PRESTON STURGES: THE FILMMAKER'S COLLECTION (Paramount 1940-44) Universal Home Video

Preston Sturges: The Filmmaker’s Collection (1940-44) brings together six of the legendary writer/director’s greatest comedies; The Great McGuinty, Christmas in July (both in 1940), Sullivan’s Travels, The Lady Eve (both in 1941), The Palm Beach Story (1942), Hail The Conquering Hero (1944) and one of his biggest misfires - The Great Moment (also, in 1944). Sturges, who reportedly despised his cultured/moneyed background – in part, because of his not terribly affectionate mother who, after divorcing his father, charted a hedonistic streak throughout Europe, to have exposed him to all sorts of artsy folk in his youth, eventually became a Paramount Studio screenwriter in the late 1930’s. But his transcendence from mere writer and gag man (the profession was then regarded merely as a necessary and underpaid evil in Hollywood) to director extraordinaire, although his reign was very short-lived indeed, was something of a mold-breaker in Hollywood. That Sturges could not maintain all of the proverbial ‘balls in the air’ to live out his days as that irrefutably gifted bon vivante, who drank too much, but nevertheless garnered a slew of fair-weather friends, who came and went from his popular – if money-draining ‘Player’s Club’, and eventually forced him into an artistic exile in Europe for the remainder of his days, is one of those great Tinsel Town tragedies that, nevertheless, cannot diminish the great gifts and goodies to be found in this jam-packed DVD offering. To date, only 4 of these immortal classics have found their way to Blu-ray: The Great McGuinty, Christmas in July, Sullivan’s Travels, and, The Palm Beach Story – the most glaring omission in hi-def: The Lady Eve – arguably, Sturges’ greatest and most enduring comedy.

The collection begins in earnest with the film that made Sturges’ transition from writer to director possible; The Great McGuinty (1940). Sturges sold Paramount the rights to his opus magnum for a mere dollar on the signed agreement he could be given unprecedented autonomy to direct the picture. It stars Brian Donlevy as Dan McGuinty, a hobo on the breadline who is discovered by ‘The Boss’ (Akim Tamiroff); a conman and political puppet master. Through his connections, the Boss transforms McGuinty into an alderman, then mayor, and finally, governor of the state – along the way, wallowing in graft and kickbacks from useless public works projects that McGuinty endorses and the Boss builds. Unfortunately for The Boss, McGuinty’s mind is changed for the better by the love of a good woman, Catherine (Muriel Angelus). She initially marries him as cover, but then genuinely falls in love with him – and he with her. Their sucessful union leads to his downfall. For when McGuinty goes against the political machinery that put him in power he is ironically deposed as a fraud, even though he only has the public’s best interests at heart.

Next up is Christmas In July (1940) a featherweight – and, at a scant 68 min. running time – anemic little ditty about Jimmy MacDonald (Dick Powell) who thinks he can win prize money with a terrible slogan he has written for a coffee manufacturer’s contest. Learning of his aspirations, a few of Jimmy’s work colleagues decide to play a practical joke by writing a telegram informing him that he has, in fact, won the contest. Flush with optimism, Jimmy and his girlfriend, Betty Casey (Ellen Drew) high-tail it to the coffee plant to collect his winnings. The company president, Dr. Maxford (Raymond Walburn), unaware his publicity department is stalemate on a winner, issues Jimmy the check. Making big plans to spread the wealth around his impoverished neighborhood, Jimmy and Betty embark on a shopping spree of epic proportion. In light of his win, Jimmy’s boss promotes him to an executive position. But then comes the truth; Maxford learns Jimmy is not the winner. He stops payment on the check and everyone comes looking for Jimmy and their money.

Moving on with The Lady Eve (1941), a positively acidic comedy that pits a rather bookish explorer, Charles Pike (Henry Fonda) against ravenous gold digger, Jean Harrington (Barbara Stanwick). Jean is on a cruise with her gambling father, the colonel (Charles Coburn). She anticipates luring the nebbish Pike to his financial ruin, then thinks better of her plan and decides to marry him for ever-lasting returns. One problem; Pike learns of Jean’s plan and dumps her. So, she transforms herself into Eve – a lady of leisure and culture who looks exactly like Pike’s former lover. He falls for Eve – literally and several times thereafter, to riotous effect. They marry and she proceeds to concoct a life of debauchery so he will leave her for…who else? – Jean. Peppered in witty dialogue and populated by character actors, already main staples in the Sturges’ stable of reoccurring bit parts: Eugene Pallette and William Demarest among the flock – The Lady Eve is adroit and sophisticated slap-happy great fun.

