Sullivan's Travels (1941) User Reviews

Reckless, tightrope masterpiece.

[the red duchess · 9/10 · 14 September 2000]

Sturges' most daringly double-edged film, laced with bitter ironies. It is also arguably the most audacious film in Hollywood's (mainstream) history, audacious because it takes the kinds of risks that can so easily fall flat on their face, and right until the final image, as Sturges becomes increasingly ambitious and multi-layered, you wonder how long he can keep it up without getting ridiculous. It never does, but the film is so full of contradictions, tensions, suppressions, clanging lurches in tone - 'Travels' is ostensibly a comedy, and one of Hollywood's best, but the last twenty minutes are truly painful to watch, harrowing and not at all funny.

The overriding source of tension, of course, is the film itself, the plot, and the emotions that are supposed to be elicited. It is very difficult, and frequently impossible to gauge the tone of any one scene. Sometimes this is straightforward, as when information is deliberately withheld from the audience, it is asked to make a judgement, and then shown to be wrong, as in the scenes where the studio moguls claim a background of deprivation (which is historically plausible). This kind of comedy is familiar enough.

But what about the later montage of Sullivan and the Girl experiencing the 'reality' of poverty - are these scenes supposed to be genuine representation of poverty? Are they part of a wider satire on pious films like 'Grapes of Wrath', which dubiously aestheticise poverty - there are a lot of Expressionistic flourishes in this sequence? Are they a kind of abstract purgatory through which Sullivan finds spiritual understanding?

There is a big difference between the representation of poverty in this sequence and the one where Sullivan is attacked and sent to prison. But is one more 'authentic' than the other - the second one bravely rejects the view of 'noble' poverty, shows how it dehumanises people, turns them instinctual and brutal; but it also provides a neat moral, which suggests that if you do somebody wrong, you will be (horribly) punished for it. This realism, therefore, is as contrived as the first. Is this Sturges' point, that the good intentions of realism are always tainted by ideological assumptions, patronising good-will, or motives of elevation. This sense of artifice, of a film comprised of varying self-reflexive modes rather than a plausible narrative, runs through 'Travels', with characters talking about the film they're in as a plot - in direst danger, Sullivan acknowledges the need for a helluva twist which duly arrives, filmed in silent slapstick with barely concealed Sturges contempt (and did his friends seem terribly put out by his death?).

This would seem to uphold 'Travels'' ostensible theme, its celebration of comedy as a sugar with which to sweeten the harshness of reality. This is a very cynical view of comedy, and a highly manipulative, conservative one - distract an unhappy populace from the injustice of their lives. The best comedies - from 'Sherlock Jr' and 'Modern Times' to 'Playtime' and 'The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie' have always been about real life, encouraging their viewers to think harder about the society they live in, much more effectively than so-called naturalism.

'Travels' is no exception. It might be a celebration of comedy, but this is comedy a million miles from 'Ants in your Pants'. What other 40s film still manages to show the brutality of poverty, of the prison system, of race relations, the fate of young women in sexually voracious Hollywood (the Girl's ease with her body in the swimming pool scene speaks volumes), however we choose to read them? When Sullivan's determination at the end to continue making populist comedies is endorsed by the ringing laughter of the world's meek and suffering, the disjunction is grotesque. This is a man, on an airplane, completely removed from reality, surrounded by wealthy toadies. Those happy laughs could so easily be contemptuous guffaws, because what Sullivan wants to do, and Sturges hasn't, is hide the inequalities of capitalism, the system on which Hollywood thrives, and the flaws in which they would be only too happy to cover up with inanity. But to even suggest this is to fall into the 'Capra' trap mocked at the beginning.

This difficulty is what makes 'Travels' such a stunningly modern film - its shifts from sophisticated verbal wit to elaborate slapstick to blatant Carry On-like innuendo (the matronly sister dusting the bedpost after seeing a sweating, shirtless Sullivan work) to tragedy to hallucination and dream to satire foreshadows Melville and the New Wave, while the privileged rich man who cannot escape Hollywood would transmute into the guests who can't leave the house, or can't get dinner in later Bunuel films; or the film that begins with an end. The opening sequence takes off 'Citizen Kane'. The deadpan genderplay is quietly gobsmacking, and Veronica Lake as a (gorgeous) tramp would be alluded to by Jeanne Moreau in 'Jules et JIm'. But the joys are all Sturges', as he democratises comedy (see again that swimming pool sequence); I love in particular those glorious supporting actors: my favourite being the immortal Eric Blore and Robert Greig as Sullivan's servants.

The Importance of Comedy

[claudio_carvalho · 8/10 · 21 May 2013]

In Hollywood, the spoiled director of humdrum movies, John Lloyd Sullivan (Joel McCrea), was born in silver spoon but is very successful with his superficial comedies. Out of the blue, he tells to his producer Mr. LeBrand (Robert Warwick) that he wants to make serious dramas, like "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" and he will live like a tramp on the streets to learn the sorrows of great part of the population. He wears cheap clothes and tries to blend with poor people but he always returns to Hollywood protected by the safety team hired by the studio.

One day, he goes to a dinner with a coin and a blonde girl (Veronica Lake) offers bacon and eggs to him. Soon he learns that the girl is a failed actress that had never a chance in Hollywood and is returning home hitchhiking without any money. Sullivan decides to retribute her kindness giving a ride to her in his car but they are arrested by the police. When they are released, the girl decides to join Sullivan in his quest to learn about poverty. When Sullivan is satisfied, he is robbed and dumped unconscious in a train. He awakes in the countryside where there is an incident and he is arrested and sentenced to a labor camp, where he leans the importance of comedy in the miserable lives of destitute people.

