BrettHarrison's Review

Summary - Perfect 5.0

Joel McCrea plays a successful Hollywood director who is known chiefly for “popcorn movies” Let’s face it, Orson Welles he ain’t. But what he does he does well. That is, light fluffy fare like “Pardon My Sarong” and “Ants in Your Pants 1938” One day Sullivan decides he wants to make the film version of “Brother Where Art Though” a book whose content we never discover but we know it’s serious. Although the studio couldn’t be less interested, they humor him when he says he wants to find out how it is to be a bum.

Have you heard of the expression “Be careful what you ask for, you might just get it”?

What follows is a unique blend of screwball comedy and message movie as Sullivan endures all kinds of hell until he gets rescued.

(Spoiler Alert)

On the way home in the plane one of the studio guys says "Well I guess you earned the right to make “Brother Where Art Thou” to which Sullivan shrugs off. “Laughter is all people have in this cockamamie world” as Sullivan realizes that he makes the kind of movies that people not only want to see, they need to see.

I don’t know if this is one of the greatest films of all time, but it’s way on top of my list.

Acting - Great 4.0

There is an expression “The whole is something greater than the sum of its parts” McCrea, Veronica Lake and Sturges usual band of motley character actors are all great. But are they perfect. No they are not. But it doesn’t matter. And McCrea, who many people don’t even know about any more, had an everyman persona that got him work with some of the best directors of the day, including Hitchcock.

Film - Perfect 5.0

Everything works the way it should. And the soundless montage where Sullivan and “The Girl” visit soup kitchens and missions is a classic. Or should be.

Edge - Risqué 1.8

Tame for these days but for its time was pretty gutsy.

Reality - Surreal 2.5

Combines gritty reality with scenes that would probably never happen in real life.

4 Comments

• BrettHarrison Apr 21, 2013 8:21PM

  Regarding Wick’s Review
  And thanks for taking Monsieur Wick. I hope I wasn’t too critical. I really did enjoy your review, despite my one objeciton.

• Wick Apr 20, 2013 8:25PM

  Regarding Wick’s Review
  There’s no shortage of commentary opportunity with such a rich movie as Sullivan’s Travels. Thanks again for the recommendation Brett.

• BrettHarrison Apr 20, 2013 7:17PM

  Regarding Wick’s Review
  Nice review Wick, thought I should have said more about Joel McCrea. Almost forgotten now, he was quite a start back then.

• Wick Mar 10, 2013 7:13PM

  Regarding BrettHarrison’s Review
  Great recommendation Brett.

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