Movies on the Lawn - It Happened One Night (1934)

Considered one of the original rom-coms, join us for a screening of the classic It Happened One Night (1934). Directed by Frank Capra, it follows the journey of a pampered socialite (Claudette Colbert) who escapes her father’s control and falls in love with a reporter (Clark Gable). Though it’s set in the 1930s, you’ll notice parallels to the Victorian changes explored in the Heritage House exhibition First Comes Love: Courtship in the Victorian Era. We will see how the ideas of love and marriage evolved from the structures of the Victorian era into the more liberated romantic stories of the 20th century. It’s a celebration of how far we’ve come—and how the freedom to choose love continues to shape relationships today.

This year’s Movies on the Lawn events will be cinematic expansions of the themes explored in the Heritage House exhibitions First Comes Love (on view through June 29, 2025) and Quackery and Cures (opening fall 2025). We invite you once again for cozy viewings of classic Hollywood films on the Heritage House lawn.These FREE events will take place May 16 and June 20. Doors open at 8:00 p.m. and the screening begins at 8:30 p.m. Concessions are available at the Riverside Museum Associates’ Snack Shack (CASH ONLY). Limited on site and street parking available.

Also check out other Entertainment events in Riverside, Exhibitions in Riverside.