"Sullivan's Travels" is a delightful movie by Preston Sturges with a satire of Hollywood lifestyle and the importance of comedy in the life of people, a relief for a couple of minutes for those that do not have other sort of entertainment. Joel McCrea is very funny in the role of a naive director trying to find how the poor people live. His chemistry with the gorgeous Veronika Lake is perfect and this was the first time that I noted that this lovely actress was only 1.51 m height. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Contrastes Humanos" ("Human Contrasts")

Sullivan's Travails...

[Xstal · 8/10 · 4 November 2020]

As original a piece from the 1940s as you'll likely come across and one where it could quite easily have found itself as knotted and gnarled as some of the boots seen pounding the highways and byways of its cast. Fortunately those pretentious rips fail to appear and it's the arrival of Veronica Lake that turns the ramble to a journey and an illustration as relevant today about the lack of opportunity we continually chose to turn a blind eye to. An interesting twist towards the end provides something to chew on and supports a finale that may well give you a little to smile about, maybe even a chuckle.

A Journey of Discovery

[jhclues · 10/10 · 16 December 2001]

When it comes right down to it, what you `think' you want isn't necessarily what you `really' want, nor is it likely to be anything you need. But finding the answer is up to the individual, a prospect that's explored in the satirical `Sullivan's Travels,' directed by Preston Sturges. Movie director John L. Sullivan (Joel McCrea) has made a career of churning out one successful comedy after another, yet he remains unfulfilled. He longs to do a `serious' film, one with meaning, a drama that will leave his mark on the industry and the world. And he has a property that he thinks is perfect, a screenplay entitled `O Brother, Where Art Thou?' The studio he works for, however, balks at the idea; Sullivan's comedies are not only good, they're a cash cow for the studio, so why fool with success?

Sullivan is adamant, though, and determined to make his film he strikes a bargain with the studio and gets the green light. But once he's given the go-ahead, he wants to do it right-- and he realizes that to make a truly meaningful film, he must first experience himself the hardships of life he will be examining in `O Brother.' So with only a dime in his pockets, he sets out on the road to find out what `life' is really all about. And before it's over, he will get all he's looking for and more, in an odyssey that will be unforgettable for Sullivan, and for the audience, as well.

Filled with pathos and poignancy, Sturges' film is an insightful sojourn across the territory of the human condition. It'll make you laugh and it'll make you cry, as along with Sullivan you come face to face with some hard truths about reality. And Sullivan's eventual epiphany regarding his personal wants and needs may be your own, as well, because this is a film with a definite message that is honest and undeniable. A lesson in life delivered subtly and sensitively by Sturges, who makes it entertaining and thought provoking at the same time. It's refreshing, in fact, t discover a film that delivers such an impact without having to resort to any kind of sensationalism, relying instead on the inherent humanity of the story, which Sturges conveys masterfully. With exceptions, of course, it's a sensibility few of today's directors seem to possess. Some notable exceptions would be Ang Lee with `The Ice Storm,' Kenneth Lonergan's `You Can Count On Me' and Tom DiCillo's `Box of Moonlight.' All are films that, like `Sullivan,' are journeys of discovery, profound in sentiment without being overly sentimental. There are more, to be sure, but they seem too few and far between.

One of the elements that makes this film so engaging is its colorful cast of characters, and the actors it employs to bring it to life, beginning with it's star, McCrea, who hits his stride as Sullivan with facility. He credibly reflects Sullivan's ideals and principles with a look, as well as an attitude, that makes it work quite naturally. You can believe this is a man with, perhaps not a naive, but certainly a rather guarded perception of life in the real world. Which is not to say he lacks insight or wisdom; it's merely one of the basic truths this film points out-- that people live within parameters of their own design, established through personal experience and frame of reference. And that's the John Sullivan McCrea presents here, with a portrayal that is honest and incisive.

Veronica Lake was one of the hottest actresses around in 1942 when this film was made, and as the girl who becomes a part of Sullivan's journey, she lends considerable charm and a bit of mystique to the film. It's a fairly straightforward role that benefits from her sparkle and personality; a notable performance that adds a touch of humor and some class to the proceedings, without being particularly exceptional. But watching her, it's easy to understand the attention she received, especially after draping her long blond hair across her eye, peek-a-boo style-- which started a craze that swept the country, while creating an indelible image that ultimately defined her career.

The supporting cast includes Robert Warwick (Mr. Lebrand), William Demarest (Mr. Jones), Franklin Pangborn (Mr. Casalsis), Porter Hall (Mr. Hadrian), Byron Foulger (Mr. Valdelle), Margaret Hayes (Secretary), Robert Greig (Sullivan's Butler) and Eric Blore (Sullivan's Valet). Call it a lesson in life, or a lesson about human nature; however you see it, `Sullivan's Travels' is an experience you're going to remember. Entertaining, enjoyable and enlightening, it's an uplifting appreciation of the way things are, and not necessarily the way you `think' they should be. It's a film that celebrates the comfort to be found in finding your own niche and realizing the importance of whatever it is that you contribute to your world and those around you. It leaves you with a sense of purpose and the understanding that the grass is not always greener on the other side. And it makes your own grass look pretty good in the bargain. It's the magic of the movies. I rate this one 10/10.

Laughter, A Precious Commodity In This Cockeyed Caravan

[bkoganbing · 10/10 · 11 May 2007]

Sullivan's Travels is a twofer for me, it's my favorite Preston Sturges film and my favorite Joel McCrea one. It's an anti-message film, loaded with humor, with a most sublime message indeed.

