SULLIVAN’S TRAVELS
US, 1941, 90 minutes, Black and white.
Joel Mc Crea, Veronica Lake, Robert Warwick, William Demarest, Franklin Pangborn, Porter Hall, Eric Blore.
Directed by Preston Sturges.
Sullivan’s Travels was released the same month as the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbour. It was one of the great classics of American comedy. Sturges, a prolific writer who was beginning his directing career (rather short-lived), wanted to tell the story of a director, pampered by Hollywood, who wanted to make a film about poverty and who went out onto the road as a hobo and learnt the realities of life, American style. There is a great deal of comic writing, slapstick, along with touches of the surreal.
Joel Mc Crea is the American everyman, the decent upright screen presence with whom audiences could identify. Veronica Lake has an early appearance as the girl. Several other American comedy actors fill out the cast.
The film has a lot to offer in terms of reflection on American society – and is worth comparing the present with this image of the United States.
The film that Joel Mc Crea’s director, Sullivan, was going to make, was to be called Oh, Brother, Where Art Thou. This was the origin of the Coen brothers’ choice for the title of their 2000 comedy.
Preston Sturges was to go on to make his classics The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek and Hail the Conquering Hero.
1. How good a comedy satire was this? It was considered very highly in its day. What were the main qualities of its comedy, of its satire? Incidents, characters, dialogue?
2. How evident was it that this was a film of the forties? The black and white photography and its style? The portrayal of the Hollywood studios? The cinematic effects?
3. How important for the success of the film was the impact of Joel Mc Crea and Veronica Lake?
4. How enjoyable a satire on Hollywood was this? The importance of the opening sequences and the filming of the western? The portrayal of contracts, studio life, the ideas men, the protection of the producers, the publicity, the lengths which the studios went to to protect their properties, push their causes? What overall picture of Hollywood and its people did the film give?
5. How interesting and attractive a character was Sullivan in himself? His role as film director, his serious approach to filming, his relationship with his wife, his work, his ambitions? What was his motivation in going on the trek to find the truth? The irony of his wanting to be poor with the advice of his butlers? The initial lack of success in going out into the world? The importance of his encounter with the girl and his not telling her the truth? Her support in his travels? What did he begin to learn on his travels? The accident? The importance of the prison sequences? The work in the swamps? The effect of films on the prisoners? What had he learnt by his return? Why did he want to change his projects for the future?
6. The film was dedicated to clowns. Why? What ideas did the director have about clowns, satire and their effect on audiences? The importance of the long chase sequence and its humour? The prisoners laughing at the Disney humour? SullIvan? beginning to laugh? How serious was this film underlying its humour? Especially as regards prison and the seeming hopelessness of prison? The serious themes of film-making?
7. The importance of the Hollywood heroine? The role of the girl in this film? Her relationship with Sullivan and her support of him?
8. How well portrayed was Sullivan's wife,, the agents and their arguing, the people out to protect Sullivan during his travels, the publicity people etc? Were they characters as caricatures?
9. What was the purpose of making this Hollywood Odyssey?
10.How was the film an Odyssey of entertainment? Of humour and seriousness? Of the varieties of audience response? The value of making a film like this about film-making and its purpose?
