"There's a lot to be said for making people laugh. Did you know that that's all some people have?" So says director John Sullivan in "Sullivan's Travels", Preston Sturges' 1941 film about lighthearted-comedy director John Sullivan (Joel McCrea) and his bid to make a film with a message about the nation's poor, titled "O Brother, Where Art Thou". (Yes, this is where the Coen brothers got the title from.) When the studio tries to talk him out of it, insisting that since he has always had a privileged upbringing and knows nothing about being poor, he decides to take off on the road as a bum to learn what it is like to suffer. Unfortunately, the studio decides that this would make a great story, so they follow him around in a large bus containing a cook, doctor, reporters and near-luxury accommodations. He has a couple of false starts because he somehow keeps ending up in Hollywood, and during one of the times he meets "The Girl" (Veronica Lake), who mistakes him for a bum and buys him breakfast at a diner before she packs up and leaves Hollywood after a failed attempt at making it in the business. He immediately becomes endeared to her and she ends up following him on his adventures, until he is falsely thought to be dead, when he begins to truly learn life's lessons.
I absolutely love Preston Sturges films, and while this is only the third film I've seen of his, it is easy to see that this one is different from the others in that there is a message attached. Normally I don't look for a message to be included in screwball comedies of the 1930's and 1940's, but in this case I appreciated it. Sturges points out, in a time of world turmoil, that there is nothing wrong with enjoying yourself; and he does this beautifully, with one simple scene near the end. "Sullivan's Travels" fits in with his body of work in every other way, however. The rapid fire dialogue, double entendres, and hilarious physical comedy remain static. Joel McCrea, who, based on his performance in "Sullivan", was certainly a big inspiration for Tim Robbins' performance in another Coen brother's film, "The Hudsucker Proxy", was a wonderful, earnest dope that had every good intention, but just needed a swift kick to execute his ideas. Veronica Lake was a great surprise for me, since I am so used to seeing her as a femme fatale in noir films. Her funny, very physical performance was extremely enjoyable that really added to the charm of the film.
As stated earlier, I have now seen three Sturges films, and with each film I see I want to see more. "Sullivan's Travels" was not flawless, it did have some pacing issues, but it was a truly enjoyable film that was so charming it is easy to forgive the small stuff. This film is highly recommended for any classic film fan, or comedy fan. I would also recommend it to anyone who, like me, are big Coen brothers fans Sturges was a big influence on them, and so far, "Sullivan's Travels" is the clearest example of this. 7/10 --Shelly
I absolutely love Preston Sturges films, and while this is only the third film I've seen of his, it is easy to see that this one is different from the others in that there is a message attached. Normally I don't look for a message to be included in screwball comedies of the 1930's and 1940's, but in this case I appreciated it. Sturges points out, in a time of world turmoil, that there is nothing wrong with enjoying yourself; and he does this beautifully, with one simple scene near the end. "Sullivan's Travels" fits in with his body of work in every other way, however. The rapid fire dialogue, double entendres, and hilarious physical comedy remain static. Joel McCrea, who, based on his performance in "Sullivan", was certainly a big inspiration for Tim Robbins' performance in another Coen brother's film, "The Hudsucker Proxy", was a wonderful, earnest dope that had every good intention, but just needed a swift kick to execute his ideas. Veronica Lake was a great surprise for me, since I am so used to seeing her as a femme fatale in noir films. Her funny, very physical performance was extremely enjoyable that really added to the charm of the film.
As stated earlier, I have now seen three Sturges films, and with each film I see I want to see more. "Sullivan's Travels" was not flawless, it did have some pacing issues, but it was a truly enjoyable film that was so charming it is easy to forgive the small stuff. This film is highly recommended for any classic film fan, or comedy fan. I would also recommend it to anyone who, like me, are big Coen brothers fans Sturges was a big influence on them, and so far, "Sullivan's Travels" is the clearest example of this. 7/10 --Shelly