Joel McCrea plays director John Sullivan who's tired of making silly comedies and musicals for his studio. He wants to make films of social significance with a message about the troubles in today's world.

Problem is that he doesn't know anything about poverty and unemployment, he's a rich kid who's been to boarding school. So off he sets, several times it turns out, to discover how the other half lives.

That last time he sets out is a bit unplanned and through a combination of circumstances he winds up on a prison chain gang in some southern state. He learns some really profound lessons from that experience.

But that's the serious side of Sullivan's Travels. Before that the film has some really gut splitting funny moments like McCrea learning about the speed of a whippet tank, being accused of stealing his own car. But my favorite is when he falls in the clutches of spinsters Elmira Sessions and Esther Howard. McCrea sets out to learn about poverty and deprivation and the two sisters see him as the answer to some poverty and deprivation they've been suffering for some time. Maybe the chain gang didn't look so bad.

Veronica Lake in her memoirs said that one of the films she enjoyed most was Sullivan's Travels where she plays an disillusioned Hollywood hopeful who befriends the tramp McCrea without knowing who he really is. The following year Lake would be paired with Alan Ladd who was closer to her height. She said McCrea was a kind and decent man and wonderful to work with. The disparity of their height was the source of some amusement and some problems for Preston Sturges. Lake was a tiny thing, it was why she was teamed with Alan Ladd, and McCrea was well over six feet tall. Check the shots of them together, very rarely will you see them standing side by side.

Sturges used a lot of his regular company of players. My two favorites in the supporting cast are Robert Grieg and Edward Blore who are McCrea's butler and valet. Both turn out to be wise men in their warnings to their boss about this folly he is undertaking.

It's been said that Sullivan's Travels is supposed to be the anti-Frank Capra film about messages. I'm not sure Capra saw it that way. If you look at the portion of the film when Sullivan falls into this unfamiliar universe of the chain gang, it's very similar to what George Bailey was experiencing in that parallel universe he was sent to in It's A Wonderful Life. I think Sturges and Capra would find a lot of common ground in the messages of It's A Wonderful Life and Sullivan's Travels.

Sleight of hand

[RickeyMooney · 27 March 2003]

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.

Please put in a good word with Lubitsch!

[jotix100 · 10/10 · 7 April 2005]

"Sullivan's Travels" is one of the best films that came out of Hollywood in 1941. Preston Sturges showed he was an original with this story about self-discovery for a man that has a different view of the world. In a way, this is a satire about the movie industry.

Hollywood in the early years, wouldn't touch any project that it deemed non commercial. Which is why when John Sullivan, a successful director of film comedies decides to do a movie based on a serious book, the studio thinks he must be going crazy. Why would this director want to make the movie going public think? It was a preposterous notion then, as well as today, when basically all movies making any points are independently produced. After all, the industry wants everyone to have a great time, be entertained, and not make them think about at all.

John Sullivan gets much more than what he bargained for when he decides to take to the back roads of the country, dressed as a hobo and with only ten cents in his pocket. The first check on reality comes when he meets the kind girl at the road side diner. He is hungry, but what can one get for a dime? This girl, who has had it trying to make a name in the movies, orders ham and eggs for him, no strings attached. If there is a more kindred soul than this young woman who wants nothing in return, we haven't met her yet.

Sully and the girl go back on the road where they witness the reality of America's indigents traveling back and forth in empty cattle cars all over the country in search of jobs, or perhaps a better living. Sullivan ultimately wants to give money anonymously to the poor people he has met, but he meets with disaster and ends up in jail, the victim of circumstantial evidence and he is sent to jail. One night Sully discovers the great mystery about the allure of the pictures: It's the laughter stupid! Sullivan realizes how far off the mark he has been in trying to bring drama to the masses.

Joel McCrea makes a fantastic Sullivan. This under estimated man was a great comedian, as well as an actor that is always believable. The whole reason for watching this movie is Mr. McCrea's performance. His chemistry with the ravishingly beautiful and young Veronica Lake is one of the best things in the film. Both these actors, under Mr. Sturges' direction do their best work on screen. Sturges makes fun at his own expense when the girl asks Sully if he can introduce her to the great Hollywood director, Ernst Lubitsch. Mr. McCrea and Ms. Lake seem to be having a fun time together.

Mr. Sturges always surrounded himself with a group of actors that one sees in his movies. Robert Greig, Eric Blore, William Demarest, and the rest of the cast contribute to make this a winning comedy. The best scene that involves most of these actors happen at the beginning of the film when they are chasing Sullivan in the R.V. and things inside the trailer begin falling all over the place. That was priceless movie making.

Preston Sturges combines a social commentary with comedy in this brilliant film that is a tribute to his genius.

Movies don't get much better than this...

[A_Different_Drummer · 10/10 · 6 November 2013]

Hard to believe. Years after this masterpiece, as age caught up with the two stars, McCrea, now too old to play the leading man, would be successfully recast in a series of westerns and actually enjoyed a second career as a cowpoke. No such luck for Lake. Once considered one of the sexiest stars in Hollywood, she continued with a bunch of "filmes noire" for a spell, but within a decade her career had fizzled. Late in life she did a series of interviews saying that of all the sex goddesses of the era, her portrayal was the most effortless, she merely needed to "brush her hair a certain way" and men, dumb as they were, practically swooned. (Not entirely true. She had a naturally coarse voice which was unusual, and sexy, in that era; and she did indeed have the figure of a sex goddess, as the very very brief shower scene in Sullivans Travels reveals.) OK, back to 1941. With both stars pretty at the apex of their careers, here is the kind of story that Hollywood does best, a story of the rich vs. the poor, and the problems that can arise trying to reconcile the two. McCrea is pitch perfect as the idealistic rich guy (film producer) trying to see the world through the eyes of the downtrodden, and Lake is pitch perfect as the beautiful, cynical, babe who tags along for the ride whether McCrea likes it or not. The ending, which involves McCrea on a chain gang reading about his own death, is a masterstroke, and unforgettable in its own right. A must see.

