Sullivan’s Travels

‘John L. Sullivan, the successful director of musical comedies such as Ants in Your Pants (1939), wants to change direction in keeping with the spirit of the war and create a major, serious, socially significant work. To do his research, he disguises himself as a ‘hobo’ and ends up in the convict labour battalion as the murderer of his own character. There he learns the hard way that the masses need Mickey Mouse more urgently than they need Marx. A furious autobiographical fantasy (and a typically ambiguous cinematic pamphlet) by the multi-talented Preston Sturges, inventor and best-selling author, occasional millionaire, restaurant owner, director and revolutionary of North American sound film comedy.” (Christoph Huber, Austrian Film Museum)

“Sullivan’s Travels is, for me, the best comedy of all time. This film hasn’t aged a bit since its release in 1941 – particularly when it comes to Hollywood. It is the ultimate film about Hollywood behind the scenes (…), about the never-ending theme of art versus commerce – and incredibly entertaining to boot.” (Richard Linklater in conversation with Rotten Tomatoes)