IMDb > The Talk of the Town (1942)
The Talk of the Town
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The Talk of the Town (1942) More at IMDbPro »


IMDb Holiday Movie Guide

Overview

User Rating:
7.8/10   2,225 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?

Down 7% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.

Director:

George Stevens

Writers:

Sidney Harmon (story)
Dale Van Every (adaptation)
more

Contact:

View company contact information for The Talk of the Town on IMDbPro.

Release Date:

20 August 1942 (USA) more

Tagline:

Screen comedy so gay... drama so thrilling... love so exciting, it will be the talk of YOUR town!

Plot:

An escaped political prisoner and a stuffy law professor vie for the hand of a spirited schoolteacher. full summary | add synopsis

Awards:

Nominated for 7 Oscars. more

User Comments:

Funny, thoughtful, what more do you want? more (41 total)


Cast

  (Complete credited cast)

Cary Grant ... Leopold Dilg - Joseph

Jean Arthur ... Miss Nora Shelley

Ronald Colman ... Professor 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
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Also Known As:

George Stevens' The Talk of the Town (USA) (complete title)
Mister Twilight (USA) (working title)
The Gentleman Misbehaves (USA) (working title)
Three's a Crowd (USA) (working title)
more

Runtime:

118 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1 more

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)


Fun Stuff

Trivia:

A radio theatre presentation of The Talk of the Town (1942) was broadcast on CBS radio on the Lux Radio Theatre on 5/17/1943; with Cary Grant, Ronald Colman and Jean Arthur recreating their roles from the movie. It's a 60 minute adaptation of the movie. more

Quotes:

Leopold Dilg: Well, it's a form of self-expression. Some people write books. Some people write music. I make speeches on street corners. more

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Jeopardy!: (#22.68)" (2005) more


FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
20 out of 22 people found the following comment useful.
Funny, thoughtful, what more do you want?, 5 March 2000
9/10
Author: stills-6 from california

I don't understand why this movie isn't more popular or regarded as a classic in the canon of early Hollywood movies. All the stars are wonderful in their roles, but Ronald Coleman is fantastic as an ivory tower jurist who is forced to rethink his philosophy. Maybe Claude Rains could have played this part, but without the subtly sarcastic bemusement that Coleman brings.

Maybe because it can't be categorized definitely as a screwball comedy or a "serious" movie, it has been overlooked. I found it much funnier than "Bringing Up Baby" for example, even though "Talk" is a great deal more serious and introspective.

A lot of the suspense that might have been put into the story was bled out by the philosophical approach that the movie takes. Every potentially suspenseful situation that could have been played out for at least half of the movie is extinguished within fifteen minutes at the most. But that's part of the fun! It gets rolling, and you can't quite tell where it's going all of the time. Watching Cary Grant mug suavely and Jean Arthur speak like she's ad-libbing, you just have to sit back and enjoy it. It's not interested in manipulating its audience, it's actually trying to present real characters in a compelling story. I loved it!

Was the above comment useful to you?
more (41 total)

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The Talk of the Town (1942)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
terrible movie mitchmcc
Did I just see that? by-wm-th
dvd's back cover battlebeast
Seems like I've seen this before rick_bush
overt gay subplot? like stairway to heaven lisasiegel
favorite scene dancing_pears
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