Sullivan’s Travels
New Books Network 2023
In their 200th episode, Mike and Dan talk about a movie about people who like movies: Preston Sturges's 1941 masterpiece Sullivan's Travels. What's an artist to do when he becomes weary of grinding out "product" and wants to make a statement? Is he merely pretentious or just not seeing the big picture on the screen? Singin' in the Rain, Animal House, Airplane, The Deer Hunter, The Grapes of Wrath, and Springsteen's run of Broadway shows all come into the conversation. So give it a listen--we promise it'll be as good as Ants in Your Plants 1939 and Hey, Hey in the Hayloft!
If you're interested in the films of Preston Sturges, check out this new book, Crooked but Never Common: The Films of Preston Sturges. You can also listen to its author, Stuart Klawans, interviewed here on New Books in Film.