A true Preston Sturges masterpiece. “Sullivan’s Travels” is an American classic and the Criterion Collection DVD release is simply a magnificent in showcasing Sturges’ film career and more.
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TITLE: Sullivan’s Travels – The Criterion Collection #118
DURATION: 90 Minutes
DVD INFORMATION: Black and White, Monaural, 1:33:1 Aspect Ratio
COMPANY: Paramount Pictures/The Criterion Collection
RELEASED: 2001
Written and Directed by Preston Sturges
Executive Producer: Buddy G. DeSylva
Produced by Preston Sturges
Associate Producer: Paul Jones
Music by Charles Bradshaw, Leo Shuken
Cinematography by John F. Seitz
Edited by Stuart Gilmore
Casting by Robert Mayo
Art Direction by Hans Dreier, A. Earl Hedrick
Costume Design by Edith Head
Starring:
Joel McCrea as John L. Lloyd Sullivan
Veronica Lake as The Girl
Robert Warwick as Mr. Lebrand
William Demarest as Mr. Jones
Franklin Pangborn as Mr. Casalsis
Porter Hall as Mr. Hadrian
Byron Foulger as Mr. Johnny Valdelle
Margaret Hayes as Secretary
Robert Greig as Burroughs
Eric Blore as Sullivan’s valet
Torben Meyer as the Doctor
Victor Potel as Cameraman
Richard Webb as Radio Man
Charles R. Moore as Colored Chef
This masterpiece by Preston Sturges is perhaps the finest movie-about-a-movie ever made. Hollywood director Joel McCrea, tired of churning out lightweight comedies, decides to make O Brother, Where Art Thou—a serious, socially responsible film about human suffering. After his producers point out that he knows nothing of hardship, he hits the road as a hobo. He finds the lovely Veronica Lake—and more trouble than he ever dreamed of.
In 1941, producer/writer/director Preston Sturges (“The Lady Eve”, “Unfaithfully Yours”, “The Great McGinty”)Â created his masterpiece “Sullivan’s Travels” starring actor Joel McCrea (“Foreign Correspondent”, “Buffalo Bill”, “The Virginian”) and actress Veronica Lake (“I Married a Witch”, “This Gun for Hire”, “Hold That Blonde”).
The film was selected for preservation by the US National Film Registry by the Library of Congress in 1990 as being “Culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” and in 2007, was ranked #61 in the American Film Institute’s “Greatest Movie of All Time”.
The film revolves around director John L. Sullivan (played by Joel McCrea). After having his share of profitable films, which were comedies that were not showcasing him as a serious director, Sullivan decided that he wanted to change things up and direct a film titled “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”. Of course, the studio head Mr. Lebrand (played by Robert Warwick) wants him to focus on comedy but Sullivan will not do it.
Sullivan comes up with an idea. Why not learn first-hand on how to be a homeless person (know in the 1940’s as the word “tramp”) by actually becoming one in order to gain the research he needs for his serious film that would depict the sorrow of humanity.
Of course, the studio is not so thrilled about their profitable director getting into that kind of trouble, so they have an entourage following Sullivan who is dressed as a tramp hitchhiking. The problem is that the entourage are just a bit too close and nearby. So, Sullivan tells them that he needs his space and distance from them to make this research possible and will meet them in Las Vegas.
Sullivan eventually breaks free and starts working as a helping hand for a woman who tries to keep him locked up in the house but Sullivan manages to escape and hitchhikes his way out of the area and is given a ride by a truck driver. When he wakes up, he finds out that he is taken back to Hollywood. Upset and hungry, he goes into a diner but with not much money, a failed actress (played by Veronica Lake) buys him breakfast.
Sullivan learns that the girl has only been taking extra work and has not done so well in Hollywood. So, he wants to help her. He pretends that he knows a successful director named Sullivan and borrows his car and tells her that he can stay at the director’s home for several weeks and he’ll fly her back home. But when the two are busted by police, Sullivan is forced to reveal that he is not homeless or a washed up director, he is actually a successful director dressing up as a tramp in order to do research for his upcoming film.
Upset by Sulllivan lying to her, she tells him that if he is going to disguise himself as a homeless person to research this role, she is going to join him. And thus begins, Sullivan’s travels along with the girl to learn how it is to be homeless in America during these harsh times.
VIDEO & AUDIO:
“Sullivan’s Travels – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #118” is featured in black and white (1:33:1 aspect ratio). The film looks very good on DVD, I didn’t notice any blemishes, major dust or compression problems. According to Criterion, the new digital transfer was created from a 35m duplicate negative. Blacks are nice and deep with mild flickering. Most of the dust and scratches show during the projector reel of the Disney animated film but a very good transfer from Criterion.
