Chosen by Collective member Jeanne Marie Spicuzza, Sullivan's Travels (1941) was written and directed by Preston Sturges and stars Joel McCrea and Veronica Lake. Sullivan's Travels follows the wealthy "King of Comedy" Hollywood director John L. Sullivan, a man who, upon recognizing he doesn't know about the plight of the common man, resolves to learn about poverty and hardship by dressing up as a homeless man and setting out on the road. 

Jeanne delves into the backstory of Preston Sturges, the first writer-turned-director in Hollywood, and explains how he lived a life of both personal strife and relative privilege, perhaps informing the story. Matt Sedillo details how Sullivan's Travels and Sturges' writing style influenced the work of the Coen Brothers in films such as O Brother Where Art Thou and The Hudsucker Proxy. David breaks down some of the social message scenes of the film, arguing that they might be more successful than the comedy. 

Join us next week as we discuss David's pick of the week Persona (1966) directed by Ingmar Bergman, starring Liv Ullmann!