The Talk of the Town (1942)

93% of critics liked it
(14 reviews)
83% of users liked it
(2,872 ratings)

George Stevens' Talk of the Town is a quick-witted comedy driven by wonderful performances by Cary Grant, Ronald Colman and Jean Arthur. Michael Lightcap (Colman) is a stuffy law professor in line to a Supreme Court appointment, who is spending the summer at the house of schoolteacher Nora Shelley… More George Stevens' Talk of the Town is a quick-witted comedy driven by wonderful performances by Cary Grant, Ronald Colman and Jean Arthur. Michael Lightcap (Colman) is a stuffy law professor in line to a Supreme Court appointment, who is spending the summer at the house of schoolteacher Nora Shelley (Arthur). But Lightcap is not the only guest at the house. Shelley has also let Leopold Dilg (Grant)--a man who had recently escaped from prison, where he was serving a sentence for false accusations of immolating a local factory--stay at the house, telling Lightcap that he is a gardener. In addition to striking up a friendship, Lightcap and Dilg also compete for the affections of Shelley. Eventually, the professor learns of Dilg's true identity, finding out that Leopold was framed by a crooked government, led by the foreman of the factory, who supposedly died in the fire. When Dilg is captured by the police, Lightcap comes to his defense, bringing the still-alive foreman out of hiding and, in the process, clearing Leopold of all the charges. Talk of the Town received Academy Award nominations for Best Picture, Best Screenplay, Best Original Story, Best Score, Best Editing, and Best Interior Decoration, yet it lost in all of the categories. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 57 min.
Directed By: George Stevens
Written By: Irwin Shaw, Sidney Buchman, Sidney Harmon
Genres: Drama, Classics, Comedy

In Theaters: Jan 1, 1942 Wide
On DVD: Feb 25, 2003

Critic Reviews

Bosley Crowther, New York Times
It may be off beam in its philosophy, but its quality of humor is not strained.
Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader
Overblown, too long, and not nearly as much fun as it's cracked up to be.
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
Though verbose and dragging, this darkly humorous film benefits from star power of Cary Grant in an atypical role, Jean Arthur, and Ronald Colman, mostly witty dialogue, and timely subject matter, considering it was released in the midst of WWII.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
The acting by Cary Grant, Jean Arthur, and Ronald Colman is top-notch.
, TV Guide's Movie Guide
The contrivance of plot is compensated by one of the most genial casts in history.
Tom Milne, Time Out
An attractive serio-comic tale of civic corruption.
Kent Turner, Film-Forward.com
Part romantic triangle, part Capra-esque hokum, all coast on star power.
James Plath, Movie Metropolis
If someone had told me they could skillfully blend social-crime drama with screwball comedy, I'd have said they were, well, screwy.
Michael W. Phillips, Jr., Goatdog's Movies
In addition to its status as one of the great screen comedies, the film is a treasure trove of homosexual undercurrents, many of which aren't all that disguised.
, Film4
Effective, if peculiar, mixture of screwball comedy and political moralising.
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
Brilliantly directed, acted, scripted thought-provoking comedy
Tim Dirks, Tim Dirks' The Greatest Films
The Talk of the Town (1942) is a classic romantic comedy/drama of the 1940s from producer/director George Stevens and Columbia Pictures.

Read all 12 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

AJ V

Another of my favourite Cary Grant movies, and Jean Arthur and Ronald Colman movies too. I guess you could just say it's one of my favourite movies! The story is both thrilling and hilarious. Plus, you learn a lot about politics and philosophy and things that people cared… More
Another of my favourite Cary Grant movies, and Jean Arthur and Ronald Colman movies too. I guess you could just say it's one of my favourite movies! The story is both thrilling and hilarious. Plus, you learn a lot about politics and philosophy and things that people cared about in the forties. I highly recommend this movie.
Luke B

Wonderfully funny even if it does have a very serious point. The three leads do an absolutely brilliant job in conveying a growing relationship and are perhaps one of the only believable and functional threesomes in cinema. The script doesn't drag itself down by having a rivalry… More
Wonderfully funny even if it does have a very serious point. The three leads do an absolutely brilliant job in conveying a growing relationship and are perhaps one of the only believable and functional threesomes in cinema. The script doesn't drag itself down by having a rivalry breakout between the two males, making this very fresh. The ending goes on a bit even after the point has been made. Awesomely enjoyable stuff.
Stephen M

