Rating: 
Summary: The most overrated movie I have yet seen?
Review: For the life of me, I do not understand why nearly every intelligent film critic thinks this is a great movie. I found only the screwball parts watchable; the ostensible Hollywood "satire" seemed to me really self-congratulatory on Preston Sturges' part (the entire movie is sort of a defense of mindless, idiotic entertainment... a bonus moral is that you shouldn't be charitable because poor people are stupid and greedy...) Most of the movie I just didn't like, but one scene I found quite disturbing-- where Sturges plays the death of a bum for laughs. Are Hollywood execs that much more deserving of sympathy than bums? It's almost as though the film is a kind of inside joke, insulting the viewer's intelligence: the viewer is taken in by an inane story that tells you that inane stories are all movie-watchers deserve. Perhaps it all just went over my head. You should certainly watch it, because most people seem to get something out of it. But for my money I'll take Dr Strangelove or Sherlock, Jr. (or even The Big Picture, for that matter) any day.
Rating: 
Summary: VERONICA LAKE'S BIG BREAK A TREAT ON DVD
Review: After a string of B-movies, legendary cool babe, Veronica Lake graduated to the big time in this screwball message picture by director, Preston Sturges. Actor, Joel McCrea is John L. Sullivan, a director of frothy film comedies who desires to make a truly gritty motion picture about the "suffering of humanity". One problem - he doesn't know the first thing about suffrage, having been born with a silver spoon and thrust into a lucrative career with money to burn. So what's a desperate rich guy to do? He decides to impersonate a hobo and ride the rails in search of 'real' life. He finds Veronica Lake and a heap of trouble instead.
For once - a Criterion disc I can actually recommend on every level. First, the DVD quality of this classic film is bar none the most outstanding effort from Criterion thus far. The gray scale is superbly balanced. Blacks are black. Contrast and shadow levels are amazing. Fine details are well represented. There is some minor edge enhancement and aliasing, but it is so slight and infrequent that I really shouldn't be mentioning it at all. There's barely any digital or film grain for a smooth, thoroughly captivating visual presentation. The audio is mono but cleaned up in such a way that one hardly notices its dated shortcomings.
AT LAST - as an extra, Criterion gives us "Preston Sturges: A Life" a thoroughly engrossing, in-depth, full fledged documentary on the man, the making of this movie, as well as a time line documenting Sturges' many other films with a multitude of background material and snippets from each of the movies in Sturges' canon. The documentary is so good, you'll want to watch it twice. Yes, there's also an audio commentary and the usual Lux Radio junket that accompanies most Criterion classic titles. But the documentary is what counts here.
BOTTOM LINE: A MUST HAVE DISC FOR ANY FILM BUFF!
Rating:
Summary: Really not that great
Review: This movie has a couple of funny dialogue scences, but it never really gels. The characters don't feel very developed. The story just isn't very involving. Veronica's dry/flat delivery doesn't hold up for the full length of the film. The ending is the epitome of Old Hollywood cheese. The Sturges biography included on the dvd was more interesting.
Rating: 
Summary: One of the best!
Review: This is one for everyone's collection, a true classic. Comedy, tragedy and social commentary all in one! Great dialogue and directing!
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful
Review: One of the most fascinating aspects of this movie is its clever use of self-reference. Sullivan's Travels is both a movie about poverty and a movie about making movies about poverty. The more comedic opening of the film points out the fact that however well meaning liberal directors may be in trying to make a film about suffering, there is an exploitative element to such films especially since the directors have no means of truly identifying with the sufferers or knowing their wishes. For example, do such films truly help the sufferers or just the movie studio? As a sort of apology, the movie begins with the well meaning director setting out to experience what it is like to be impoverished after having it pointed out to him by his producers that he never has experienced hardship himself. In a quite hilarious manner, his first several attempts to experience poverty are all abortive because he cannot escape from the fact that even with just one dime in his pocket, he has a fortune in the bank, a fancy car and servants. Eventually he gets to experience some of the surface suffering the impoverished go through with the help of Veronica Lake, then, quite unintentionally, after believing he understands the experience of poverty and is ready to make his film, winds up trapped in an even worse situation. Of course, he gets out of his last predicament thanks to his true social standing, but as a result realizes that he can never experience anything but the surface of what it is like to be impoverished and comes to recognize the hubris involved in trying to portray suffering he can never understand in film. He also comes to realize how the privileged like himself, and not the impoverished, are the true outsiders from society. In another self-referential twist, the director decides to make comedies for the public, which is what "Sullivan's Travels" is for the most part, instead of a preachy film for others like himself can congratulate themselves for watching. In conclusion, "Sullivan's Travels" is both an entertaining and an enlightening film which is still very relevant to today and is very highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Sullivan's Discovery
