Tired of churning out lightweight comedies, Hollywood director John L. Sullivan (Joel McCrea) decides to make O Brother, Where Art Thou?—a serious, socially responsible film about human suffering. After his producers point out that he knows nothing of hardship, Sullivan hits the road disguised as a hobo. En route to enlightenment, he encounters a lovely but no-nonsense young woman (Veronica Lake)—and more trouble than he ever dreamed of. This comic masterpiece by Preston Sturges (which provided the inspiration for the Coen Brothers’ celebrated 2000 comedy starring George Clooney) is among the finest Hollywood satires ever made and a high-water mark in the career of one of the industry’s most revered funnymen. (Dir. by Preston Sturges, 1941, USA, 90 mins., Not Rated)