Sullivan's Travels

Preston Sturges' 1941 masterpiece is a loving tribute to "the motley mountebanks, the clowns, the buffoons, in all times and in all nations, whose efforts have lightened our burden." Joel McCrea stars as John Sullivan, a successful director of comedies (Ants In Your Plants of 1929). He is determined to make O Brother, Where Art Thou? (yes, that's where the Coen brothers got the title), a film he envisions as a "commentary on modern conditions, stark realism, the problems that confront the average man." ("But with a little sex," the studio head adds hopefully.) To experience trouble first-hand, the pampered Sullivan ventures out into the world incognito, and is joined by Veronica Lake ("there's always a girl in the picture," Sullivan observes) as a failed actress. Adding immeasurably to the fun is Sturges' stock company of invaluable character actors, including William Demarest, Eric Blore, and Franklin Pangborn. This lovingly transferred Criterion DVD contains a wealth of special features, including Kenneth Bowser's 76 minute documentary Preston Sturges: The Rise and Fall of an American Dreamer, originally broadcast on the PBS series American Masters; a witty and insightful audio commentary by Bowser and kindred spirit writer-director Noah Baumbach (fellow commentators Christopher Guest and Michael McKean are uncharacteristically out of their element here); and interviews and stills. A superb disc for one of the greatest comedies ever made. Absolutely essential. Editor's Choice. (K. Lee Benson)[DVD Review—Mar. 13, 2012—Universal, 91 min., not rated, $14.98—Making its latest appearance on DVD, 1941's Sullivan's Travels features a fine transfer and Dolby Digital mono sound. DVD extras include two segments on Universal's century-long history—“The Carl Laemmle Era” (9 min.) and “The Lew Wasserman Era” (9 min.)—and a trailer. Bottom line: if you don't already own the superior Criterion edition, this budget-priced release of Sturges's classic is highly recommended.][Blu-ray/DVD Review—Apr. 7, 2015—Criterion, 90 min., not rated, DVD: $29.95, Blu-ray: $39.95—Making its latest appearance on DVD and debut on Blu-ray, 1941's Sullivan's Travels features a fine transfer and an uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray release. Extras include audio commentary from 2001 by filmmakers Noah Baumbach, Kenneth Bowser, Christopher Guest, and Michael McKean, the 1990 PBS-aired documentary “Preston Sturges: The Rise and Fall of an American Dreamer” (75 min.), a new video essay by film critic David Cairns with filmmaker Bill Forsyth (18 min.), interviews with the director's widow Sandy Sturges (14 min.), three archival audio recordings of Sturges, and an essay by critic Stuart Klawans. Bottom line: a comedy classic makes a welcome high-def debut.]