of old Hollywood comedy. Worth a look if you’ve got a few minutes to spare.