I felt totally out of step with everyone....so I decided to try it once again.

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 27 March 2017]

I think all film junkies have a few films they hate that nearly everyone loves. So, while "Sullivan't Travels" is considered a classic and has an extremely high rating of 8.1, when I last saw it I was terribly disappointed and didn't understand all the hoopla about the film. That was years ago and I decided to do something I rarely do...see the film again to see if perhaps my original IMDb review (which I have since deleted) was right or wrong. Here is what I think of the film on a second viewing....

The first thing that really stood out in my mind when I watched the film was Preston Sturgis' casting for the movie. Veronica Lake was very popular in Alan Ladd pictures because he was a very short man...and she was a rather tiny actress. Yet, in spite of this (or, most likely because of this), Sturgis paired her with one of the largest leading men of his day. The 15 inch difference in height was NOT typical at all of Hollywood...but more typical of real life and I can only assume the famed writer/director deliberately was resisting traditional casting decisions since the movie is a critical look at Hollywood and its clichés. I appreciated this more the second time viewing the picture.

The story finds the famous Hollywood director, John L. Sullivan (Joel McCrea) in a funk. While he's successful in his career, he also worries that his films lack a connection to the common man and might not be representing real life. This is a reasonable concern-- especially since most films of the preceding decade portrayed very rich, happy and fashionable folks...all during the Great Depression!! So, Sullivan decides to try living incognito-- traveling the country dressed like a hobo to see the other side of America. Along the way, he meets an adorable lady (Veronica Lake) and they decide to go slumming together. The problem is that no matter how bad life is living in the gutter, they can always elect to return home to comfort and a good meal...and Sullivan finds out the hard way what it's like NOT to be able to just go home when he's tired of slumming it.

Overall, I was MUCH more positive to the film the second time around. Now I am not saying I loved the movie but I did love much of it. Like many Sturgis pictures, the dialog was the best part...and it was snappy and enjoyable. My reservations for not giving it a higher score are that the story seems, at least today, a bit contrived. Also, the Mickey Mouse cartoon segment STILL seems way overdone (NOTHING is that funny)...my biggest complaint the first time. But on balance, the good far outweighs the bad and I am glad I decided to give it another try. I still think it's a bit overrated but an excellent film nonetheless.

Preston Sturges Defends Mindless Comedy in a Film with a Big Brain and an Even Bigger Heart

[evanston_dad · 10/10 · 10 January 2007]

Joel McCrea plays Sullivan, a big-time director of movie comedies and musicals, who decides he wants to direct a film with a message, and rides the rails as a bum to find out what it's like to be poor. He takes with him Veronica Lake, playing a Hollywood starlet wannabe who's just about ready to throw in the towel. Together, they find out that they can't really ever know what it's like to be poor unless they're actually poor, a fate that eventually befalls Sullivan through a crazy turn of events, after which he rediscovers the value of using film to make people laugh.

"Sullivan's Travels" is one of those reflexive movies about Hollywood and the business of film making that can be wonderful when done well and entirely too self conscious when done poorly. I can't imagine writer/director Preston Sturges having done a better job than he does here with this simply marvelous film, easily one of the best of the 1940s and perhaps one of the best ever. Rarely have I felt that a director has made his point as clearly and effectively as Sturges does with this film. He manipulates his audience dexterously but not cheaply. When the film takes a dark and sobering turn, we fidget anxiously and wait for it to get funny again, which is exactly the reaction the studio executives in the film's opening tell Sullivan he can expect from his "important" film, and why they tell him to stick to comedy in the first place. The irony of course is that in making a film about the value of mindless comedy, Sturges at the same time made a quite important picture that more forcefully addressed the plight of the working man than any number of other films that treated the subject more seriously.

I've never liked Joel McCrea better than I do here. His laconic way with a one liner is perfectly suited to Sturges' brand of quick and witty writing. Indeed, the patter comes at you so quickly that your brain may have trouble keeping up with the jokes. Veronica Lake is cute and droll, and she and McCrea get on well together. The film's best moments come when the pair are learning how to be hobos. And Sturges fills out the rest of his film with a cast of regulars from his stable of character actors, with virtually every member getting some bit of business or a line to remember him by.

However, despite Sturges' wonderful dialogue, the film's most memorable and beautiful moment comes when everybody shuts up, and a montage of scenes showing McCrea and Lake experiencing life as it was for countless homeless and unemployed regular Americans at the tail end of the Depression plays out with no sound, accompanied only by a pretty musical passage. In a movie that will take your breath away with its pace and crack comic timing, this moment will take your breath away for different reasons altogether.

Grade: A+

Comedy With Cliff Notes

[slokes · 6/10 · 23 May 2012]

"Sullivan's Travels" is often held up as director Preston Sturges' peak moment at blending comedy and drama, but to my lights it strains at the significance of his better work. You laugh, you feel sympathy, but you can't help feel manipulated, too.

