Sullivans Reisen (1941)

Sullivans Reisen: Directed by Preston Sturges. With Joel McCrea, Veronica Lake, Robert Warwick, William Demarest. Hollywood director John L Sullivan sets out to experience life as a homeless person in order to gain relevant life experience for his next movie.

“Preston Sturges (1898-1959) wrote over 40 film screenplays spanning the years 1930-1958 and directed over a dozen films 1940-1955. His first attempt at directing was a success with a string of two popularly and critically acclaimed films in each of the years 1940 and 1941, u0026quot;The Great McGintyu0026quot;, u0026quot;Christmas in Julyu0026quot;; u0026quot;The Lady Eveu0026quot; (starring Henry Fonda and Barbara Stanwyck), and this film, u0026quot;Sullivanu0026#39;s Travelsu0026quot;.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe beauty of u0026quot;Sullivanu0026#39;s Travelsu0026quot; is the combination in genre of comedy as well as social satire and realism of the tough times of the Great Depression that the country had just weathered for a decade. Throw a romance in to the mix and a level of redirection of a u0026quot;film on filmu0026quot; to make this an interesting film.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eJohn Sullivan (Joel McCrea) is a famous director who is at odds with his production company. They want him to direct a comic film, while he wants to apply his talent to creating an analytic looking glass onto the sobering times called, u0026quot;O Brother, Where Art Thou?u0026quot;. Wealthy and successful, he is mocked for not at all knowing misfortune – how would he make such a film? John takes this as a challenge, dresses as a hobo, and leaves the studio with a dime in his pocket to explore what life is like for the down and out.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eHowever he tries to flee, he ends up getting somehow quickly being returned to Hollywood. Early on, he meets u0026quot;the girlu0026quot; (Veronica Lake; I donu0026#39;t recall her ever being given a name in the film) who sees that he is too innocent to survive on his own, and insists on bringing her broader knowledge of society to the journey and joining him to get him through this learning adventure.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe first part of the film is comic, but just as it seems to be coming to an unfulfilled ending, something unexpected happens. This event alters the course of everything and exposes John to some of the true injustices of the time – and shows him (and poignantly reminded me) that comedy is particularly important when some people have nothing else to cheer them up.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThis is a film of classic Hollywood vintage, with good, snappy performances by both of the lead actors. The romance isnu0026#39;t at all developed but just seems to happen in a matter-of-fact way (perhaps we can take it on faith that there is instant chemistry), but what is lacking in psychology of the relationship is made up for in the chilling glimpse we get of the psyche of the underdog in Depression America.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003e –Dilip Barman June 19, 2004”