SULLIVAN'S TRAVELS
TCM, 8:00 p.m. ET
Preston Sturges’ 1941 movie about a filmmaker suffering an existential crisis – do his films really matter, especially the lighter ones? – has directly inspired several other brilliant films, including Woody Allen’s Stardust Memories and the Coen Brothers’ O Brother, Where Art Thou? (whose title comes from the working title of the movie being written by Joel McCrae’s filmmaker in Sullivan’s Travels). But on its own, it’s a fabulous movie in its own right, especially with Veronica Lake’s priceless co-starring performance as an unsuccessful actress.