Copyright 22 July 1942 by Columbia Pictures Corp. New York opening at the Radio City Music Hall: 27 August 1942. U.S. release: 20 August 1942. Australian release: 4 November 1943. 12 reels. 10,735 feet. 119 minutes.
SYNOPSIS: Law professor unknowingly shelters a fugitive in his holiday house.
NOTES: Nominated for the following Academy Awards: Best Picture (lost to Mrs Miniver); Best Original Story (lost to The Invaders); Best Screenplay (lost to Mrs Miniver); Best Black-and-White Cinematography (lost to Joseph Ruttenberg for Mrs Miniver); Best Black-and-White Art Direction (won by This Above All); Best Film Editing (won by Daniel Mandell for The Pride of the Yankees); Best Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture (won by Max Steiner for Now, Voyager).
COMMENT: Certainly an extraordinary, off-beat film. To my mind, it's also very successful in its odd combination of high-powered, lynch-town drama, romantic triangle and screwball comedy of deceit and disguise. There are one or two false moments (at least one of them deliberately contrived to entertainingly surprise the audience), but Stevens manages a delicate balancing act with both dexterity and style. He is aided by a first-rate cast.
Voluble Jean Arthur and superficially charming Ronald Colman make perfect partners and the support players - with special mention to Rex Ingram's devoted "man" and Frank Sully's chatty cop - deliver some unforgettable cameos. It would be invidious not to also single out Glenda Farrell, Charles Dingle, Emma Dunn, Leonid Kinskey, Tom Tyler and especially George Watts.
All this solid acting is backed by a tautly entertaining, suspensefully witty script. The cleverly unusual plot is adroitly underpinned by smart dialogue and sharp ripostes. True, a bit of philosophizing occasionally creeps in - but that's part of the film's overall balance.
Pacing too is exactly right. Stevens knows the precise moment to cut away from a scene. Although there is a fair amount of talk, it rarely becomes wearisome or outstays its welcome.
Photography and other credits are first-rate.
OTHER VIEWS: Missing out on a slew of Academy Awards by sheer bad luck, The Talk of the Town is in every way one of the most entertaining treats of the year. Intelligent, witty dialogue is amusingly bandied between two cleverly contrasted characters, most ingratiatingly enacted by Cary Grant and Ronald Colman - with Jean Arthur judiciously cast as a reluctant referee.
The story is cleverly plotted with lots of surprises twisted and sprung, and directed with real flair by a director who knows the paramount importance of editing and montage. Every gag works perfectly, while every gram of suspense is wrung from the pacey scenario by inspired intercutting.
Although billed third, Colman's part is by no means the lesser. In fact, he probably has more scenes than Grant - and he makes the most of them. It is one of his most memorable roles.
Lavishly produced, zestfully acted right down the line, beautifully photographed and set, The Talk of the Town is a tribute to Hollywood craftsmanship at its best.
SYNOPSIS: Law professor unknowingly shelters a fugitive in his holiday house.
NOTES: Nominated for the following Academy Awards: Best Picture (lost to Mrs Miniver); Best Original Story (lost to The Invaders); Best Screenplay (lost to Mrs Miniver); Best Black-and-White Cinematography (lost to Joseph Ruttenberg for Mrs Miniver); Best Black-and-White Art Direction (won by This Above All); Best Film Editing (won by Daniel Mandell for The Pride of the Yankees); Best Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture (won by Max Steiner for Now, Voyager).
COMMENT: Certainly an extraordinary, off-beat film. To my mind, it's also very successful in its odd combination of high-powered, lynch-town drama, romantic triangle and screwball comedy of deceit and disguise. There are one or two false moments (at least one of them deliberately contrived to entertainingly surprise the audience), but Stevens manages a delicate balancing act with both dexterity and style. He is aided by a first-rate cast.
Voluble Jean Arthur and superficially charming Ronald Colman make perfect partners and the support players - with special mention to Rex Ingram's devoted "man" and Frank Sully's chatty cop - deliver some unforgettable cameos. It would be invidious not to also single out Glenda Farrell, Charles Dingle, Emma Dunn, Leonid Kinskey, Tom Tyler and especially George Watts.
All this solid acting is backed by a tautly entertaining, suspensefully witty script. The cleverly unusual plot is adroitly underpinned by smart dialogue and sharp ripostes. True, a bit of philosophizing occasionally creeps in - but that's part of the film's overall balance.
Pacing too is exactly right. Stevens knows the precise moment to cut away from a scene. Although there is a fair amount of talk, it rarely becomes wearisome or outstays its welcome.
Photography and other credits are first-rate.
OTHER VIEWS: Missing out on a slew of Academy Awards by sheer bad luck, The Talk of the Town is in every way one of the most entertaining treats of the year. Intelligent, witty dialogue is amusingly bandied between two cleverly contrasted characters, most ingratiatingly enacted by Cary Grant and Ronald Colman - with Jean Arthur judiciously cast as a reluctant referee.
The story is cleverly plotted with lots of surprises twisted and sprung, and directed with real flair by a director who knows the paramount importance of editing and montage. Every gag works perfectly, while every gram of suspense is wrung from the pacey scenario by inspired intercutting.
Although billed third, Colman's part is by no means the lesser. In fact, he probably has more scenes than Grant - and he makes the most of them. It is one of his most memorable roles.
Lavishly produced, zestfully acted right down the line, beautifully photographed and set, The Talk of the Town is a tribute to Hollywood craftsmanship at its best.