Preston Sturges was a genius. And not the nerdy, obnoxious kind. He was the kind you hope you get to hang out with, if
Sullivan't Travels is any indication of the wit, intellect and charm of it's writer/director. It's the story of a filmmaker (obviously based on Sturges himself) with a successful career in comedy, who
wants to make a film about human suffering. In a hilarious opening scene, he pitches this idea to studio execs who convince him that having grown up in Hollywood, he knows nothing of human suffering. He then hits the road (with one dime in his pocket) in carefully-costumed hobo-wear, to find out how the other half lives.
As luck would have it, the "other half" runs right into Veronica Lake. Personally, I think there would be a lot more homeless guys if that were the standard fate. Long story short, our hero's fun little adventure turns serious when he's arrested and stripped of his studio-exec perks, and comes to realise that those comedies he made have real value to every day folks. It's both an emotional semi-autobiography and an appreciation of the virtue of sharing humor.
I lost track, while watching this film, of the number of times it made me laugh out loud. The dialogue is some of the snappiest I've ever heard, and well-delivered by all the cast, but especially by lead player Joel McCrea, famous for his work in westerns. Veronica Lake sheds her movie-star posing for an almost Meg Ryan sort of character, and she is utterly winning.
If you rent this, please get the Criterion version and watch the documentary on
The Rise and Fall of Preston Sturges. I'd never heard of him before, and he was a ground-breaking icon of Hollywood. Definately someone worth knowing about. Having seen this, I'm looking foward to renting another of Sturges' films.