Program Series: Preston Sturges Matinees
The Palm Beach Story with The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek
Special guest: Introduction by Stuart Klawans, author of author of Crooked, But Never Common: The Films of Preston Sturges.
Sun, Feb 12, 2023
The Palm Beach Story The archetypal romantic comedy storyline about a divorcing couple who find themselves falling for their mates all over again gets turned upside down and given a good shaking in one of Preston Sturges’s most uproarious farces. Claudette Colbert and Joel McCrea are the loving but financially struggling couple who find themselves tempted by new partners; Rudy Vallee is the millionaire who woos Colbert and Mary Astor is Vallee’s divorced sister who sets her sights on McCrea. From its frenetic main title sequence to its jaw-dropping finale, The Palm Beach Story is Sturges at his most inventive, unpredictable, and inimitable.
The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek In Sturges’s most censor-defying farce, Betty Hutton is Trudy Kockenlocker, a small-town policeman’s daughter who... attends a farewell dance for WWII soldiers only to later find that she’s become the bride of the now-missing Private Ratzkiwatzki. When her childhood friend Norval Jones (Sturges’s favorite small-town schnook Eddie Bracken) tries to help her out of her predicament, the complications only increase and Trudy unexpectedly falls for her old pal. Sturges was nominated for his Original Screenplay (competing in the category against his own Hail the Conquering Hero, which also starred Bracken).
The Palm Beach Story DIRECTED BY: Preston Sturges. WRITTEN BY: Preston Sturges. WITH: Claudette Colbert, Joel McCrea, Mary Astor, Rudy Vallee. 1942. 90 min. USA. B&W. English. 35mm. New print courtesy of the Academy Film Archive.
The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek DIRECTED BY: Preston Sturges. WRITTEN BY: Preston Sturges. WITH: Eddie Bracken, Betty Hutton, Diana Lynn, William Demarest. 1944. 101 min. USA. B&W. English. DCP. Academy Museum film programming generously funded by the Richard Roth Foundation.
Know Before You Go
Plan your Visit
Location
The Academy Museum and its theaters are located at 6067 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90036
Parking
Self-parking, accessible parking, and electric vehicle charging options are available. See below for our parking structure information and view the parking page for further details.
Ride-Share Drop Off
Roddenberry Lane, entrance on Fairfax Ave.
LACMA's Pritzker Parking Garage
6000 W 6th St., Los Angeles, CA 90036, entrance on 6th St.
5am–10pm
$20 ($12 after 8pm entry)
Accessible spots on P1, adjacent to elevators
EV charging stations on P1 and P2Petersen Automotive Museum Garage
744 Fairfax Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90036, entrance on Fairfax Ave. or 8th St.
6am–11pm
$24 (first 15 min. free)
Accessible spots on P1 only; no garage elevator
EV charging stations on P1Accessibility
Audio Description
For visitors who are blind or partially-sighted, audio description devices are available for some digital film screenings on a first-come, first-served basis.
Real-time audio descriptions are available for some performances upon request with at least three weeks’ notice, subject to the availability of describers. Email academymuseum@oscars.org to submit your request.
Closed Captioning
For visitors who are deaf or hard of hearing, in-seat closed captioning or descriptive audio-devices are available for some digital film screenings on a first-come, first-served basis. Please confirm availability at academymuseum@oscars.org before planning your visit.
Real-time captioning is available for programs upon request with at least three weeks’ notice, subject to the availability of captioners. Email academymuseum@oscars.org to submit your request.
Please see our Accessibility page for complete information, including details on our Visual Description Tours, Calm Mornings, and Covid-19 policies.