Director John L. Sullivan (Joel McCrea) has a number of hit films to his credit, including a recent dramatic potboiler which is killing them in New York but died in Pittsburgh. His producers encourage him to go back to the light comedies and musicals that brought him broader box-office success. But Sullivan is a man on a mission, to shed a light on humanity's plight "with grim death gargling at every corner." Dressed as a hobo, he sets out to discover real suffering.

"Sullivan's Travels" is a curiously uneven film structurally and stylistically. Sturges starts out making a knockabout comedy, with much flopping around and less wit than usual (Sully's response about Pittsburgh audiences being his one funny line). McCrea is overbearingly serious, in a way that might have played as send-up with a more comic actor in the role. Here he comes off as insufferable. Sturges pushes the angst, especially near the end when we suddenly leave the world of screwball comedy for "I Was A Fugitive On A Chain Gang."

No, this film doesn't put Sturges back with the shipping news, but it's not much fun. What works in the film is in part its slapdash energy and whirl of familiar Sturges faces, but mostly Veronica Lake, playing a character known only as the Girl or "the kid" (a nod to Chaplin; she even resembles Jackie Coogan standing next to the lanky McCrea in hobo dress and an over-sized flat cap.) She bites off her lines with casual flair and does what she can to puncture the pomposity around her, the sort of thing you can count on Sturges doing in his other, better films.

"Film's the greatest educational medium the world has ever known," Sullivan tells her. "You take a picture like 'Hold Back Tomorrow'..."

"You hold it," she snaps back.

Apart from fair Veronica, there's not much else to see. So much of the comedy seen early on is of the groaner variety, like McCrea falling into haystacks (twice) and a rain barrel. Sturges regular William Demerest even gets stuck with a gin rummy/I don't drink exchange, punctuated by an Edgar Kennedy slow burn. By the time we see Sully and the girl push each other into a pool, you almost want the film to stop trying to be so forcedly merry. Until it does, whereupon we get more pontificating from Sullivan about what it all means.

The film snaps into better shape at the end. There's a terrific scene set in a black church which brings out some needed humanity, as well as one of the few times I can see a '40s film featuring black actors that doesn't make me wince in shame. The resolution is fine, too, especially a delirious scene featuring Lake in a hoop skirt.

"Sullivan's Travels" has just enough going for it to make it pleasant, and even, occasionally, worthy of its lofty aim of celebrating mirth for mirth's sake. Sturges' films famously benefit from multiple viewings, and maybe for me the fifth time will be the charm. Alas, to these tired eyes, it comes off more as sermon than Sennett, one of those classic films movie critics love because it's about the movies, rather than a movie worth loving.

We all need a bit of fun in our lives

[dierregi · 9/10 · 8 January 2019]

I saw this many years ago, but a second view made me understand why it is considered a masterpiece. It is based on solid script and it has a clear message, delivered without pomposity: lots of people have hard lives and they need some fun entertainment to forget about their lives.

Perhaps depressing, but this is proved over and again, even if today's light entertainment is certainly less classy than this great movie.

Light screwball comedy with a heavy dark streak and a scintillating Veronica Lake

[barevfilm · 7/10 · 25 June 2018]

Light Screwball Comedy with a heavy dark streak and a scintillating Veronica Lake Screwball comedies with absurd premises and popular stars were a staple of thirties Hollywood to help make people temporarily forget the misery of the great depression. Sullivan's Travels made at Paramount in 1941 when World War II was already raging in Europe was one of the last of the genre, and one of the most lasting. A film I have heard about for ages but was only able to catch now at a single night film club screening. The film starts out on a fluffy slapstick footing until the delayed appearance of Veronica Lake almost a quarter of the way through, but then takes off into classic space. Going in Joel McCrae, 36, was the big star but after this he was outshone by Lake who stole the show with her timely wisecracks, cascades of platinum blonde hair and sheer youthful beauty --she was nineteen at the time! Lake went on to become one of the most popular wartime stars with her trademark peekaboo hairstyle. In this film the camera lingers lovingly on her incredible long wavy tresses in multiple scenes. One reason to hang in there. Lake plays a down on her luck rejected film actress wannabe -- hard to believe with her looks! -- who offers McCrae a meal in a rusty spoon diner -- - but Sullivan realizes her potential and drops his hobo act taking her back to his Hollywood estate. There she pushes him into the pool to punish him for trying to pull the wool over her eyes. All others follow suite and take amusing tumbles fully clothed into the drink. From here she joins him in his hobo travels with a borderline risqué roll in the hay of a freight train they gave hopped in true hobo style. Having learned what he needs to know about trouble from the bums met along the way Sullivan decides to reward all by handing out five dollar bills. One vicious tramp clobbers him and takes all the money and steals his shoes (which contain his real I.D, sewn into the soles) whereupon Sullivan wakes up in a freight yard and clobbers a railway guard in self defense. For assaulting an officer and refusing to reveal his name in court he is sentenced to hard labor in a chain gang. Here the comedy veers into deadly serious territory. By a quirk of his ID. found concealed in the exchanged shoes Director Sullivan is reported dead, not the hobo who stole his shoes and then got killed by a train, whereupon his retinue including Lake all go into deep mourning. Meanwhile, as a respite from their hard labors the chained prisoners are granted a night of watching movies in a Negro church. The film is a cartoon featuring Pluto the dog and brings roars of laughter from the forlorn chain gangers. Now comes the most touching scene in the entire picture. Sympathizing with the desperate plight of the weary chain gang the Preacher of the congregation (tremendous black actor, Jess Lee Brooks -- inexplicably Uncredited ! ) leads the gathering of worshipers in a stirring rendition of the Negro spiritual, "Go down Moses -- Let my people Go!" Subsequently, with the help of an older chain gang convict, Sullivan hits upon the idea that will lead to his salvation and release. Can't give such a potential spoiler away. here, Suffice it to say that all's well that ends well, but the last scene is a serious comment on the importance of laughter. Sullivan, it might be observed, is named after John L. Sullivan, one of the most famous heavyweight boxing champions of the early century with implications that the director played by McCrea, is the kind of champion the downtrodden need while the implied critique of chain gang justice is no mere throwaway joke. All in All Sullivan's Travels, if not quite a masterpiece, is a unique film of it's kind -- a hilarious comedy with a serious message of the need for humor to see us through the darkest of times. . Not to mention the solid arrival of that amazing blonde bombshell, Veronica Lake. In her very next film, "This Gun For Hire", She received top billing above newcomer Alan Ladd, then went on to make six more films with Ladd, one of which, "The Blue Dahlia" will be shown next week in the Upcoming Noir festival at the Egyptian. Most unfortunately Ms. Lake's career did not last long after this and was basically cut short by a combination of alcohol and a disastrous private life. She ended up working as an unsung bar room waitress and died broke at fifty in 1973 of acute hepatitis. SULLIVAN'S TRAVELS, 1941 Review By Alex Deleon <filmfestivals.com> Viewed at Egyptian Theater, Hollywood. April 11, 2018

