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‘The Talk of the Town’ 4K UHD (review)

Sony Pictures

 

Was there ever a more charming and ingratiating actor in Hollywood than Cary Grant?

If so, it was Ronald Colman, and both of these great movie stars appear together for the only time in The Talk of the Town (1942).

While it’s fun to see the pair’s interactions, along with co-star Jean Arthur, I just wish it was in a better vehicle.

All three actors are greatly respected for their comedic roles but is The Talk of the Town a comedy? Is it a drama? Is it a mystery? A romance?

Well, what it tries hard to be is a philosophical social commentary on the principles of law vs. justice.

Oooh! THAT sounds exciting.

After a jarringly violent opening with scenes of arson, supposedly committed by Grant’s oddly-named character Leopold Dilg, described as “the local malcontent,” we follow him as he escapes prison and then through some atmospheric rain scenes as he looks to find a place to hide.

Not long after he runs into his old friend, Jean Arthur, we’re suddenly in a screwball comedy, complete with light-hearted music themes. This continues into the arrival of Colman’s bearded law professor, who’s renting Arthur’s house but shows up a day early.

Dilg hides in the attic. The morning after finds more people coming to the house’s door than in the famous stateroom scene of the Marx Brothers’ Night at the Opera. It’s all great fun but then we settle into a slow-paced rollercoaster pattern of ups and downs, punctuated by preachiness and a manipulative hearts and flowers score.

Colman’s University law professor is too easy to come under the spell of Arthur, who is attempting to cover for Grant and get the professor in on his case.

Apparently without upsetting her normal life in any way, she almost immediately signs on as the Prof’s stenographer and cook while his valet is said to be arriving later. When Dilg reveals himself, he claims to be the gardener, Joseph, despite being able to ably counter-argue points of law and legal precedent

That last attribute causes Colman to take a liking to Grant and the two, with Jean, form a sort of asexual triad family unit, all living together in relative bliss as the search for the escaped “killer” goes on all around them.

None of the three lead actors could give a poor performance if they tried. Grant and Colman consistently play variations on their accepted film personas, although both are portrayed as unlikable at times in this one.

That doesn’t faze Arthur in the least as she clearly, somehow, develops a deep and obvious attraction to both. Well, obvious to anyone except them. She’s given some serious closeups with serious emotions, personally, I’ve always enjoyed her unique vocal delivery.

Colman, a distinguished Englishman of some note, playing an American here is tough to accept, and the to-do over his beard really dates the picture.

Grant, of course, with his own English accent, is also hard to accept as a small town American.

Also in the cast is folksy Edgar Buchanan—later TV’s Uncle Joe Carson on Petticoat Junction and Green Acres—whose mere existence in a film with Colman leads to some amusement. Rex Ingram, the distinguished African-American actor of the day (The Thief of Bagdad), comes in halfway through the picture as the Professor’s man-servant. In a refreshing change from most 1940s movies, his character is erudite and brave, although his literal crying scene when his boss shaves his beard is way over-the-top.

The slow, anticlimactic ending is a head-scratcher as well, leaving the viewer to wonder just how the Professor could end up where he does, considering the preceding events.

The accomplished director George Stevens directs from a script co-written by the future best-selling novelist Irwin Shaw and I suppose they deserve points for trying to do something a little bit different. Warner Bros. excelled in social commentary films that were also entertaining. Unfortunately for all involved, The Talk of the Town was made at Columbia Pictures.

Extras include commentary and a featurette.

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