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A successful Hollywood director disguises himself as a bum and sets off to see America from the bottom up. In the midst of the brutality and despair, he makes a valuable discovery-- that what the downtrodden need most is laughter.
There was a period during the 1940s when everything Preston Sturges touched was wildly successful, with both critics and the public. His forte was comedy, and in Sullivan’s Travels he highlighted the importance of laughter in the lives of Americans by telling the story of a director disgusted with his success making humorous pictures, as he sets out to make an "important" one.
Joel McCrea portrays the filmmaker tired of churning out lowbrow comedies, despite their tremendous commercial success. His idea to make a serious social film is met with much incredulity and resistance because, as pointed out to him, he knows nothing about the common man. To experience what it is like to be without, he leaves Hollywood behind and sets out to live as a hobo. The studio makes the task nearly impossible by sending an entourage to follow him everywhere, however. On his second attempt to elude them and strike out on his own he meets the wonderful Veronica Lake. She is an extra in the movies who hasn’t gotten the breaks, but she gives Sullivan one by buying him breakfast. He discovers she loves one of his comedies, and when they are briefly detained by the police for borrowing his own car she discovers who he really is and what he is trying to do.
Most famous today for her hairdo and films opposite Alan Ladd, Lake is simply fabulous here, and has never been lovelier or more engaging. A real affection develops between the couple as they have a riotous time hopping a freight. Her attempt to hide her glamour under a French cap and boys clothes only makes her more alluring. The pair finally get their chance to live like tramps, but Sullivan discovers being without is not all it's cracked up to be.
A nearly tragic turn of events ensues when he ends up on a chain gang, and for a time in this film, everyone believes he is dead. Sturges shows the futility of greed in this film when Sullivan is robbed but his attacker. His humor is in evidence as well; he make’s Lake’s character a Lubitch fan!
The wondrous Lake falls in love with the idealistic Sullivan before he realizes just how important the laughter he provides is to people with so little to laugh about. McCrea gives a terrific performance and is matched in every frame of celluloid by Veronica Lake. While not as outright funny as his other films of note, Sullivan’s Travels has more relevance. Its message is a timeless one and as important today as when the film was made. ( )
A Hollywood director tries to experience life as a tramp.
An enjoyable movie. Its more serious parts don't work as well as the comedy - it's too bluntly trying to say something rather than tell a story. But for a movie with a social message, it's aged remarkably well.
Concept: C Story: B Characters: B Dialog: B Pacing: B Cinematography: B Special effects/design: B Acting: B Music: B
A successful Hollywood director disguises himself as a bum and sets off to see America from the bottom up. In the midst of the brutality and despair, he makes a valuable discovery-- that what the downtrodden need most is laughter.
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(4.26)
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Joel McCrea portrays the filmmaker tired of churning out lowbrow comedies, despite their tremendous commercial success. His idea to make a serious social film is met with much incredulity and resistance because, as pointed out to him, he knows nothing about the common man. To experience what it is like to be without, he leaves Hollywood behind and sets out to live as a hobo. The studio makes the task nearly impossible by sending an entourage to follow him everywhere, however. On his second attempt to elude them and strike out on his own he meets the wonderful Veronica Lake. She is an extra in the movies who hasn’t gotten the breaks, but she gives Sullivan one by buying him breakfast. He discovers she loves one of his comedies, and when they are briefly detained by the police for borrowing his own car she discovers who he really is and what he is trying to do.
Most famous today for her hairdo and films opposite Alan Ladd, Lake is simply fabulous here, and has never been lovelier or more engaging. A real affection develops between the couple as they have a riotous time hopping a freight. Her attempt to hide her glamour under a French cap and boys clothes only makes her more alluring. The pair finally get their chance to live like tramps, but Sullivan discovers being without is not all it's cracked up to be.
A nearly tragic turn of events ensues when he ends up on a chain gang, and for a time in this film, everyone believes he is dead. Sturges shows the futility of greed in this film when Sullivan is robbed but his attacker. His humor is in evidence as well; he make’s Lake’s character a Lubitch fan!
The wondrous Lake falls in love with the idealistic Sullivan before he realizes just how important the laughter he provides is to people with so little to laugh about. McCrea gives a terrific performance and is matched in every frame of celluloid by Veronica Lake. While not as outright funny as his other films of note, Sullivan’s Travels has more relevance. Its message is a timeless one and as important today as when the film was made. (