The Great Depression: bad for the economy, good for movies. The 1930s proved to be a prosperous time for Hollywood, with several film genres—screwball comedies, gangster films, socially conscious dramas, epics and horror films—coming of age and resonating with audiences looking for any kind of escape. In today’s tough times, many films from that era seem ripe for recycling with just a little tweaking. Susan King recommends a few remakes

It Happened One Night (1934)
A charming down-on-his-luck newspaper reporter comes across the story of the decade when he discovers a runaway heiress travelling “incognito” on a bus. The bus trip also leads to a road romance between the two.

The update: How to get these two on a Greyhound in 2009? The heiress discovers the authorities (and paparazzi) are combing airports and train stations looking for her, so the bus is the safest option. And considering that dailies are giving little to no compensation to their axed journalists, an unemployed reporter could afford to travel only by bus as he searches for a new job.
Suggested casting: Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway

My Man Godfrey (1936)
Irene, a spoiled, rich girl on a scavenger hunt for a “forgotten man”, finds him at the city dump in the form of an erudite bum named Godfrey. He soon becomes the butler for her highly dysfunctional family. Through a series of comedic circumstances—and a savvy stock deal—Godfrey ends up helping her father, who is in dire financial straits.

The update: So why is Godfrey penniless this time around? Why, he lost all of his savings thanks to Bernie Madoff. And in this remake, he saves the family by brokering a deal to have them star in their own reality TV show.
Suggested casting: Because the film’s original stars—Carole Lombard and William Powell—were ex-spouses in real life, it seems fitting to reunite former spouses Brad Pitt and Jennifer Anistonin the lead roles.

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