Sullivan's Travels (1941)

There's something touching about movies which are quite aged, like fine wine. The people are classically beautiful, the scenes are classically kitschy, and there's a classical mood embodied in that era which is now only remembered on scratchy reels of film (and converted into DVDs). Preston Sturges' Sullivan's Travels is a lesser known piece in the midst of monoliths including Citizen Kane and Casablanca, and quite modern, despite its somewhat uneven pace.

I generally have to be in a certain mood to watch black and white movies (It sometimes takes half a year to get in that mood), but the experience is almost always rewarding. It almost feels as if the characters and the scenery pop out of the screen, requiring a high degree of concentration, or just that my eye is straining for colors that aren't there. The two best things about Sullivan's Travels is the snappy dialogue and a snappier Veronica Lake. She's one cool lady and possesses a level of snark that I could only aspire to.

The story revolves around Sullivan (Joel McCrea), a successful movie director who decides to ditch his usual brainless comedies and find something deeper and darker. In a time of war and economic hardship, Sullivan reasons that the masses will want something dark and poignant (like all directors, he seems to have misplaced his common sense). Realizing that his privileged upbringing, complete with valets, marble halls, and pools are not the status quo, Sullivan finds some ratty hobo clothing and goes a-hoboing. Along the way, he meets the ravishing girl (Veronica Lake), and pretends to be homeless (as homeless as one can get while being trailed by a trailer of assistants, photographers, and cooks).

Although the presentation is good for the most part, Preston Sturges precipitates an anxious change in tone in the latter half, going quite suddenly from flippant to deadly serious. The timing is also a bit off at times, but manageable. What is classic about the movie is its willingness to explore a range of topics and poke fun of the motion picture industry. Overall, Sullivan's Travels is a worthy flick, but not a classic.