Sturges goes all out in his next endeavor, Sullivan’s Travels (1941) – a madcap adventure with social commentary to boot. Amiable Joel McCrea is John L. Lloyd Sullivan; a movie director who is sincerely tired of churning out frothy musicals and light-hearted comedies. He wants to direct a movie of social significance…but with a little sex. There is just one problem. Sullivan knows absolutely nothing about the struggle of mankind. In earnest, and with the complicity of an amiable Miss (Veronica Lake), Sullivan dons the tattered garb of a hobo and rides the rails in search of his reality. What he discovers is a fate almost worse than death as his good will lands him in prison on a wrongful charge of murder. A sort of road show ‘I Am A Fugitive From A Chain Gang’ but with a feel good ending, Sullivan’s Travels represents Sturges comedic prowess at its most socially conflicted and emotionally satisfying.

Sturges leaves social commentary behind in his next classic comedy, The Palm Beach Story (1942) a claptrap screwball lark about Geraldine (Claudette Colbert) and Tom Jeffers (Joel McCrea). Seems Tom’s failing architectural career and Geraldine’s desire for the good things in life have left the couple high and dry. Though they desperately love one another, Geraldine decides to divorce Tom, believing that apart they will be more successful in life. She quickly finds herself a sugar daddy – the stuffy millionaire, John D. Hackensacker III (Rudy Vallee). John’s sister, Centimillia (Mary Astor) is an oversexed vixen who is really not all bad at heart. But when Tom shows up to reclaim his wife, sparks fly as Centi’ puts the moves on the man she believes to be Geraldine’s brother. Unhinged and delightfully frank about what men and women really want and expect from sex and marriage, The Palm Beach Story is a marvelous comedy that has not aged.

Hail The Conquering Hero (1944) continues in the vein of madcap comedy. The film stars Eddie Bracken as Woodrow Lafayette Pershing Truesmith: a would-be war hero who unfortunately was turned down for the draft because of persistent hay fever. Unable to tell his mother the truth, Truesmith hides out in a factory job until a troop of marines headed by Sgt. Heppelfinger (William Demarest, in probably his greatest role) decide to concoct a grandiose lie about Truesmith’s battlefield valor to help him save face and return home. Heppelfinger thinks it is as simple as fudging the truth a little. But when the whole town catches the fever, they decide to make Truesmith mayor, forcing him to reconsider where his loyalty and self respect lay.

The last film in this collection is also one of Sturges’ most disappointing; The Great Moment (1944), a leaden and almost charm-free melodramatic comedy or sorts in which Joel McCrea is miscast as W.T.G. Morton – the man who invented anesthesia. Told in one long flashback, the film struggles to find moments of lightheartedness amidst the philanthropy and drama. After revealing his secret of pain-free operating, Morton is given a congressional medal. Then, tragedy strikes; a patent on Morton’s inhaler dies and President Pierce refuses to sign the legislation that might prove Morton’s salvation. History was, and is, a poor choice for the Sturges touch. The Great Moment completely suffers from a lack in fine balancing between the light/absurd and wholly believable moments, the former making shamefully short shrift of the latter. Upon its release, The Great Moment was universally panned by the critics, bringing Sturge’s heady reputation down to earth with a great thud, effectively to end his tenure at Paramount Studios. It was the end of an era, indeed. The Hollywood comedy would never again be quite the same.

Universal Home Video has done a respectable job with all of the DVD transfers in this collection – although the more recently minted Blu-rays of the aforementioned 4 movies, easily best any of their efforts herein. Previously, Criterion released their own separate copies of both Sullivan’s Travels and The Lady Eve to DVD. Criterion has since re-issued only Sullivan’s Travels on Blu. While Criterion’s DVDs are infinitely preferred over Universal’s, chiefly for the inclusion of the BBC documentary; Preston Sturges – Rise and Fall of An American Dreamer, Universal’s transfer on The Lady Eve actually bests Criterion’s efforts. Overall, these B&W transfers have been competently rendered. The best transfers here, are The Great McGinty, Sullivan’s Travels, The Lady Eve, The Palm Beach Story and Hail The Conquering Hero. On these, we get relatively smooth visuals with solid contrast and a minimal amounts of age-related artifacts. ‘Palm Beach’ and ‘Hero’ have some minor edge enhancement, but nothing that will terribly distract. Christmas In July is a much softer transfer. Aside: Kino Lorber’s reissue of this title in 1080p Blu-ray does not better these shortcomings all that much. Fine details fade into the background, particularly night scenes and contrast levels are also less punchy. Finally, The Great Moment exhibits some rather heavy grain and considerably more age-related damage throughout. In all cases, the audio is mono and nicely balanced at an adequate listening level.There are no extras, but more to the point and dismay of yours truly – no chapter stop menus…though, one can advance through arbitrarily inserted stops, using the arrow keys to advance at 10-minute intervals.

FILM RATINGS (out of 5 - 5 being the best)

The Great McGuinty 4

Christmas In July 3

The Lady Eve 5

Sullivan's Travels 5

Hail The Conquering Hero 5

The Great Moment 2.5

VIDEO/AUDIO RATING

The Great McGuinty 3.5

Christmas in July 3

The Lady Eve 4

Sullivan's Travels 4

Hail The Conquering Hero 3.5

The Great Moment 4.5

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