La justice des hommes

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.

Talk of the Town is an excellent combination of a screwball comedy and legal drama. Grant plays well in both genres and is aided here with very capable co-stars, Arthur and Coleman. The discussions between Dilg and the professor concerning the practical and theoretical aspects of the law are both entertaining in their tit-for-tat presentation and thought provoking in their philosophical content. Jean Arthur is also very charming as the love interest who helps move them to compromise. I thoroughly enjoyed this intelligent, witty, funny, and well-acted film and strongly recommend it, 8/10.

A strong cast with two leading men, comedic moments, and intelligent commentary on justice in America all make this a very good film. Cary Grant is a man in jail in a small town on trumped up arson charges, and Ronald Colman is an eminent legal mind who is just arriving there to work on a book. Grant escapes to the home of his old friend Jean Arthur, and Colman shows up the same night to begin renting it from her. Grant is hidden away in the attic for awhile, but soon strikes up a friendship with Colman while pretending to be Arthur's gardener, and the pair engage in some interesting debates on justice and the law. Colman represents the viewpoint of the dispassionate letter of the law, while Grant cautions that such thought is too idealistic for the way justice is often administered. As a mob has been whipped up into a frenzy against him by the local corrupt businessman whose factory burned down, he ought to know.

Grant and Colman are given equal chance to charm us and shine, and they do. Arthur more than keeps up them, delivering her lines so naturally, and she's delightful. The film keeps us guessing as to who she may end up with, as both men are attractive in their own way. I loved seeing a little bit of darkness and danger in Grant here, as well as moments of charm, such as when he widens his eye and assures Arthur that they won't recognize him from the photograph on a Wanted poster, because they hadn't captured his spirit.

The film gets a little heavy-handed in some of its messaging as the film plays out, but I was swayed by just how relevant it is in the times of today's populism. The danger of the mob being manipulated by someone who is corrupt (how can one not think of 'lock her up' while watching that today?), the danger of rushing to judgment instead of listening to the facts and the evidence, and the need to fight for principles were certainly appropriate in 1942, but they're also timeless. Rex Ingram is strong as Colman's servant, including a moment where he gets choked up watching Colman shave off his beard. It seemed a rather odd to me at the time, but since it means Colman is going to fight for justice in this particular case, going against the mob, it may be that Ingram relates this to countless mobs lynching African-Americans, with no one standing up for them.

The film has a few moments where you have to suspend disbelief, but I enjoyed it for its intelligence, and added dimension to what otherwise would have been a standard comedy or romantic comedy. It's a film that will charm you one moment, and make you think the next, and that's not bad.

Here's a quote from Colman's speech to the mob: "This is your law and your finest possession - it makes you free men in a free country. Why have you come here to destroy it? If you know what's good for you, take those weapons home and burn them! And then think... think of this country and of the law that makes it what it is. Think of a world crying for this very law! And maybe you'll understand why you ought to guard it. Why the law has got to be the personal concern of every citizen. To uphold it for your neighbor as well as yourself. Violence against it is one mistake. Another mistake is for any man to look upon the law as just a set of principles. And just so much language printed on fine, heavy paper. Something he recites and then leans back and takes it for granted that justice is automatically being done. Both kinds of men are equally wrong! The law must be engraved in our hearts and practiced every minute to the letter and spirit. It can't even exist unless we're willing to go down into the dust and blood and fight a battle every day of our lives to preserve it. For our neighbor as well as ourself!"

Hallelujah.

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

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 *****