Preston Sturges's classic 1941 film, Sullivan's Travels, has an insurmountably clear message: An entertaining, comedic film is worth far more to the common man than an educational, "meaningful" film. This point is made in no uncertain terms, considering how Sullivan (Joel McCrea), the titular character, lays the moral in so many words, stating that laughter is "all some people have." However, the movie also includes a far subtler idea considering filmmaking, that being the polarization between the fun, entertaining movie and the artsy, meaningful film. Moreover, this deeper message is made through subtler methods, particularly with the use of sound, editing, cinematography, and mise-en-scene.
