Title: Sullivan's Travels
Starring: Joel McCrea, Veronica Lake
Directed by: Preston Sturges
Year: 1941
Number on the AFI List: 61
This movie is my favorite talking comedy on the list thus far. I had no expectations going into it: no idea of the plot, I didn't know who the director or starring actors were, and the poster doesn't do it justice. Joel McCrea plays John L. Sullivan, a Hollywood director who has had his life handed to him on a silver platter and wants to become homeless for two weeks in order to relate to the lower class, and thus make a movie appealing to them-O Brother, Where Art Thou, which ended up being a hilarious comedy starring George Clooney in 2000 (but that's a different story...and this is a run on sentence). On his first attempt at this journey, he finds himself back in Hollywood and meets a struggling actress, The Girl, played by Veronica Lake (so funny how often names are overlooked in movies). She falls for him and decides to go on this journey with him, but a few setbacks later they're back in Hollywood again. Finally, after a series of unfortunate events, Sullivan finds himself accused of battery and in a chain gang, where he really learns what it means to be homeless and without hope. However, he finds that laughter is really what the poor need, not a depressing film that reflects their hardship.
I could say a lot about how this movie inaccurately depicts the poor, but social commentary aside, this movie is quick witted, well acted (subtle, not overt), and fun. I'm in LOVE with McCrea and Lake as co-stars, especially Lake, who threw herself into hilarious physical comedy without batting an eye. The whole ensemble cast was fantastic, from the producers who lie about their own hardships to get Sullivan to rethink his own life, to the reporters following Sullivan around, to the hobo's on the train. Well done, Preston Sturges.
Favorite moment: The car chase scene:
Will I watch it again: YES!
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