Sullivan’s Travels,
writer and director Preston Sturges
Sullivan’s Travels has been
included on prestigious lists of the Best Films ever made:
John Sullivan is a celebrated director in
Hollywood, many decades ago, when the action of this film takes place.
Nevertheless, he wants to take a break.
The producers that are in charge of his motion
pictures and at that time, to some extent the director himself, oppose the
idea.
Sullivan is interested in seeing the life of
the poor people for himself and therefore is bent on going out in the world.
In addition, Sullivan would take along only 50
cents or about 100 dollars in today’s money.
The studio executives do not want to lose a
creative man that has produced some successful comedies.
Therefore, they send a team with him, driving in
a bus that keeps a distance of a few meters away from the director.
When a teenager, who is only fourteen, takes
Sturges off the road, there is a chance to break free.
For that boy drives like crazy, at…forty miles
an hour or so.
This in those days was like 300 kilometers per
hour.
This trip ends though and the hero tries to
have a drink and some food in a small bar near the road.
As he only has enough, or less, for a coffee,
Sullivan has to go to the bus and ask for money to pay the Good Samaritan
The owner of that place has Kindness, Mercy and
Spirituality, all Character Strengths and gave the hero food for no money.
He is recompensed when the studio team gives
him back much more money than the meal was initially worth.
Sullivan tries again to take the road in order
to experience what the live of destitute men is like.
He meets The Girl.
Moreover, one of the greatest stars of that and
all time play her: Veronica Lake, an actor I am not crazy for.
She is Open-Minded, Merciful, Brave, Fair,
Persistent, Kind, Grateful, Hopeful, Spiritual and has Vitality, among other
Signature Strengths
After she pays for some ham and eggs for the
hero, the latter offers her a ride and some help with her career.
The Girl wants to be an actor, but is on the
point of giving up the struggle and returning to her home.
-
Can you give me a letter for
Lubitsch?
-
Of course…Who is Lubitsch?
Sullivan says he has a friend and he could get
his car so that The Girl does not have to take the train.
However, they end up in jail, because even if
the car belongs to the rich director, he is dressed as a beggar.
In addition, the police do not believe him when
he says who he is and that will happen again in the movie.
The rich director invites The Girl to his
mansion and pool, after they are released from prison and a love affair is born.
The two go again on the road, as homeless, poor
people and they are involved in serious events.
During one of them, Sullivan is robbed and hit
on the head by one homeless person and train kills the latter.
The body is disfigured by the fatal accident
and with the evidence they find, it is concluded that the director has died.
What is the end of all this?
Well, it is both meaningful and thought
provoking, making this one of the best comedies ever made.
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