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Sullivan's Travels

  • 19411941
  • PassedPassed
  • 1h 30m
IMDb RATING
7.9/10
26K
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Veronica Lake in Sullivan's Travels (1941)
Watch {VideoTitle}
Play trailer1:51
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42 Photos
  • Adventure
  • Comedy
  • Drama

Hollywood director John L Sullivan sets out to experience life as a homeless person in order to gain relevant life experience for his next movie.Hollywood director John L Sullivan sets out to experience life as a homeless person in order to gain relevant life experience for his next movie.Hollywood director John L Sullivan sets out to experience life as a homeless person in order to gain relevant life experience for his next movie.

IMDb RATING
7.9/10
26K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Preston Sturges
  • Writer
    • Preston Sturges
  • Stars
    • Joel McCrea
    • Veronica Lake
    • Robert Warwick
Top credits
  • Director
    • Preston Sturges
  • Writer
    • Preston Sturges
  • Stars
    • Joel McCrea
    • Veronica Lake
    • Robert Warwick
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 165User reviews
    • 108Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 2 wins

    Videos1

    Trailer
    Trailer 1:51
    Trailer

    Photos42

    Veronica Lake and Joel McCrea in Sullivan's Travels (1941)
    Veronica Lake and Joel McCrea in Sullivan's Travels (1941)
    Veronica Lake and Joel McCrea in Sullivan's Travels (1941)
    Veronica Lake and Joel McCrea in Sullivan's Travels (1941)
    "Sullivan's Travels" Veronica Lake, 1941, Paramount, **I.V.
    Veronica Lake and Joel McCrea in Sullivan's Travels (1941)
    Veronica Lake in Sullivan's Travels (1941)
    Veronica Lake and Joel McCrea in Sullivan's Travels (1941)
    Veronica Lake and Joel McCrea in Sullivan's Travels (1941)
    Veronica Lake and Joel McCrea in Sullivan's Travels (1941)
    Jimmy Conlin and Joel McCrea in Sullivan's Travels (1941)
    Bob Kortman, Joel McCrea, Frank Mills, Charles R. Moore, and Lon Poff in Sullivan's Travels (1941)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Joel McCrea
    Joel McCrea
    • John L. Sullivanas John L. Sullivan
    Veronica Lake
    Veronica Lake
    • The Girlas The Girl
    Robert Warwick
    Robert Warwick
    • Mr. LeBrandas Mr. LeBrand
    William Demarest
    William Demarest
    • Mr. Jonesas Mr. Jones
    Franklin Pangborn
    Franklin Pangborn
    • Mr. Casalsisas Mr. Casalsis
    Porter Hall
    Porter Hall
    • Mr. Hadrianas Mr. Hadrian
    Byron Foulger
    Byron Foulger
    • Mr. Valdelleas Mr. Valdelle
    Margaret Hayes
    Margaret Hayes
    • Secretaryas Secretary
    Robert Greig
    Robert Greig
    • Sullivan's Butleras Sullivan's Butler
    Eric Blore
    Eric Blore
    • Sullivan's Valetas Sullivan's Valet
    Torben Meyer
    Torben Meyer
    • The Doctoras The Doctor
    Victor Potel
    Victor Potel
    • Cameramanas Cameraman
    Richard Webb
    Richard Webb
    • Radio Manas Radio Man
    Charles R. Moore
    Charles R. Moore
    • Colored Chefas Colored Chef
    • (as Charles Moore)
    Almira Sessions
    Almira Sessions
    • Ursulaas Ursula
    Esther Howard
    Esther Howard
    • Miz Zeffieas Miz Zeffie
    Frank Moran
    Frank Moran
    • Tough Chauffeuras Tough Chauffeur
    Georges Renavent
    Georges Renavent
    • Old Trampas Old Tramp
    • Director
      • Preston Sturges
    • Writer
      • Preston Sturges
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit
    Sullivan is a successful, spoiled, naive director of fluffy films with a heart of gold, who decides that he wants to make a film about the troubles of the downtrodden poor. Much to his producers' chagrin, he sets off in tramp's clothing with a single dime in his pocket to experience poverty first-hand, and he feels the sting of reality. —Bob Doolittle <Bob.Doolittle@east.sun.com>
    • bindle stick
    • filmmaking
    • national film registry
    • falling from a train
    • church congregation
    • 331 more
    • Plot summary
    • Add synopsis
    • Taglines
      • A Happy-Go Lucky Hitch-Hiker on the Highway to happiness! He wanted to see the world . . . but wound up in Lover's Lane!
    • Genres
      • Adventure
      • Comedy
      • Drama
      • Romance
    • Certificate
      • Passed
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Cinematographer John Seitz admired Preston Sturges' unconventional approach to his work. The opening scene comprised ten pages of dialogue to cover about four and a half minutes of screen time. It was scheduled for two complete days of shooting. On the morning of the first day, Seitz found Sturges inspecting the set with a viewfinder, looking for where he could cut the scene and change camera set-ups. Seitz dared him to do it all in one take. Never one to refuse a dare, Sturges took him up on it, although the nervous Seitz had never attempted to complete a two-day work schedule in one day. With the endorsement of McCrea and the rest of the actors, Sturges pressed on, determined to set a record. The first take was fine, but the camera wobbled a little in the tracking shot following the men from screening room to office, so they tried again. They did two or three takes at the most and that was it - two full days work by 11 a.m. on the first day, a feat that had the entire studio buzzing.
    • Goofs
      When Sullivan and The Girl, disguised as hobos, walk along a moonlit river, the legs of a stagehand are clearly seen from the knees down in a tree above their heads.
    • Quotes

      John L. Sullivan: There's a lot to be said for making people laugh. Did you know that that's all some people have? It isn't much, but it's better than nothing in this cockeyed caravan.

    • Crazy credits
      The Paramount logo appears as a seal on a package.

      The package is opened to reveal a book with the film title on it and the opening credits appear on pages in the book.
    • Connections
      Featured in The Cinematographer (1951)
    • Soundtracks
      Spring Song
      (1844) (uncredited)

      Written by Felix Mendelssohn

      Played as part of the score when Sullivan starts his experiment

      Reprised when he starts a second time

    User reviews165

    Review
    Top review
    Sleight of hand
    No need to add to the praise others have justly given this classic, but there's one thing I think is especially clever about the plot (without giving too much of it away). The apparent moral of this Depression-era movie is that bad as conditions may be, audiences don't need to be reminded about them, instead needing escapist fare to distract them from the world's problems. Meanwhile, after setting you up to relax and enjoy a screwball comedy, Sturges succeeds in surreptitiously drawing you into just the kind of bleak "social consciousness" movie his characters are saying is impossible to get people to watch, without your realizing it at the time. Well, without my realizing it, anyway, until much later.
    helpful•10
    1
    • RickeyMooney
    • Mar 27, 2003

    FAQ1

    • Where could I get this script? It looks fascinating.

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • February 6, 1942 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Sullivans Reisen
    • Filming locations
      • Paramount Ranch - 2813 Cornell Road, Agoura, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Paramount Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $689,665 (estimated)
    • Gross worldwide
      • $10,249
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 30 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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