Review: This is a film about a director, made by a director, who had already discovered what Sullivan finds out the hard way. We the viewer get to come along for the ride, and when it's over, we'll defend every "little" comedy we love to the death! The always solid and reliable Joel McCrea is a very successful Hollywood director who has become rich and famous for making low brow comedies. But he is disgruntled and wants to do a serious social film about the downtrodden "common" man. The studio bosses remark that he wants to be Capra. "Well, what's wrong with Capra?" he says. When it is pointed out that he knows little about hardship, certainly not enough to make "O Brother, Where Art Thou?", the film he's picked out, he agrees, and decides to rectify this by becoming a hobo, beginning his journey with only a dime in his pocket. The studio makes this task nearly impossible by sending an entourage to follow him, the results bringing him back to where he started. On his second try he meets the wonderful Veronica Lake. She is an extra in the movies who never got a break, but gives Sullivan one by buying him a meal of ham and eggs. He discovers she loves one of his comedies and when they are briefly detained by the police for "borrowing" his own car she discovers who he really is and what he is trying to do. Lake has never been lovelier or more engaging than in this film. The banter between the two turns to affection and she decides to accompany Sullivan so she can look out for him. Their scenes trying to hop on and off a moving train together are a hoot. Hiding her glamorous beauty (strikingly evident in the first portion of this film) under a french cap and boys clothes, the two finally get to live like tramps, and Sullivan finds it's not all it's cracked up to be. When they make it back to Hollywood and McCrea wants to give back in a monetary way, a nearly tragic turn of events ensues and he ends up on a chain gang while everyone believes him to be dead. There are serious lessons on the futility of greed in this film as Sullivan is robbed but his attacker is run over by a train while trying to gather his "windfall". Sturges also has fun with his own image when he has Lake be a Lubitsch fan (a contemporary) and Sullivan offers to give her a letter of introduction! The wondrous Lake falls in love with the idealistic McCrea and it takes a Mickey Mouse cartoon watched under the most oppressive conditions to make him realize what she and we have known all along. There is nothing wrong with a great comedy. Sometimes, it's all we have. We are grateful that Sturges decided to stick to the laughter. This film has a fine performance from the underated McCrea and a magical turn from Veronica Lake. It is a loving tribute to comedy fans everywhere and is not to be missed......
Rating:
Summary: Really great!
Review: Sullivan's Travels is an excellent example of the great movies from the 1940s. In addition to being really, really funny, it makes a really good point about Hollywood films and even about life in general. Basically, Sullivan's Travels is about a young, rich director (Sullivan, played by Joel McCrea) who, after spending several years making rather silly comedies (such as "Ants in Your Pants of 1938") decides to make a serious movie that will reflect on serious issues like poverty and unfairness. When his bosses, who are less than thrilled, point out that he knows nothing about misery and poverty, instead of giving up, he decides to go out in search of trouble. Although, on his first two adventures, he ends up back in Hollywood, only with Veronica Lake at his side, on his third he accidentally gets the trouble he had been hoping to find. At times hilarious, and then turning serious towards the end, Sullivan's Travels is a great defense of comedy. Using clever satire, Sturges points out that people do not want to watch movies about their own unhappiness - instead, they want to laugh (which he certainly makes you do). Anyhow, this is a great movie - and the DVD is excellent as well (Criterion Collection) although a little more expensive. So get it, and enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: Comedy/Drama at its Best!
Review: My sister happened to work at a video store in the late 80s and we had the luck of free or discounted rentals to replace what we lacked in cable then. I had always been fascinated with godzila movies, Ben-Hur and Abbott and Costello films on TV at noon on Saturdays on the local channels. I picked up Sullivan's Travels as a start to this fascination with movies beyond the latest release my sisters cherished more than the "movies without color" that I was lately intersted in. This movie and The Philadelphia Story began my love and devotion and romanticism of the 40's romantic screwball comedy. Sullivan's Travels like Philadelphia Story left me not just with a smile but with character. Joel McCrea is the dead pan star which led me through adventures of a man thinking suffering was the way of a true life. He found that laughter was. And that is this movie's point. To make you laugh and enjoy it. Veronica Lake tags along as the girl in her best ever role as simply "The Girl". And the various servents and movie studio people (McCrea plays a Director) who tag along add uproarious humor to the whole story. Look forward to the Luxary Bus Chase. Just smile at the simple church scene toward the end of the picture. In our times of late, laughter for laughters sake is the pointof this film. This movie made me look more at our past film heritage, I think it might make you too...remember these people invented the jokes and situations that you see even now in movies. Also one the kids can appreciate. Beware only of a few stereotypes of 40s nature. But this is one you'll truly feel glad you have around to see. Also a Federal Registry Film Treasure.
Rating:
Summary: Buyer Beware!
Review: ...For my money (I bought Sullivan's Travels without seeing it first), this was the Fatal Attraction of classic films. In other words, the entire tone of the movie changes (mercifully) half-way through, and suddenly we have a new story. The first 2/3 of the movie is badly acted schtick. The scenes in the prison and in the black church are brilliant, despite Joel McCrea's hideous acting. And this from a viewer who likes Abbot and Costello, I Love Lucy, Gone with the Wind, and the wonderful Criterion Video, Children of Paradise...
Rating:
Summary: Maybe it's just me...
Review: I know that this is supposed to be a great classic comedy. I actually bought this movie, without having seen it, based on an abundance of great reviews and recommendations. Unfortunately (for me) I found the humor to be way too corny and silly. Maybe I'm just a jaded old fuddy-duddy.
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