It is interesting to chart the history of how time affects the status of actors, directors and the like. Some stars, though long since passed, have lasted the test of time – their names still bandied about in common conversations and the current lexicon. When watching a thriller, we may quickly reference Alfred Hitchcock, or while enjoying the manoeuvres of a physical comic, our minds may harken immediately to Charlie Chaplin or Chris Farley. Yet, it is equally as intriguing to investigate how certain names that were once so prevalent in their own era have become unknown to the common viewer – where only true film afficionados know their reach and influence. This seems to be the case with the highly talented comedic filmmaker Preston Sturges.
The writer/director is often credited as being the first filmmaker to begin his career as a screenwriter and then transition into having the power to direct his own creations as well. Though this is not completely accurate (as Chaplin, Buster Keaton, D.W. Griffith and Frank Capra are known for doing so earlier), Sturges did this in an era where no one else was given the opportunity – when studios had a stranglehold on power, the most in their long, storied history.
One example of Sturges’ work is the highly influential ironic dramedy Sullivan’s Travels. The story begins with a film within a film (a tool that has been used by a number of directors to provide us with a unique perspective on our lead character’s profession and mind set – i.e. Brian De Palma’s Blow Out or Michael Hazanavicius’ The Artist), as we watch a precarious battle between two men on top of a speeding train. We are then brought within the screening room, where a comic film director named John L. Sullivan (Joel McCrea) is trying to convince the studio bosses that he wants his next project to be ‘O Brother, Where Art Thou?’ – a powerful dramatic piece about the struggles of those who suffer in life. The two heads try to dissuade him, explaining that he knows nothing of the hardships of life, while trying to steer him towards making another light-hearted comic romp.
Sullivan merely hears what he wants to and realizes that the two are right, at least in one respect – that he must learn of the suffering of others before he can make his own socially relevant picture.
He hits the road as a tramp, though the various and varied members of his entourage will not allow him to go that easily – and follow him in a giant recreational vehicle. He tries to lose them, but in an ironic set of circumstances, ends up mistakenly hitchhiking back to his home town of Los Angeles. While still dressed as the hobo, he meets a striking woman (Veronica Lake) who is down on her luck after trying to make it in the acting world and not cutting it. The two clever individuals hit it off, but are soon arrested (as they think Sullivan has stolen his own car – after all, no one believes someone who is dressed like that).
At this point, I would like to give an example of Sturges’ witty dialogue. When his staff helps him clear up the situation, the officer asks, “How does the girl fit into the picture?”. Sullivan promptly replies, “There’s always a girl in the picture. What’s the matter, don’t you go to the movies?”.
The twosome decide to head out on the road together, living an impoverished existence to gather the requisite life experience needed. They ride the rails, eat in soup kitchens, sleep in homeless shelters and survive the unfriendly elements. When they finally return home, The Girl is disappointed to find out that Sullivan is actually (unhappily) married – something he did in order to save on his income tax, though his new wife spends twice as much as he collects from the deal.
To thank the poor and homeless who have helped him gain an appreciation of their struggles, he sets out to donate a thousand dollars worth of five dollar bills. Soon after, the director is mugged by a desperate homeless man, and by a twist of fate is thought to be dead; after a fiasco at a railway depot, he is brought before the court, still dressed as the tramp (suffering temporary amnesia from the attack), and is sentenced to six years in a work camp. Will the filmmaker escape his lengthy sentence under the thumb of a brutal warden or will he be stuck in the harsh world that he was only investigating for his next film?
Sturges concocts a unique movie that carries many interesting themes and contains an amalgam of genres. His road trip story at times feels like a cleverly written comedy, while at other times sears drama. There are also touches of noirish crime as well as clear odes to the silent era (with his tramp feeling like a nod to Chaplin, while other shots – such as two scenes in a church, feel like a 1920’s silent melodrama). On top of this, he uses irony, wit, social satire and parody to analyse the life of a director compared to the unlucky downtrodden – giving us a rich tapestry to delve into. To encapsulate the essence of his message, the film’s final lines give us a sharp clue: “There’s a lot to be said for making people laugh. Did you know that that’s all some people have? It isn’t much, but it’s better than nothing in this cockeyed caravan”.
Sullivan’s Travels is a highly influential piece of work. You will most likely notice that the fictional novel Sullivan wants to make – ‘O Brother, Where Art Thou?’, is also the title of a Coen brothers’ movie. This is no mistake, as the twosome have been highly influenced by this film and Sturges in general. You will clearly see odes to Sturges’ work not only in O Brother, Where Art Thou?, but also in a number of their other motion pictures.
Preston Struges’ Sullivan’s Travels is a sharp ironic film that has had a lasting impact on the comedy genre. Sturges’ script and direction creates a rich pastiche that gives us a solid story and rich visuals – hint, keep an eye open for a portrait that seems to be changing over time. With a superb cast of role players and strong performances from McCrea and the always mesmerizing Veronica Lake (who shows off her impressive figure for parts of the film, while at others dresses like a vagabond boy – definitely counter to what would be expected of the stunning star), it would be hard pressed to argue that you should be willing to hit the road to track down this comedy classic.