I think all film junkies have a few films they hate that nearly everyone loves. So, while "Sullivan't Travels" is considered a classic and has an extremely high rating of 8.1, when I last saw it I was terribly disappointed and didn't understand all the hoopla about the film. That was years ago and I decided to do something I rarely do...see the film again to see if perhaps my original IMDb review (which I have since deleted) was right or wrong. Here is what I think of the film on a second viewing....
The first thing that really stood out in my mind when I watched the film was Preston Sturgis' casting for the movie. Veronica Lake was very popular in Alan Ladd pictures because he was a very short man...and she was a rather tiny actress. Yet, in spite of this (or, most likely because of this), Sturgis paired her with one of the largest leading men of his day. The 15 inch difference in height was NOT typical at all of Hollywood...but more typical of real life and I can only assume the famed writer/director deliberately was resisting traditional casting decisions since the movie is a critical look at Hollywood and its clichés. I appreciated this more the second time viewing the picture.
The story finds the famous Hollywood director, John L. Sullivan (Joel McCrea) in a funk. While he's successful in his career, he also worries that his films lack a connection to the common man and might not be representing real life. This is a reasonable concern-- especially since most films of the preceding decade portrayed very rich, happy and fashionable folks...all during the Great Depression!! So, Sullivan decides to try living incognito-- traveling the country dressed like a hobo to see the other side of America. Along the way, he meets an adorable lady (Veronica Lake) and they decide to go slumming together. The problem is that no matter how bad life is living in the gutter, they can always elect to return home to comfort and a good meal...and Sullivan finds out the hard way what it's like NOT to be able to just go home when he's tired of slumming it.
Overall, I was MUCH more positive to the film the second time around. Now I am not saying I loved the movie but I did love much of it. Like many Sturgis pictures, the dialog was the best part...and it was snappy and enjoyable. My reservations for not giving it a higher score are that the story seems, at least today, a bit contrived. Also, the Mickey Mouse cartoon segment STILL seems way overdone (NOTHING is that funny)...my biggest complaint the first time. But on balance, the good far outweighs the bad and I am glad I decided to give it another try. I still think it's a bit overrated but an excellent film nonetheless.
The first thing that really stood out in my mind when I watched the film was Preston Sturgis' casting for the movie. Veronica Lake was very popular in Alan Ladd pictures because he was a very short man...and she was a rather tiny actress. Yet, in spite of this (or, most likely because of this), Sturgis paired her with one of the largest leading men of his day. The 15 inch difference in height was NOT typical at all of Hollywood...but more typical of real life and I can only assume the famed writer/director deliberately was resisting traditional casting decisions since the movie is a critical look at Hollywood and its clichés. I appreciated this more the second time viewing the picture.
The story finds the famous Hollywood director, John L. Sullivan (Joel McCrea) in a funk. While he's successful in his career, he also worries that his films lack a connection to the common man and might not be representing real life. This is a reasonable concern-- especially since most films of the preceding decade portrayed very rich, happy and fashionable folks...all during the Great Depression!! So, Sullivan decides to try living incognito-- traveling the country dressed like a hobo to see the other side of America. Along the way, he meets an adorable lady (Veronica Lake) and they decide to go slumming together. The problem is that no matter how bad life is living in the gutter, they can always elect to return home to comfort and a good meal...and Sullivan finds out the hard way what it's like NOT to be able to just go home when he's tired of slumming it.
Overall, I was MUCH more positive to the film the second time around. Now I am not saying I loved the movie but I did love much of it. Like many Sturgis pictures, the dialog was the best part...and it was snappy and enjoyable. My reservations for not giving it a higher score are that the story seems, at least today, a bit contrived. Also, the Mickey Mouse cartoon segment STILL seems way overdone (NOTHING is that funny)...my biggest complaint the first time. But on balance, the good far outweighs the bad and I am glad I decided to give it another try. I still think it's a bit overrated but an excellent film nonetheless.