Sullivan's Travels (1941)

User Rating:

8.2/10   

Director:

Preston Sturges

Writer:

Preston Sturges (written by)

Release Date:

December 1941 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

A Happy-Go Lucky Hitch-Hiker on the Highway to happiness! He wanted to see the world . . . but wound up in Lover's Lane!

Plot:

A director of escapist films goes on the road as a hobo to learn about Life...which gives him a rude awakening.

Plot Keywords:

Director | On The Road | Poverty | Hobo | Tramp

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Joel McCrea	...	John L. Lloyd 'Sully' Sullivan
Veronica Lake	...	The Girl
Robert Warwick	...	Mr. Lebrand
William Demarest	...	Mr. Jones
Franklin Pangborn	...	Mr. Casalsis
Porter Hall	...	Mr. Hadrian
Byron Foulger	...	Mr. Johnny Valdelle
Margaret Hayes	...	Secretary
Robert Greig	...	Burroughs (Sullivan's butler)
Eric Blore	...	Sullivan's valet
Torben Meyer	...	The doctor
Victor Potel	...	Cameraman
Richard Webb	...	Radio man
Charles R. Moore	...	Colored chef (as Charles Moore)
Almira Sessions	...	Ursula Kornheiser

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

Australia:PG | South Korea:12 (2004) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:11 (re-release) | Sweden:15 | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (re-rating) (2000) | USA:Approved (PCA #7382)

Filming Locations:

Bob Hope Airport - 2627 Hollywood Way, Burbank, California, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

Director Cameo: [Preston Sturges]Studio director, on the set of 'The Girl's period movie. He is seen in the background when she reads the newspaper and throws up her hands in delight.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When the supposedly unconscious Sullivan is being pulled by a bum who hit him into an empty boxcar, you can see the actor (Joel McRae) push himself along with his foot, apparently because the other man is not strong enough to drag him.

Quotes:

Miz Zeffie: He seems very strong. Did you notice his torso?
Ursula: I noticed that you noticed it.
Miz Zeffie: Don't be vindictive, dear. Some people are just naturally more sensitive to some things in life than some people. Some are blind to beauty, while others... Even as a little girl you were more the acid type, dear, while I, if you remember...
Ursula: I remember better than you do.
Miz Zeffie: Well forget it. And furthermore I have never done anything that I was ashamed of, Ursula.
Ursula: Neither have I.
Miz Zeffie: Yes, dear, but nobody ever asked you to.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Wanderlust (2006) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Spring Song

One of Hollywood's best comedies

This is one of those real joys -- the film you always hope you were going to see when you take the act of faith of going to a theater. This is as good as it gets. McCrea is Sullivan, a successful director (of such films as "Ants in Your Pants of 1938") who decides that in order to make his "important" film -- "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" -- he must take to the road as a hobo and discover suffering. Bringing along lovely Veronica Lake would, of course, tend to defeat the purpose of his "experiment" -- but she is such a wonderful person in this role you could overlook even the extreme silliness of her posing as a boy!

Very funny and still effective, while managing to avoid typical story elements (such as his fight with the girl) that infuse all these road trip/romance movies since "It Happened One Night." An exceptional example of its genre and an exceptional film in any estimation. Probably will be popular even with people who propose to not like "old movies".