Sullivan's Travels (1942)
Director: Preston Sturges
Starring: Joel McCrea, Veronica Lake
Honors:
When many films attempted to construct a story to preach some sort of moral
or profound message, attempting to be deeper than they actually are we are reminded
that sometimes that it is the simple things that we enjoy the most. In this
case it is the slapstick, silly jokes, and simple humor that are presented as
the root of what comforts us through our tougher times. The picture Sullivan’s Travels was director Preston
Sturges’ love letter to comedies, reminding audiences that a hearty laugh is
what many of us need to help us break up our wearisome days and are true
treasures for us to hold onto while living.
Sullivan’s Travels is a
comedy about a movie director who pines to produce a socially significant
drama, but is reminded that comedies are far more valuable to his audiences. A
profitable director of narrow comedies, John L. Sullivan is determined that for
his project he would like to produce an adaptation of a socially-conscience
novel about the downtrodden and feels the only way he can understand the subject
matter is to live out that lifestyle of a penniless drifter. Despite the
troubles the movie studio gives Sullivan a half-hearted blessing where he is allowed
to set out on his educational sojourn. While attempting to start his life of scarcity
he befriends a failed actress (Veronica Lake) who, after learning who he is,
joins Sullivan on his journey of living in shelters, hopping on train boxcars,
and eating in soup kitchens while a relationship begins to blossom.
Through mishaps and mistaken identity Sullivan disappears and presumed
dead by officials, while in truth he ends up in arrested serving in a labor
camp after a short fit with amnesia. One night as a reprieve from the hard
knocks of physical labor under the correctional system (essentially working a
chain gang)he takes in a picture show with his fellow inmates where while watching
a Mickey Mouse cartoon he sees how rewarding laugher is to these broken men. After
Sullivan able to convince the jailors of mistaken identity Sullivan is released
to great fanfare and the studio greenlights Sullivan’s intended project.
However he declines the original intentions having learned that his comedies,
his comedies in particular, are far more valuable to audiences as he sets out
to continue to make audiences laugh.
The picture is surprisingly fresh and with its very natural dialogue and
tones which was a gift of writer/director Preston Sturges. The satire comedy
does not take itself seriously and adds a bit of goofball comedy in with the
story of a man attempting to be inspired to take an intellectual step in his craft.
In the end we get a humorous tale that remains enjoyable to watch decades later
by audiences all over.
Preston Sturges was a unique figure in Hollywood as one of the first,
if not the very first, screenwriter to be given the chance to direct his own
scripts in the age when studios were factories and screenwriters and directors
took their places at different times in the determined process in the projects.
With this picture Sturges satires his on industry with a lighthearted comedy
with a simple message that comedies are simple yet ever valuable entertainment to
be treasured for it entertainment beyond that of the dramas he was seeing in
the industry at the time. His gift with plotting words and coaxing natural
performances from his key actors produce a film which his audiences would
cherish, as well as inspiring others that would follow in his footsteps in the
industry.
The portrayal of the impoverished is exaggerated in the picture to best
suit the story, so do not take setting to seriously. After all, it is a comedy.
This is the very point of the feature as it is a meant to be a simple picture
produced in effort to entertain, not to creature any profound statement other
than that.
The film stars Joel McCrea as the title character John L. Sullivan who
is joined by Veronica Lake as the nameless female companion, a failed actress ,
as they discover the lives of the penniless and eventually fall in love. McCrea
had a wonderful time working with Sturges on this project, which is evident in
his performance and future appearance in Sturges’ next feature, The Palm Beach Story. However much could
be said of Lake and the troubles she created for the film.
After Veronica Lake landed the role of “the girl” she showed up to the
set of the picture only to have reveal she was six months pregnant. The fact
that she did not inform the director or producers of her situation infuriated
Sturges to the point of, legend states, having to be held back from charging after
her in rage. Legendary costume designer Edith Head would have the task of
masking Lake’s late pregnancy, which she does remarkably well, considering Lake
would be up to eight months pregnant near the end of her filming schedule. Joel
McCrea would find working with Lake entirely too frustrating, an unpleasant actress
to work with, vowing to never work with her again. McCrea would turn down a
future role in an upcoming movie due to the fact that Lake was starring in the feature
keeping in with his word. The two would however be reunited in a later picture
later in their careers. In any case Lake would gain a star status with the appearances
of her signature hair that draped over her right eye that would inspire a style
at the time.
When Sullivan’s Travels first
released it was an immediate box office success, but found only generally
positive critical reviews with some critics not caring for the plot and message
of the story. However with time critics and film historians would come to
praise the Sturges feature as it can be found on many all-time lists with some
of the most cherished comedies and even best pictures in Hollywood history.
From a contemporary point of view the film remains a classic that is held in high
regard in American cinema history as one of the finest comedies, which reminds
us all how laughter remains the best medicine when we are down.
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