The Movie Journal

Sullivan's Travels (1942) Preston Sturges’s Sullivan’s Travels is a brilliant satire and an excellent tribute to the genre of comedy. It is also deemed one of the greatest films about film ever made…and keep in mind this film was released in early 1942. Sturges’s socially conscious film was released to indifferent reviews and did not set the box office on fire. As time passed by, the film garnered a much better reputation. Contemporary reviews say the film is one of Sturges’s best films, if not his best film. I thought it was really funny, had a relevant message, and features some fine performances from Joel McCrea and Veronica Lake. As I mentioned, the movie is a tribute to the genre of comedy, and it starts off with a dedication. “To the memory of those who made us laugh: the motley mountebanks, the clowns, the buffoons, in all times and in all nations whose efforts have lightened our burden a little, this picture is affectionately dedicated.” This film was Sturges’s r...

Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942) What a rousing, inspirational film! I’ve heard all the positive things people said about 1942’s Yankee Doodle Dandy , but I truly understood these reviews after placing my own eyes on this wonderful movie. Released at a time the United States was hard at war, this film was great for the public’s morale as well as instilling a sense of patriotism in everyone. In fact, this movie is about as much as a patriotic film as it is a film about the life of legendary performer, George M. Cohan. As an upbeat and wonderful musical, it is one of the finest biographies you will see. That is, if you do not mind certain liberties were taken when it came to Cohan’s own life. But considering the quality of the movie, I did not mind at all. Without George M. Cohan, we would not have Broadway shows the way we have it today. He had a very distinct song-and-dance style that relied upon flag-waving and comedy. He was often given drama for not being serious, so it wa...

Casablanca (1942) Famed critic, Roger Ebert once held a mini debate about this 1942 classic, Casablanca. He compared this movie to a similar film, Citizen Kane . He claimed that Kane may be the better movie, but Casablanca is the more popular movie. I agree with Roger because Casablanca is one of the best movies ever made and it seems as if my opinion is a fact (although keep in mind all movies are subjective). There is just so much to admire about the film. The cast, the themes, the actual production of the movie, and the way the film influenced future movies just to name a few. We wouldn’t get star-studded romantic epics like 1997’s Titanic if this film bombed at the box office or was not even made. Fortunately, this movie was a giant success both financially and critically. It was nominated for ten Academy Awards, winning three of them including Best Picture which it is rightfully deserved. Where to begin gushing about the movie! I loved the themes of the movie. On t...

The Pride of the Yankees (1942) Yet today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the Earth. This emotional quote is from one of the most famed speeches of sports history. As a lifelong, die-hard Yankees fan, one of my required viewings was 1942’s baseball movie Pride of the Yankees starring Gary Cooper. The movie tells the life story of a Yankees legend, Lou Gehrig who is considered to be one of the greatest first basemen of all time. The name Gehrig is associated with the disease ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) because Lou contracted the disease at age 34 that ended his baseball career and ended his life only a few years later. The movie is one of the nicest, most sentimental, and old-fashioned movie you will ever see. I love how the story, written by Jo Swerling and Herman J. Mankiewicz has no villainous characters as it just focuses on the man who is very kind and humble. The movie leans more towards emotional value rather than actual facts, and that is not re...