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.

"The Talk of the Town" has a unique plot and very interesting story. The comedy in this very clever movie isn't in the usual forms of witty dialog or antics. The situations play to some extent. But much of the film is sophisticated comedy. The type that is placed on a high plain of discussion. The cast is superb. The principals in that are Cary Grand as Leopold Dilg and Ronald Colman as Professor Michaela Lightcap, with an occasional inclusion of Edgar Buchanan as Sam Yates. Most of the rest of the comedy is situational and provided by Jean Arthur as Nora Shelley. She, naturally, would be the source of romance in a triangle. To know much of the plot of this film will reduce its enjoyment, so I'll skip any further details. But the discussion of justice and the court system at times is philosophic and insightful, and at other times, seemingly far-fetched. With that, the film has almost a preachy aspect about it – trumpeting freedom and the American way for patriotism. This is another film that has an interesting and humorous courtroom scene. Here's a sample of humorous lines in the film. Lghtcap, "Miss Shelly, judging from the past 12 hours, how quiet do you think it could be in this house, with you in it?"Not everyone will enjoy this movie. It's not one to sit down to watch lazily. It takes some thought. But the interesting dialog between Dilg and Lightcap is offset by the actions of Shelley. This is among Jean Arthur's best performances, in my book.

George Stevens directed this comedy/drama starring Jean Arthur as Nora Shelley, who owns a boarding house in New England where she is staying, along with noted Harvard Law School professor Michael LightCap(played by Ronald Colman) who is working on a book. Joining them is Leopold Dilg(played by Cary Grant) who is said to be the gardener, but in reality is an escaped prisoner accused of arson and murder regarding a reputedly unsafe factory. Leopold claims his innocence, and when the professor gets wind of this, resolves to help him prove it by conducting his own investigation... Thoughtful and smart film with a good cast and involving story, with a most subdued performance from Grant(which makes for a welcome change!) Well worth seeking out.

It's ironic that two of my three favorite actors -- Cary Grant and Ronald Colman (the third being Spencer Tracy) -- are in this film...but that the film really belongs to Jean Arthur.I don't think the casting for this film could have been more perfect. Colman as the older, distinguished soon-to-be nominee to the Supreme Court. Grant as the slightly edgy maybe-guilty liberal. And Jean Arthur as the slightly ditzy, but always crusading for right female. Just perfect.Ronald Colman made this film the same year he made my favorite Colman film ("Random Harvest"), although he seems significantly older here. If you're a Colman fan you might be a bit disappointed here through much of the film, because while his scenes are absolutely critical to the story line, they are not exceptional scenes. But then, near the close of the movie, he has the best scene in the whole film -- in the courtroom, when he talks about the American justice system, and concludes by saying, "Think of the world, crying for this very law." A moment that almost makes you cry.Cary Grant does well here, but frankly, in terms of true billing, he would probably come third here. He's very good in this film...plays his edgy character almost perfectly. But there isn't a single scene of his where, in my view, he stands out.Jean Arthur shines throughout the production. I won't say it's her best role, but it's classic Arthur.In terms of the script, Bosley Crowther and Variety put it in perspective: "the essential purpose of this tale is to amuse with some devious dilemmas", and the film makes "transition from serious or melodramatic to the slap-happy". This film is a comedy, but with heavy doses of drama and a cause -- justice. There are times it makes you laugh, and times it makes you terribly sad.There's little here to criticize. Perhaps at 118 minutes it could have been just a little tighter in a few places. And then there's the ending. Who should Jean Arthur marry? The edgy liberal, or the serious Supreme Court judge? Two endings were filmed, and the studio let preview audiences decide...and they chose Grant. I think that was a mistake. It would have been a better ending had she stayed with Colman. But it does work either way...which is one of the reasons this script is so cleverly worked.Very highly recommended.