Review of Sullivan's Travels (1941) by Stuart K — 19 Nov 2009

From director Preston Sturges, a former Broadway writer who had gone to Hollywood and made moderately successful films like The Great McGinty and The Lady Eve, comes this off-the-wall comedy with a down to earth quality.

Although not a big success upon it's original release, it's now considered to be one of the best films ever made, like Citizen Kane really, but this has stood the test of time. It has John L. Sullivan (Joel McCrea), a young director working in Hollywood who has hit it big, although the films he makes are successful, he's unsatisfied with them, and he wants to make a film about the plight of the less fortunate, to be titled O Brother, Where Art Thou? He decides to try and live his life as a hobo, but the studio head Mr.

Lebrand (Robert Warwick) is keeping tabs on him by following him around, Sullivan gets help from a down-on-her-luck aspiring actress known as The Girl (Veronica Lake), but his plans go slightly awry. It is a genuinely funny film with some brilliant dialogue within.

It comes from the golden ages of the screwball comedies that came out of Hollywood at that time. McCrea was a brilliant leading man back then, and he sparks wonderfully of everyone he comes into contact with.

Sturges' dialogue is brilliant, and has influenced many. The Coen's were heavily inspired by this for one of their films, can you guess which one??