ComedyDramaRomance

The Talk of the Town

- Screen comedy so gay... drama so thrilling... love so exciting, it will be the talk of YOUR town!

Hilarity ensues when a falsely accused fugitive from justice hides at the house of his childhood friend, which she has recently rented to a high-principled law teacher.

Release Date : 1942-08-20

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Columbia Pictures

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles : Three's a CrowdThe Gentleman MisbehavesMister TwilightGeorge Stevens' The Talk of the Town

Cast

Character Name : Leopold Dilg

Original Name : Cary Grant

Gender : Male

Character Name : Nora Shelley

Original Name : Jean Arthur

Gender : Female

Character Name : Michael Lightcap

Original Name : Ronald Colman

Gender : Male

Character Name : Sam Yates

Original Name : Edgar Buchanan

Gender : Male

Character Name : Regina Bush

Original Name : Glenda Farrell

Gender : Female

Character Name : Andrew Holmes

Original Name : Charles Dingle

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mrs. Shelley

Original Name : Emma Dunn

Gender : Female

Character Name : Tilney

Original Name : Rex Ingram

Gender : Male

Character Name : Jan Pulaski

Original Name : Leonid Kinskey

Gender : Male

Character Name : Clyde Bracken

Original Name : Tom Tyler

Gender : Male

Character Name : Police Chief

Original Name : Don Beddoe

Gender : Male

Character Name : Western Union Boy (uncredited)

Original Name : William Benedict

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mrs. Pulaski (uncredited)

Original Name : Ferike Boros

Gender : Female

Character Name : Desk Sergeant (uncredited)

Original Name : Al Bridge

Gender : Male

Character Name : Donald Forrester (uncredited)

Original Name : Lloyd Bridges

Gender : Male

Character Name : Secretary (uncredited)

Original Name : Leslie Brooks

Gender : Female

Character Name : Usher (uncredited)

Original Name : Jack Carr

Gender : Male

Character Name : Nightclub Waiter (uncredited)

Original Name : Gino Corrado

Gender : Male

Character Name : McGuire (uncredited)

Original Name : Joe Cunningham

Gender : Male

Character Name : James Boyd (uncredited)

Original Name : Clyde Fillmore

Gender : Male

Character Name : Nightclub Patron (uncredited)

Original Name : Frank McLure

Gender : Male

Character Name : Supreme Court Doorkeeper (uncredited)

Original Name : Clarence Muse

Gender : Male

Character Name : Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)

Original Name : Frank O'Connor

Gender : Male

Character Name : Supreme Court Spectator (uncredited)

Original Name : Blanche Payson

Gender : Female

Character Name : Irate Man at Burned Mill (uncredited)

Original Name : Dewey Robinson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Operator (uncredited)

Original Name : Mabel Todd

Gender : Female

Character Name : Judge Grunstadt (uncredited)

Original Name : George Watts

Gender : Male

Character Name : Hound Keeper (uncredited)

Original Name : Lee 'Lasses' White

Gender : Male

Character Name : Moving Man (uncredited)

Original Name : Max Wagner

Gender : Male

Character Name : Townsman (uncredited)

Original Name : Frank Mills

Gender : Male

Reviews

John Chard

@John Chard

2024-05-16

What is the law? It's a gun pointed at somebody's head. All depends upon which end of the gun you stand, whether the law is just or not. The Talk of the Town is directed by George Stevens and Stevens co-produces with Fred Guiol. It's adapted by Dale Van Every, Irwin Shaw and Sidney Buchman from a story by Sidney Harmon. It stars Cary Grant, Jean Arthur, Ronald Colman, Rex Ingram and Edgar Buchanan. Leopold Dilg (Grant), a radical and political thinking man, is accused of burning down a mill and causing the death of a foreman in the subsequent fire. On trial for his life, he decides to escape from jail and makes his way to the home of his school day friend Nora Shelley (Arthur). However, his timing couldn't be worse, for Nora has taken in a tenant for the summer, a law professor, Michael Lightcap (Colman). Passing him off as the gardener, Nora has to hope that Lightcap doesn't cop on to Dilg being an escaped prisoner. But with both men feeling each other out, and both having designs on Nora, something is going to have to give. Though nominated in seven Academy Award categories, "The Talk of the Town" won none. Perhaps more surprisingly is that of those seven nominations, none were for acting or direction. Surprising because the film is impeccably acted and smoothly directed. It was, however, rightly nominated for Best Picture (it lost out to William Wyler's "Mrs. Miniver") and was a big smash at the box office. The public quickly warmed to the blend of comedy with intelligent politico musings. The set up is safe, a potential love triangle - with the three leads playing off each other sublimely - is nicely played out whilst the two men partake in discussions about the law, the applications of such and its moral worth. The comedy that comes in fits and starts is not so much of the screwball variety, but more that of ebullience born out of beautifully written sequences. Some argue that the plot is heavily reliant on contrivances (how many 1940s comedies aren't?), but ultimately that is easily forgiven given the quality on show across the board. 8/10