Sullivan's Travels (1941)

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

A Brilliant Conflict

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

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

The strange shift from comedy to tragic drama in this film shows some kind of genius that is rarely utilized in film making. Joel McCrea and Veronica Lake play off one another like real lovers. It's too bad that Lake played a Nazi sympathizer during the actual war against the Nazis. Looks like she shot her own self in the foot--and never recovered. Aficionados of the Hobo culture will love this film.

I was 110% blown away by this film. It is a crying shame that Sullivan's Travels is not on the IMDb top 250. As a lover of classic movies I'm ashamed of myself for not have seeing it earlier. Veronica Lake gives an outstanding performance as the mysterious girl and Joel McCrea perfectly en-captures the complicated film director John Sullivan. This movie is a perfect blend of comedy, romance, drama, and raw emotion rolled up into one perfect black and white old school 40s film. The acting is superb as both the leading actors and supporting ones bring the film together to make it truly special. This film gives great perspective from the points of view of both the rich and poor alike. A MUST SEE FOR ANY CLASSIC MOVIE LOVER. Treat yourself to an hour and a half of joy, sadness and heartbreak with a twist ending. Take my word as a true film fan, this movie will not disappoint and if you don't see it i feel bad for you. Check out putlocker.is to watch for free along with thousands of other great movies.

John L. Sullivan (Joel McCrea) is a successful Hollywood director doing low-brow silly comedies. He is dissatisfied and wants to do something serious like "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" by Sinclair Beckstein. Sullivan knows nothing about trouble and dresses up as a tramp to get to know human suffering. Everybody keeps helping him out and he can't get away from his people. Eventually he meets a failed actress (Veronica Lake) looking to leave Hollywood. He tries to give her a ride in his own car. However the staff reported it stolen and the two are arrested. He returns home with the girl and now she wants to join him in his experiment.This has the Preston Sturges rapid fire dialog style. Joel McCrea is a sweet likable leading man. Veronica Lake is adorable especially when she's being a tramp (the hobo kind). They have great chemistry together. The comedy is fun. The tone isn't so simple as a straight forward comedy. It has some darker moments especially when the couple go their separate way. The big scene with them watching the cartoon is one of those cinematic poetry.