Preston Sturges: The Filmmaker Collection

Preston Sturges, one of Hollywood's great comic directors, gets his due in this seven-film set, chronicling what may be the sharpest four-year winning streak of any filmmaker. Already a prominent screenwriter, Sturges hit the ground running with his directorial debut, The Great McGinty (1940), which earned him an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. Brian Donlevy stars as McGinty, a corrupt opportunist who goes from bum to governor until “one crazy moment” of honesty causes his downfall. Sturges established his model for comic gems with this classic—employing a breakneck pace, whip-smart dialogue, puckish irreverence, and a stable of great character actors (William Demarest, Franklin Pangborn, Eric Blore, among them) who could elevate a scene with just a double take. Christmas in July (1940) is a sweet treat as Dick Powell's average Joe, believing he's won a jingle contest, embarks on a wild shopping spree. Romantic comedies don't get any more screwball than The Lady Eve (1941) and The Palm Beach Story (1942): the former stars Barbara Stanwyck as a con artist who puts the hook into wealthy and naïve Henry Fonda, while the latter offers Claudette Colbert as a woman who leaves her husband (Joel McCrea) to bag a millionaire (Rudy Vallee) so she can support her ex's business ideas. The same year also saw the release of Sullivan's Travels, generally acknowledged as Sturges' masterwork. McCrea stars again, here as Sullivan, a director of frivolous comedies determined to film his great social epic, O Brother, Where Art Thou? (yes, that's where the Coen brothers got the title). When his own life takes an unexpectedly dramatic turn, Sullivan learns the uplifting power of laughter. Also featured here are Hail the Conquering Hero (1944)—featuring Eddie Bracken as a misfit soldier whom a garrulous group of Marines take under their wing and present to his hometown as a war hero—and The Great Moment (1944), a straight-faced biopic on William Thomas Green Morton (McCrea), the man who discovered ether's anesthetic properties. Sullivan's Travels, The Lady Eve, and The Palm Beach Story all rank on the American Film Institute's list of the 100 funniest films, as does Sturges' uproarious Miracle of Morgan's Creek, available separately. Presented in an extra-less—besides a handful of trailers—seven-disc boxed set, this collection is highly recommended. Editor's Choice. (D. Liebenson)