Fails bitterly at both comedy and tragedy.

[ksneath · 3/10 · 13 July 2008]

In this offbeat comedy/drama, a young Hollywood director decides to take to the road as a tramp in order to get some "real-life" experience about human suffering. Why? So he can more effectively direct his next film about the tragic human condition.

Lots of crazy, zany things happen along the way -- most of which prohibits Sullivan (McCrea) from truly gaining any insight into the life of the less fortunate. Finally, however, something unexpected occurs which truly gives him a new perspective on the poor class and as his role as an entertainer.

While many (if not most) consider this film to be a comedy classic, I'm afraid I must disagree. Although there are some humorous parts, the film (in my perspective) fails in it's most lofty ambition -- that is to poignantly express the condition of the less fortunate while wrapping a screwball comedy around it which would be just the kind of entertainment those same unfortunate soles would enjoy -- an ironic movie about movies.

Charlie Chaplin was much more effective in expressing both the sadness of the poor class while mixing in effective and genuinely funny humor. Perhaps his films (and others with similar themes) succeeded where this one failed because we were drawn into the life of someone in the poor class and routed for the underdog as our protagonist in the midst of the humorous circumstances.

In this case, I found the protagonist to be shallow, selfish and ultimately hypocritical. Here we have a rich, well-to-do Hollywood type pretending to be a tramp and being at a disconnect with their way of life for almost the entire film. As such, we never develop a fondness for his character, even though the circumstances he finds himself in may be interesting. In addition, the whole character of Veronica Lake was entirely out of place in this film. The love interest distracted from the message the film tried to convey, and she couldn't come across as looking even remotely the part of a poor, disadvantaged young girl. She looked much more out of place in the tramp suit than did McCrea.

In the final vignette where Sullivan supposedly sees the real plight of the "less fortunate", it is via rubbing shoulders with hardened criminals (!), not just the poor, unemployed, trampled-upon, everyday man. And then he uses his position of status to its fullest (unethical) extent in order to weasel his way out of his undesired condition. Then we're asked to turn around and cheer for our liberated hero and his supposed "enlightened viewpoint". I don't find such a plot that funny or poignant.

Not a classic by any means in my eyes.

A tribute to the art of comedy

[Camera-Obscura · 15 September 2006]

After the opening credits, the film opens with the following statement.

"To the memory of those who made us laugh: the motley mountebanks, the clowns, the buffoons, in all times and in all nations whose efforts have lightened our burden a little, this picture is affectionately dedicated."

With this film, Preston Sturges made one of the smartest and most insightful comedies ever to come out of Hollywood, in which he especially held up the mirror to Tinseltown itself. A Hollywood variation on Gulliver's Travels, it's the tale of Hollywood director John Sullivan (Joel McCrea), tired of making Hollywood Fluff, who wants to branch out with a socially conscious epic, called "O Brother, Where Art Thou", and sets out to research the meaning of poverty. His studio bosses (very funny roles by Robert Warwick and Porter Hall) try to tell him it's a ridiculous idea but Sullivan insists, puts on some hobo clothes and sets out to see what it's like to experience poverty and suffering. The studio soon sees it as potential publicity stunt and sent an entire crew to follow him around during his trip.

Some very enjoyable references to socially conscious movie-making, to Ernst Lubitch in particular, make this particularly fun with some knowledge of the period and the films mentioned, albeit not necessary. And almost worth seeing alone for Veronica Lake's memorable performance as a failed starlet.

According to Sturges, the film did contain a little "message":

"SULLIVAN'S TRAVELS is the result of an urge, an urge to tell some of my fellow filmwrights that they were getting a little too deep-dish and to leave the preaching to the preachers."

By any means, he made a uniquely self-reflective comedy about Hollywood with wonderful characterizations and superlative performances. A brilliant satire with a "message" just as poignant as ever.

Camera Obscura --- 9/10

There's a lot to be said for making people laugh

[morrisonhimself · 10/10 · 26 December 2004]

This movie is, simply, one of the best Hollywood ever made.

From the marvelous collection of great actors, with one of the greatest of motion picture directors, to an intelligent script by the director, Preston Sturges, everything comes together to produce a wonderful story wonderfully told.

