Columbia Pictures
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The Talk of the Town
Three people who make life more exciting... love more precious... laughter more joyous!
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.
- Original title
- The Talk of the Town
- Language
- EN
- Country
- US
- Budget
- $1,000,000
- Revenue
- $1,100,000
John Chard
Jul 1, 2019 · via TMDB
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
User reviews courtesy of TMDB.
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Cary Grant
Leopold Dilg
Jean Arthur
Nora Shelley
Ronald Colman
Michael Lightcap
Edgar Buchanan
Sam Yates
Glenda Farrell
Regina Bush
Charles Dingle
Andrew Holmes
Emma Dunn
Mrs. Shelley
Rex Ingram
Tilney
Leonid Kinskey
Jan Pulaski
Tom Tyler
Clyde Bracken
Don Beddoe
Police Chief
William Benedict
Western Union Boy (uncredited)
Ferike Boros
Mrs. Pulaski (uncredited)
Al Bridge
Desk Sergeant (uncredited)
Lloyd Bridges
Donald Forrester (uncredited)
Leslie Brooks
Secretary (uncredited)
Gino Corrado
Nightclub Waiter (uncredited)
Clyde Fillmore
James Boyd (uncredited)
Frank McLure
Nightclub Patron (uncredited)
Clarence Muse
Supreme Court Doorkeeper (uncredited)
Frank O'Connor
Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
Blanche Payson
Supreme Court Spectator (uncredited)
Dewey Robinson
Irate Man at Burned Mill (uncredited)
Mabel Todd
Operator (uncredited)
Lee 'Lasses' White
Hound Keeper (uncredited)
Max Wagner
Moving Man (uncredited)
Frank Mills
Townsman (uncredited)
Ted Tetzlaff
Director of Photography
Irene
Costume Design
George Stevens
Director
Fred Guiol
Associate Producer
George Stevens
Producer
Morris Stoloff
Music Director
Friedrich Hollaender
Original Music Composer
Irwin Shaw
Screenplay
Deadlock
Once the Killing Starts
The Letter
American Satan
The Proposal
8 Seconds
Helter Skelter
Reminiscence
The Other End of the Line
Monsieur Hawarden
Tell Me Softly
Tired of Kissing Frogs
In The Mix
Blue Hawaii
Dr. Renault's Secret
Black Eagle
Pride and Prejudice
Poison Ivy 2: Lily
The Lifeboat
Beatus Ille
Unfaithful
Carnal Knowledge
Time Is Up
Just Before I Go
Family Weekend
The Broken Hearts Club: A Romantic Comedy
Hooking Up
Band Aid
Jesus' Son
Cherry
The Rules of Attraction
Original Sin
...All the Marbles
Newness
London
Petulia
See You Soon
The Clique
The Man from Elysian Fields
My Fake Boyfriend
Aug 20, 1942
