Tres contra todos

Talk of the Town is a good movie! It is well written with witty and interesting, sometimes even surprising dialogue. It is well directed and well played. Even the score is really good (I am not sure if both John Williams and Frederick Hollander borrowed or it was just Williams who borrowed form Hollander for Star Wars). I grew fond of Roland Coleman through this movie, he is simply debonair. Sure, the preaching toward the end of the movie is a bit thick, but it is in character… and should you listen closely you would find that the message is as relevant today as then. And about the love triangle plot… It keeps you guessing till the last moment (only one other movie successfully does the same: Casablanca). Talk of the Town is an intelligent and endearing mix of comedy and drama, it does not use comedy only for the introduction but keeps it up, in parallel to the drama, well through the movie; in that it is remarkable. To say the least it did not deserve to be forgotten, for it does what movies do best: give you a good time.

The Talk of the Town puts visiting law professor Ronald Colman in a delicate situation. He's rented a cottage for some peace and quiet before going before a Senate committee dealing with his nomination to the Supreme Court. But things are anything, but peaceful in the town of Lorchester, Massachusetts.

The factory owned by Charles Dingle has burned down, arson is suspected and Cary Grant in an unusual working class role is the suspected arsonist. He's a man of radical opinions in the town so he's a convenient suspect. As the factory was the main employer in the town you can imagine that folks are crying for blood.

Which brings an escaped Cary to that same house that Jean Arthur has rented to Colman.

Though there are some amusing moments to be sure from all three of the stars, I find The Talk of the Town to be more serious than dramatic. Grant challenges Colman to come down out of the ivory tower he's been living in and apply his high minded principles to real life, if not necessarily his case.

When he does Colman does it with a vengeance and it brings down a whole lot of Lorchester's leading citizens.

Though Grant and Arthur are first billed, this film really belongs to Ronald Colman. His character is modeled I believe on a recent Harvard law professor who was also appointed to the Supreme Court, one Felix Frankfurter.

Of course what the impeccable English Ronald Colman playing WASP Michael Lightcap and a Viennese Jew have in common is not obvious at first. But before becoming mentor to a host of New Deal civil servants, Felix Frankfurter was not only a professor of law at Harvard, but concerned himself with a host of social issues. He was for instance, very prominent in the defense of Sacco and Vanzetti whose plight in the twenties is very similar to Cary Grant's. Like Colman's character Lightcap, Frankfurter was also known as a man of impeccable integrity, who even his worst enemies conceded. He could also be a bit too high minded at times and had to be brought to realize in his philosophy of judicial restraint, that the courts are and should be an instrument for progress and social change. His story would make an excellent film itself.

Although I can't see Felix Frankfurter putting the moves on beauty parlor owner Glenda Farrell to learn the truth about the arson. Farrell who graced many a Warner Brothers crime feature in the Thirties has the best of the supporting roles in The Talk of the Town. Also the ever unctuous Charles Dingle is wonderful as the very corrupting influence on the town itself.

Colman's final speech to the mob who are ready to lynch Cary Grant is a masterpiece, one of his best moments on screen. The words ought to be required reading and viewing for those who would dismantle our judicial system out of heated passion of the moment.

As a film that challenges folks to live up to the creed they espouse The Talk of the Town should not be missed.

A superb comedy from 1942, written by Sidney Buchman and Irwin Shaw, and directed by George Stevens, this movie has a little bit of everything in it: comedy, drama, social commentary, suspense and mystery. It also features three of the most charming stars to ever grace the screen: Cary Grant, Jean Arthur and Ronald Colman. As this was filmed on the Columbia lot it has a Capra-esque feel to it. There is also a dark, austere quality to the photography and lighting that evoke the wartime mood, otherwise not evident in the film.

The story concerns Cary Grant escaping from jail and hiding out in the summer cottage of middle-aged bachelor law professor, Ronald Colman. Grant's character (named Leopold Dilg, who has a fondness for borscht with an egg in it), was falsely accused of burning down a textile mill. Jean Arthur's local gal vacillates bewteen these two very different men, who, as things turn out, get on quite well with one another. Grant teaches Colman a thing or two about real life, while Colman instructs Grant in the law. The problem is that the gentle professor doesn't know that Grant is in trouble with the law. Things gets awfully complicated near the end, as the story turns melodramatic, not altogether happily, as it had been for the most part up till this time a warm, funny study in character and mistaken identity.

Overall, the movie is hard to fault. The actors are so engaging and the dialogue so good, one can forgive almost anything. There's a nicely suggested small-town New England feel to the film, which does not caricature Yankee types, as was so often the case at the time, and is most refreshing here. Grant is, as usual, so excellent that one forgets that he is acting, as he manages to suggest working-class origins, genuine intellectual curiosity, and a hint of anger, especially in the eyes, as his performance perfectly sums up what the film is about, without drawing too much attention to itself. A remarkable achievement, for Grant, director Stevens, and everyone involved in this happy production.

Never will you see a movie that mixes comedy, romance, social commentary, and drama as well as this one. In some ways this movie pre-tells the McCarthy era of the 50's. Also, this movie takes some interesting turns and does what only a handful of my favorite movies have accomplished; it does not reveal it's true dramatic arc until well into the second act.

But hey, you've got Cary Grant, Jean Arthur, Ronald Coleman, and even "Uncle Joe at the Shady Rest" having a wonderful time on-screen, and the audience goes along for the ride.

I won't hide the fact that Jean Arthur is my favorite classic era actress. She's talented, smart, funny, and had the guts to stand up to the movie moguls of the 40's, putting her career in jeopardy in the process.

Only some stiff supporting acting prevents this movie from receiving my highest rating. Check out this film and be reminded how great an "old" movie can be.

****1/2 out of *****

George Stevens had the ability to make truly memorable films out of lightweight material. "The Talk of the Town" and "The More the Merrier (1943)" were two early-40s projects that teamed Stevens up with the adorable Jean Arthur. Both would probably have been forgettable pseudo-comedies had Stevens not directed them with such a sure hand.

"Town" is a sort of strange hybrid--part screwball comedy, part political activist film. Its screenplay could probably be a little tidier, but I'm not going to complain, because I loved this movie. Cary Grant and Arthur were a terrific match for one another, and Ronald Colman makes a perfect straight man for the both of them. He plays a stuffy professor staying in Arthur's country home while he devotes himself to work. Grant shows up on the lamb for some political activism that got him in trouble, and the movie is devoted to Arthur's and Grant's antics as they first try to hide Grant's identity from Colman and then try to enlist Colman in their populist cause.

This is a great and not especially well known film from the war years. Set aside some time to enjoy it and I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

Grade: A