Veronica Lake has probably never been more charming.

Joel McCrea is and always has been one of my favorite actors and he is great in this, for him, somewhat unusual role.

All the supporting players, including William Demarest, Eric Blore, Jimmy Conlin, Al Bridge, and Richard Webb, are ... well, perfect.

I hope this is no spoiler, but the scene at the church is one of the most touching and moving I have ever viewed. I'm amazed that Hollywood could capture the pathos so well. It made Sullivan's eventual point and should make that same point to movie producers and audiences alike.

As a film school student, I was taught that when people make lists of "greatest movies," seldom are comedies included.

"Sullivan's Travels" helps dispel the notion a comedy can't be great. It is both significant and thoroughgoing entertainment.

1941: A Social Odyssey

[gizmomogwai · 9/10 · 29 December 2013]

Going from nothing to AFI's top 100 in 2007, Sullivan's Travels is an achievement in cinema worth the recognition. The film is about a comedy director named Sullivan who wants to make a dramatic film about poverty, but having no experience with it, goes out as a tramp with only 10 cents. Everyone warns him of the misguided nature of that experiment; eventually he runs into a down-on-her-luck girl (Veronica Lake) who accompanies him.

At first a light comedy with plenty of wit and enjoyable physical humour, Sullivan's Travels admires the commentary films can make on social systems. Sullivan praises a film symbolizing capitalism and labour destroying each other, and wants to make a film like it. It also explores, fairly extensively, how the rich can sympathize for the poor not knowing what the conditions are actually like. The butler condemns such rich people as morbid for glamourizing poverty. Sullivan, in fact, has great difficulty really getting into the feel of it, as he keeps ending up back in Hollywood, back at his mansion, back in the hands of his staff. He receives some sympathy he doesn't need. He asks tramps how they feel about the labour situation (how are they supposed to feel about it?). When Lake pushes him into the pool, one feels he deserves it.

That's until the last third of the film, which turns much darker. After Sullivan is robbed and knocked out by the only villainous poor person in the film, he, in a dazed state, hits a railroad worker with a rock and goes to prison. No one knows who he is. Now he's really facing harsh reality, beaten, in chains, unable to access the quality defence he needs. When he, fellow-prisoners and a black congregation watch a comedy film in a church, Sullivan sees first-hand what comedy can give these people. Once let out, he goes back to making comedies- everything's come full-circle, but now he has more purpose than ever.

This is a movie that adeptly balances comedy and drama, to examine comedy and drama. Two things particularly stand out- one is Lake, with her sultry voice and jaded character which are simply irresistible. The other is the scene in the church, where comedy unites and uplifts the downtrodden. This is movie magic.

A director discovers the magic of laughter

[blanche-2 · 10/10 · 21 September 2005]

Joel McCrea, as director John Sullivan, wants to make a drama about the problems in America, rather than a comedy. When it's pointed out to him that he knows nothing of trouble or problems, he sets out to learn in "Sullvian's Travels," written and directed by Preston Sturges. This great film is a mix of comedy and drama, featuring wonderful performances. Petite Veronica Lake is McCrea's costar, and she does a great job as an aspiring actress turned hobo traveling companion.

Sullivan learns a great deal on his travels - about jumping trains for transportation, about shelters, soup kitchens, bugs, hunger, victimization, and kindness. And he learns about the power of laughter and what it means to the average Joe.

There's some great slapstick, some witty dialogue, and plenty of pathos to be had in this movie. It's interesting to note that McCrea's next film was to be with Lake - "I Married a Witch" - but he informed the studio he couldn't work with her again. So the role in Witch went to Frederic March, who recalled the experience as the worst he'd ever had. I guess for a tiny woman, she packed a wallop. So does "Sullivan's Travels," so if you haven't seen it, don't miss it.

Deserves Its Lofty Reputation

[ccthemovieman-1 · 8/10 · 5 March 2006]

This is one of those films I keep rating higher each time I watch it. At first I thought it was just "fair" and, frankly, overrated, but I don't think so now. I especially would recommend seeing this on the Criterion DVD version to get the best picture available. I'm not plugging that company because I think their discs are overpriced, but they do a great job giving you the best transfer of these classics you'll ever find and it made this film even better.

The story is very different: one that suddenly turns 180 degrees in the last segment. After a more lighthearted combination of drama and humor through much of the story, the film gets surprisingly rough in the last 20 minutes and is not always fun to watch and the leading man, Joel McCrea, goes through some very, very tough times.

This is one of Veronica Lake's more appealing roles and, although not a beautiful women, she's intriguing enough - especially with her fabulous long blonde hair - to make me glad I have at least one sharp-looking film of her.

Overall, this Preston Sturges-directed movie is good stuff and a classic film that deservedly still has a solid reputation.

Slightly Disappointing

[dcshanno · 7/10 · 7 January 2002]

"Sullivan's Travels"--along with "The Palm Beach Story"--is a movie that keeps coming up over and over again in books, reviews, articles, and TV specials as being one of *the* classic comedies, but it's kind of hard to find (at least it has been for me). So I was thrilled when Turner Classic Movies decided to air it recently. This is why I wish I liked it better.

Leonard Maltin says in his review that the film blends comedy and sorrow "seamlessly," but I disagree. The first 30 or 45 minutes of the movie were terrific. The action was funny, the dialogue was smart and crisp, Joel McCrea and Veronica Lake played off of one another fabulously. But right around the time of the "hobo montage," the tone shifts gears and gets too somber. By the time the movie turned into "I Was a Fugitive from a Chain Gang," it had lost me.

