Another superb road movie presented tonight by TCM. This one, from 1942, is Preston Sturges’ marvelous examination of Hollywood, from the point of view of a director of light comedy films who yearns to do something darker – and embarks on a mission to travel with the “common people,” riding the rails and hitting the road to learn, and then reflect, the anxieties of the everyday man. Joel McCrae stars as the director, Veronica Lake co-stars as his eventual traveling companion, and the whole thing adds up to a wonderful Tinseltown satire, but with a lovely, heartfelt message about the value of simple laughter.