Of course, this is a 2001 DVD release, so I can imagine that if this film is released on Blu-ray, hopefully in the near future, we will see the definitive version of the film. Also, there is a 2006 DVD release from Universal Pictures included in the Preston Sturges DVD box set which I have not had the opportunity to watch and compare with this Criterion release.
As for audio, the film is presented in monaural. According to Criterion, the HD transfer was created from an optical soundtrack.   But pretty much, “Sullivan’s Travel” features very good picture quality and audio on this Criterion Collection DVD, especially since it is a film that is 70-years-old.
Subtitles are in English SDH.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
“Sullivan’s Travels – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #118” comes with the following special features:
- Audio commentary by filmmakers Noah Baumbach, Kenneth Bowser and actors Christopher Guest and Michael McKean – An enjoyable commentary by the four who discuss the film. Very good insight on Preston Sturges by Kenneth Bowser. Note: All four were not in the studio watching the film at the same time for the commentary.
- Preston Sturges: The Rise and Fall of an American Dreamer – (1:15:10) A 76-minute documentary made by Kenneth Bowser for PBS’s “American Masters” series. A very well-done documentary on Preston Sturges from his earlier family life to being blackballed by the industry and losing the business he started and losing a lot of his money.
- Interview with Preston Sturges’ widow Sandy Sturges – (13:37) An interview with Sandy Sturges in 2001. Who also reveals of why things may have gone sour between Howard Hughes and Preston Sturges.
- Hedda Hopper radio interview with Preston Sturges – A four minute radio interview from 1951 for Heda Hopper’s Hollywood. Sturges talks about the importance of television and film.
- Preston Sturges singing his original composition “My Love” – A Homemade recording of Sturges singing “My Love” from 1938.
- Preston Sturges reciting the poem “If I Were King” – A recital written by Justin Huntly McCarthy used for McCArthy’s play and was the basis for the screenplay “If I Were King” (1938).
- Storyboard and blueprints – Storyboards and blueprints presented by the UCLA Special Collections Library. Viewers can navigate the images via remote.
- Production Stills Archive – Collection of production stills and behind-the-scenes photos courtesy of Sandy Sturges and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Viewers can navigate the stills via remote.
- Scrapbook of original publicity materials – Behind-the-scenes photos, correspondence, publicity material courtesy of the Sturges family and the UCLA Special Collections Library for the first time. Viewers can navigate through the materials via remote.
- Original theatrical trailer – (1:49) The original theatrical trailer without any remastering.
I have to admit that when I first watched “Sullivan’s Travels”, I was a bit surprised. I was expecting a screwball comedy and at first, the film was very comedy-driven until you get to the final half hour and see how serious the film gets and then it transitions back to a comedy film once again.
But there are scenes that made me happy to see. First, the chemistry between Joeal McCrea and Veronica Lake was just magnificent. To see how Sturges avoided any problems by the censors but yet still making sure he was compliant with the Hays code was quite interesting. Where depiction of a couple sleeping together was typically not possible (thus the two beds were separated during the Golden Era) but then sidestepping the code by having the two sleep together in other scenes without the use of a bedroom. But to watch these two together on screen and have so much fun made this film quite enjoyable. Veronica Lake looks absolutely stunning in this film.
Another scene that I absolute enjoyed was how it depicted the Southern church and its Black parishioners. With Blacks typically shown stereotypically in roles that made fun of their characters, we see both black and white people watching a film together and both races are enjoying the film together. In fact, the NAACP secretary Walter White even wrote a letter to Sturges congratulating him in creating a film and showcasing Blacks decent treatment. I was definitely a moving scene.
Although the film received rave reviews, within the 70+ years after the film’s release in theaters, many critics are discovering how important and significant this film is and also how this film ranks up there among Sturges’s other popular films
It’s one thing to give the film credit but I also give credit to the Criterion Collection for including the documentary “The Rise and Fall of an American Dreamer” which received an HD transfer for this DVD release. I had no idea how much turmoil Sturges had to face after the 1940’s. For a man who’s films are so highly regarded, it’s a shame that the early Hollywood system really turned their backs on him and literally blackballed him from ever writing, directing or producing another film during the 1950’s. Kenneth Bowser does a remarkable job in featuring the career of Preston Sturges and interviews with those close to him.
Also included on the Criterion Collection DVD of “Sullivan’s Travels” is an interview which Sandy Sturges reveals why Howard Hughes may have fired Preston during their brief time together and also other material which have not been seen or heard by the public until the release of this DVD.
Overall, “Sullivan’s Travels” is an American classic and Preston Sturges at his best. But the Criterion Collection DVD release of “Sullivan’s Travels” also celebrates the life of this filmmaker but also showing us that even for great successes, when their luck has ran out, things don’t work out as great as you once have hoped. Preston Sturges fans will definitely enjoy this DVD release. Highly recommended!