I give it high marks for its wit, and I certainly wouldn't tell anyone not to see it. But for me the sudden transition from screwball to preachy makes this a pretty good comedy rather than a great one.

One of Hollywood's best comedies

[funkyfry · 10/10 · 4 November 2002]

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".

A comedy with a message

[FilmOtaku · 7/10 · 4 January 2005]

"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

" Sully Learns Laughter Is The Best Medicine "

[PamelaShort · 10/10 · 26 September 2013]

The message in this outstanding film is extremely clear, besides the obvious need for love, the human spirit also craves laughter and humour, especially in the most downtrodden of circumstances. This is not really a comedy film, but the drama is cleverly accentuated with satirical antics through the first half of the story, before it powerfully delivers the message. I will not give the reader a synopsis of this film as so many have so adequately done already. I will say the performance given by Joel McCrea is one of his finest. The young Veronica Lake adds glamour and gives a very charming performance worth seeing. William Demarest is completely in his element. The entire supporting cast all present their unique characters perfectly, making this movie a brilliant achievement for writer-director Preston Sturges. This is a must see classic film, that still continues to deliver pure enjoyment.

O Brother, Where Art Thou ?

[ShootingShark · 6/10 · 13 December 2007]

John L. Sullivan is a successful movie director of comedies who aspires to make a deeper and more meaningful film reflecting the troubled times. He sets out as a hobo with only ten cents, hooks up with a big-hearted girl and goes on a journey of self-discovery in his search for the real America.

This is one of those rare films which seems almost perfect in its execution and somehow succeeds on every level of construction. It's a howler of comedy with both hilarious slapstick scenes and side-splitting dialogue, it's a beautifully touching story of adversity and dignity, it's a moral lesson in the importance of art and entertainment, it's a thoughtful observation on the little-seen American underclasses, and it's Sturges' own little mocking indictment of himself. With such a range of targets it should be wildly uneven but it isn't; every scene rings true and the pathos of the church film-show sequence, as the convicts roar with laughter at Goofy's antics, remains one of the most poignant and touching moments in cinema. Very few Hollywood movies are about have-nots (Nothing Lasts Forever, They Live) and this picture - made during the grim period between America's economic depression and its involvement in World War II - beautifully captures the mood and frustration of the times. McCrea is sensational as Sullivan, a lofty motormouth who learns the hard way about deprivation, and Lake is as spellbinding as ever as The Girl - sensuous, funny and graceful all at the same time. The ensemble is a trove of gifted comic character actors, with top laurels going to Greig as Sullivan's laid-back, lugubrious butler. This movie has been enormously influential on several generations of filmmakers and is referenced in many other pictures (notably Grand Canyon and Barton Fink) - an unpretentious film about pretension. Writer-director Sturges is one of two genius comic-dramatic directors of the forties (the other is Frank Capra); don't miss this classic or any of his other films, notably The Palm Beach Story and Hail The Conquering Hero.

Sell laughs to the poor it's a social obligation, "Jumpin' Ja- Hosiphats!"

[rose_lily · 1/10 · 18 July 2013]

Sturges, the stepson of a wealthy, influential New York stockbroker, (whose last name he took as his own), in this movie tries to sell a patronizing, elitist premise as laudable "social conscience" to a credulous 1941 public. And this offense to intelligence has stood the test of time surviving the decades to stand as a Sturges comedic masterpiece.

In evaluating this movie, you have to put aside nostalgia and leave behind the hype surrounding the "worthy" reputation of Preston Sturges.

Remove the "wacky" screwball dressing adorning Sullivan's Travels and what you're left with is a depiction of the poor and disadvantaged as a business demographic: consumers of a commodity. Never mind that the reality was that a ticket for the 10 cent "picture-show" would have been a real luxury back then, an expense the poor could ill afford. Here Sturges won't even deign to suggest that they eat cake; he wants to nourish their empty stomachs with laughter.

The movie execs as portrayed in the storyline here, accustomed to living in their bubbles of privilege, see themselves as purveyors of a social service by making movies that give the unfortunate a few hours of laughs, a respite from their miserable existence. A reductive and simplistic bit of self-righteous justification.

Joel McCrea, as the movie director Sullivan, masquerading as a down and outer to gain material for "serious" film topics, engages in nothing but a tourist romp through the world of the have-nots. His travels through the netherworld are accomplished under the surveillance of an entourage of assistants and consultants who follow him around as a force in constant and protective vigil.

Veronica Lake is a wraith-like bit of feminine fluff, a decorative element to provide romantic interest. She's too radiant and groomed to be believable as a disillusioned starlet, worn out by the trials and tribulations undergone in a failed attempt to achieve Hollywood stardom.

The scene in the church is crafted as a plot device for dramatic epiphany and recognition. The congregation of African-American worshippers are joined by a group of convict laborers, and as the preacher emotes, "all in the sight of God," and after an introductory burst of hymn singing in unison, this assembly is treated to a show of cartoons...in the likes of Mickey Mouse et al. Like an alien, continuing his rocket ride into another galaxy, Hollywood honcho Sullivan, suddenly with wonderment sees the light. This flock of humble, reverent souls burst out in unrestrained laughter, an almost religious communion of joy overtakes all. Wow!...realizes the movie director… I've got the formula now!

Charlie Chaplin, purportedly, refused to be connected with the Sullivan's Travels project and it can be guessed at...for good reason. Chaplin's films could make you laugh and cry, they convey humanity and compassion. In this film, Sturges makes you cringe.