The triangle at the heart of this Capraesque film is contrived, Cary Grant is badly miscast and the script too often feels like a vehicle for soapbox sermonising. Despite these problems "Talk of the Town" manages to be likeable and entertaining, due in no small part to the… More
The triangle at the heart of this Capraesque film is contrived, Cary Grant is badly miscast and the script too often feels like a vehicle for soapbox sermonising. Despite these problems "Talk of the Town" manages to be likeable and entertaining, due in no small part to the wonderful performances of Ronald Colman and Jean Arthur.
Walter M

In "The Talk of the Town," Leopold Dilg(Cary Grant) is in jail, being accused of arson and murder. Facing an impossible trial and a possible death penalty, he does the only sensible thing and escapes, injuring his ankle in the process. He gets as far as the farmhouse of… More
In "The Talk of the Town," Leopold Dilg(Cary Grant) is in jail, being accused of arson and murder. Facing an impossible trial and a possible death penalty, he does the only sensible thing and escapes, injuring his ankle in the process. He gets as far as the farmhouse of Nora Shelley(Jean Arthur) who takes pity on him and hides him in the attic. At which point, Professor Michael Lightcap(Ronald Colman), the new tenant, arrives a day early. Leopold's lawyer Sam Yates(Edgar Buchanan) sees an opportunity and wants to recruit the renowned law professor to their cause. "The Talk of the Town" is an enjoyable comedy about a serious subject that is handled well by its very talented cast, even the more improbable parts of the story. Considering how badly activists have been treated in the movies over the years, it is refreshing to have one in Leopold who is so likable.(Well, yes, I know he is played by Cary Grant but at this point, his persona was not frozen in stone, yet.) I also did not realize how rare beards were at the time which is another detail of how brave this movie was. That fits in well with the movie being so much on the side of advocacy and individualism, showing clearly how politics can change people for the better.

Cast

            Cary Grant as Leopold Dilg

            Jean Arthur as Nora Shelley

            Ronald Colman as Michael Lightcap

            Edgar Buchanan as Sam Yates

            Glenda Farrell as Regina Bush

            Rex Ingram as Tilney

            Charles Dingle as Andrew Holmes

            Emma Dunn as Mrs. Shelley

            Leonid Kinskey as Jan Pulaski

            Tom Tyler as Clyde Bracken

            Don Beddoe as Chief of Police

            George Watts as Judge Grunstadt

            Clyde Fillmore as Sen. James Boyd

            Frank M. Thomas as District Attorney

            Georgia Backus
            
            Lloyd Bridges as Forrester

            William Benedict as Western Union Boy

            Ferike Boros as Mrs. Pulaski

            Al Bridge as Desk Sergeant

            Leslie Brooks as Secretary

            Eddie Bruce as Reporter

            Jack Carr as Usher

            Eddie Coke
            
            Gino Corrado as Waiter

            Joe Cunningham as McGuire

            Ralph Dunn
            
            Al Ferguson as Detective

            Joe Garcia
            
            Jack Gardner as Cameraman

            Bud Geary
            
            William Gould as Sheriff

            Edward Hearn as Sergeant

            George Hickman
            
            Maynard Holmes as Vendor

            Eddie Laughton as Henry

            Joe McGuinn as Jailer

            Patrick McVey as Cop

            Clarence Muse as Doorkeeper

            Ralph Peters
            
            Lee Phelps
            
            Lee Prather as Sergeant-at-Arms

            Dewey Robinson as Jake

            Al Seymour
            
            John Shay
            
            Roberta Smith
            
            Frank Sully as Road Cop

            Mabel Todd as Operator

            Lelah Tyler as Woman

            John Tyrrell
            
            Ralph Volkie as Man

            Max Wagner as Moving Man

            Lee "Lasses" White as Hound Keeper

            Robert Keats
            
            Frank Mills
            
            Charles T. Perry
            
            Dorothy Babb as School Girl

            Dutch Hendrian
            
            Harold Kruger as Ball Player

            Bill Lally
            
            Al Rhein
            
            Victor Travers
            
            Holger Bendixen
            
            Dave Harper
            
            Dick Jensen
            
            Jack Lowe as Workman

            Herman Marks
            
            Robert Walker as Deputy Sheriff
See full cast