{"id":20001,"date":"2011-10-21T11:18:17","date_gmt":"2011-10-21T18:18:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=20001"},"modified":"2021-02-03T00:33:50","modified_gmt":"2021-02-03T07:33:50","slug":"sullivans-travels-1941","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=20001","title":{"rendered":"Sullivan&#8217;s Travels (1941)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;There&#8217;s a lot to be said for making people laugh.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Sullivans-Travels-Poster.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Sullivans-Travels-Poster-191x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"191\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-20002\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Sullivans-Travels-Poster-191x300.jpg 191w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Sullivans-Travels-Poster-81x128.jpg 81w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Sullivans-Travels-Poster.jpg 580w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 191px) 100vw, 191px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nA successful comedy film director (Joel McCrea) hoping to make more &#8220;meaningful&#8221; social dramas decides to dress in hobo clothing and hit the road to learn first-hand what poverty is like. Soon he meets a beautiful young ingenue (Veronica Lake) who accompanies him on his travails &#8212; but events quickly turn much more serious than he intended.\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Class Relations<\/li>\n<li>Comedy<\/li>\n<li>Depression Era<\/li>\n<li>Hollywood<\/li>\n<li>Joel McCrea Films<\/li>\n<li>Mistaken or Hidden Identities<\/li>\n<li>Movie Directors<\/li>\n<li>Preston Sturges Films<\/li>\n<li>Veronica Lake Films<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Response to Peary\u2019s Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nPeary votes this &#8220;marvelous social satire&#8221; by Preston Sturges as Best Picture of the Year in his <em>Alternate Oscars<\/em> book, though he wishes he could call it a tie with Ernst Lubitsch&#8217;s <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=42283\"><em>To Be Or Not To Be<\/em><\/a>, which he considers an equally worthy contender. He argues that Sturges proves &#8220;that a good Hollywood film can mix outrageous comedy with a social message&#8221;, given that we &#8220;laugh at the hysterical dialogue, the farcical situations&#8230;, the satirical barbs against Hollywood, and the slapstick&#8221;, yet also &#8220;pay attention to the parade of poverty&#8217;s victims during Sullivan&#8217;s Swiftian journey&#8221;. However, I&#8217;m not quite sure I agree with this latter point. At the risk of sounding like a Grinch about a Certified American Classic, I don&#8217;t actually believe audiences are forced to pay enough attention to &#8220;poverty&#8217;s victims&#8221; in this film &#8212; which is all about Sullivan, all the time.  While Peary notes that Sturges &#8220;democratically gives all his characters, even his supporting players, important and wise things to say&#8221;, the voices of the downtrodden he&#8217;s so interested in speaking to and learning about are, with just a couple of exceptions, noticeably absent. <\/p>\n<p>Now that my gripe is over, however, I&#8217;ll concede that there is much to admire about the film. Its Hawksian dialogue does indeed &#8220;have humor and rhythm&#8221;; Peary accurately describes it &#8220;like a relay race, with words used like batons&#8221;, in which &#8220;the second one character finishes a sentence, another starts his; characters join in, there are no gaps, and the pace becomes frenetic&#8221;. He also notes that &#8220;McCrea, who is well over six feet tall, and Lake at five-foot-two and 90 pounds [though pregnant!]&#8230; make a wonderful screen team&#8221;, given that they &#8220;have sweet feelings toward each other from the beginning, and are always protective of one another&#8221;; they are indeed &#8220;an ideal couple&#8221;. As Peary notes, this &#8220;was the picture that confirmed [they] were versatile performers&#8221;. Watch for a host of fine supporting performances, lovely b&#038;w cinematography, and numerous memorable scenes. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Joel McCrea as John Sullivan (nominated as one of the Best Actors of the Year in <em>Alternate Oscars<\/em>)<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Sullivans-Travels-McCrea2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Sullivans-Travels-McCrea2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"544\" height=\"400\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-20006\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Sullivans-Travels-McCrea2.png 544w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Sullivans-Travels-McCrea2-128x94.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Sullivans-Travels-McCrea2-300x220.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 544px) 100vw, 544px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Veronica Lake as &#8220;the Girl&#8221; (nominated as one of the Best Actresses of the Year in <em>Alternate Oscars<\/em>)<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Sullivans-Travels-Lake.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Sullivans-Travels-Lake.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"544\" height=\"400\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-20007\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Sullivans-Travels-Lake.png 544w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Sullivans-Travels-Lake-128x94.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Sullivans-Travels-Lake-300x220.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 544px) 100vw, 544px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Wonderful supporting performances throughout<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Sullivans-Travels-Supporting.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Sullivans-Travels-Supporting.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"544\" height=\"400\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-20008\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Sullivans-Travels-Supporting.png 544w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Sullivans-Travels-Supporting-128x94.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Sullivans-Travels-Supporting-300x220.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 544px) 100vw, 544px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Sullivans-Travels-Supporting2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Sullivans-Travels-Supporting2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"544\" height=\"400\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-20009\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Sullivans-Travels-Supporting2.png 544w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Sullivans-Travels-Supporting2-128x94.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Sullivans-Travels-Supporting2-300x220.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 544px) 100vw, 544px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>John Seitz&#8217;s cinematography<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Sullivans-Travels-Cinematography.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Sullivans-Travels-Cinematography.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"544\" height=\"400\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-68214\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Sullivans-Travels-Cinematography.png 544w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Sullivans-Travels-Cinematography-300x221.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Sullivans-Travels-Cinematography-128x94.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Sullivans-Travels-Cinematography-367x270.png 367w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 544px) 100vw, 544px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nYes, of course &#8212; as an undisputed classic. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Categories<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Genuine Classic<\/li>\n<li>Important Director<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p> (<span style=\"color:red;font-weight:bold;\">Listed in <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-static\/1001Movies.htm\"><em>1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die<\/em><\/a><\/span>) <\/p>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0034240\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1942\/01\/29\/archives\/comic-tour-in-sullivans-travels-on-the-paramounts-screen-a-yank-on.html\">NY Times Original Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.qnetwork.com\/review\/3265\">Q Network Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.filmsite.org\/sull.html\">Greatest Films Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.jigsawlounge.co.uk\/film\/sullivans.html\">Jigsaw Lounge Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.digitallyobsessed.com\/displaylegacy.php?ID=1487\">Digitally Obsessed Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.dvdtalk.com\/dvdsavant\/s296sull.html\">DVD Savant Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.cinescene.com\/flicks\/flicks112002.htm#sullivans\">CineScene Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tcm.com\/tcmdb\/title\/91851\/sullivans-travels\/#articles-reviews\">TCM Articles<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.timeout.com\/movies\/sullivans-travels\">Time Out Capsule Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;There&#8217;s a lot to be said for making people laugh.&#8221; Synopsis: A successful comedy film director (Joel McCrea) hoping to make more &#8220;meaningful&#8221; social dramas decides to dress in hobo clothing and hit the road to learn first-hand what poverty is like. Soon he meets a beautiful young ingenue (Veronica Lake) who accompanies him on his travails &#8212; but events quickly turn much more serious than he intended. Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors: Class Relations Comedy Depression Era Hollywood Joel&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=20001\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20001","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-responses-to-peary"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20001","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=20001"}],"version-history":[{"count":18,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20001\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":68216,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20001\/revisions\/68216"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=20001"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=20001"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=20001"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}