American Comedy and Tragedy in the Films of Preston Sturges --The Great McGinty and Sullivan's Travels--

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  • ARIMORI, Yukiko
    Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University

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Other Title
  • プレストン・スタージェス作品におけるアメリカの悲喜劇 --『偉大なるマッギンティ』と『サリヴァンの旅』を中心として--
  • プレストン ・ スタージェス サクヒン ニ オケル アメリカ ノ ヒキゲキ : 『 イダイ ナル マッギンティ 』 ト 『 サリヴァン ノ タビ 』 オ チュウシン ト シテ

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This essay considers two screwball comedy films, The Great McGinty (1940) and Sullivan's Travels (1941), written and directed by Preston Sturges. Both films are not only brilliant demonstrations of his genius for comedy, but also clear reflections of the social as well as historical conditions of America during the Great Depression era, showing the tragic consequences caused by the inevitable detachment of American dream from reality. Both protagonists are typical "screwballs" characterized by their childlike innocence. In spite of their failed attempt at social mobility, they reach an inevitable happy ending in screwball comedy : a romantic embrace. This essay examines how the tragedy of their failed pursuit of American dream competes with the rules of screwball comedy and contributes to the uniqueness of Sturges’ screwball comedy.

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