Sullivan's Travels
| Sullivan's Travels | |
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Theatrical Poster
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| Directed by | Preston Sturges |
| Produced by |
Paul Jones Buddy DeSylva (uncredited) Preston Sturges (uncredited) |
| Written by | Preston Sturges |
| Starring |
Joel McCrea Veronica Lake |
| Music by | Charles Bradshaw Leo Shuken |
| Cinematography | John Seitz |
| Edited by | Stuart Gilmore |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
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Release date
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Running time
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90 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $676,687 |
| Box office | $1,150,000 (US rentals) |
Sullivan's Travels is a 1941 American comedy film written and directed by Preston Sturges. It is a satire about a movie director, played by Joel McCrea, who longs to make a socially relevant drama, but eventually learns that comedies are his more valuable contribution to society. The film features one of Veronica Lake's first leading roles. The title is a reference to Gulliver's Travels, the famous novel by satirist Jonathan Swift about another journey of self-discovery.
In 1990, Sullivan's Travels was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."
John L. Sullivan (Joel McCrea) is a popular young Hollywood director of profitable but shallow comedies (e.g. Ants in Your Plants). Sullivan is dissatisfied despite his success and tells his studio boss, Mr. Lebrand (Robert Warwick) that he wants his next project to be a serious exploration of the plight of the downtrodden. He asks to make his next film an adaptation of O Brother, Where Art Thou?, a socially-conscious novel. Lebrand wants him to direct another lucrative comedy instead, but the idealistic Sullivan refuses to give in. He wants to "know trouble" first-hand, and plans to travel as a tramp so he can return and make a film that truly depicts the sorrows of humanity. His butler (Robert Greig) and valet (Eric Blore) openly question the wisdom of his plan.
Sullivan dresses as a penniless hobo and takes to the road, followed by a fully staffed double-decker coach at Lebrand's request. Neither party is happy with the arrangement; and Sullivan eventually persuades his guardians to leave him alone and arranges to rendezvous with them in Las Vegas later. However, when he hitchhikes alone, he finds himself back in Los Angeles where he started.
There he meets a young failed actress (Veronica Lake, credited only as "The Girl") who is just about to quit the business and go home. She believes he is truly a tramp, and buys him a breakfast of eggs and ham. In return for her kindness, Sullivan retrieves his car from his estate and gives her a lift. He neglects to tell his servants that he has returned; so they report the "theft" of the car and Sullivan and the Girl are apprehended by the police. Upon their release, the Girl pushes him into his enormous swimming pool for deceiving her about his true identity. However, after considering her options, she becomes his traveling companion.
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Wikipedia