Staff Picks Blog

On Friday, February 4th at 7 pm, we will screen our final film of the Films of the Great Depression series, Sullivan’s Travels, in Meeting Room A.  It was written and directed by Preston Sturges, who was one of the first screenwriters to direct his own films.  He is best known for his screwball comedies that were popular in the 1940′s.  If you enjoy Sullivan’s Travels, be sure to check out these other Sturges films:

The Great McGinty (1940): Sturges’ directorial debut won him an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.  Dan McGinty rises to the top of a political machine only to find that he can be easily removed when he tries to become an honest politician.

Christmas in July (1940): Jimmy MacDonald (Dick Powell) is the victim of a practical joke when he is sent a telegram claiming he is the winner of a $25,000 slogan contest. Of course, chaos ensues.

The Lady Eve (1941):  Charles Pike (Henry Fonda) needs a good pair of glasses so he can tell the difference between Barbara Stanwyck and Barbara Stanwyck with a fake British accent.

The Palm Beach Story (1942): Gerry Jeffers (Claudette Colbert) decides she can no longer stay married to her husband (Joel McCrea), who is not providing the level of comfort that she deems necessary in life. If you are not a fan of screwball comedies, stay away.  Far, far away.

Honestly, my favorite film written by Preston Sturges is one that he didn’t direct: Easy Living (1937). When a fur coat falls from the sky and lands on Mary Smith (Jean Arthur), she is mistaken for the mistress of a wealthy banker.

Join us on Friday for Sullivan’s Travels. We’ll watch the film and talk it over with John Raeburn, Professor Emeritus of American Studies and English at the University of Iowa.  And of course, free popcorn!