The Talk of the Town (1942)

The Talk of the Town was nominated for Best Picture of 1942. That was one of the years with 10 films making the final cut, and I'm glad that this film was included because it is very enjoyable. This is a funny movie that takes on the serious topic of how the law is applied differently for people of different backgrounds and social classes. That may seem like an odd combination of tone and topic, but in the hands of Cary Grant and Jean Arthur and Ronald Colman as the lead performers, it's all done with a delicate touch.

Grant plays Leopold Dilg, who is in hiding from the police because he has been charged with arson and murder in the burning of the mill in town; of course, he's really been jailed because his political beliefs clash with those of the mill owner, one of the most powerful men in town. He winds up in the home of a childhood sweetheart of his, Nora Shelley (Arthur). Unfortunately, on the night that he arrives, so does the law professor who has rented Nora's home so that he can finish work on a book. The professor, Michael Lightcap (Colman), wants solitude from the outside world, yet Leopold's case keeps interfering, particularly after Leopold starts to pass himself off as the gardener Joseph and starts having conversations with Lightcap about the nature of the law. (Watching Leopold and Nora try to keep Lightcap from discovering Leopold's true identity is one of the funniest recurring gags in the film.)

In some ways, The Talk of the Town is a movie about a romantic triangle. Both Lightcap and Leopold vie for the attentions of Nora, a schoolteacher who is, thankfully, free during the summers to act as a go-between for the two men. This isn't quite a true screwball comedy, however, especially given the darkness of the subject matter at times. Yet Grant, in particular, is adept at both his physical comedy moments and the serious legal discussions with Colman's professor. I know that Jean Arthur is usually credited as being one of the greatest comic actresses in the movie, but she doesn't seem to be quite as talented as, say, Irene Dunne might have been in the part. Still, she brings a delightful sense of bouyancy to the role. And Colman, saddled with what must necessarily be the most serious role, handles the task with a delicate touch, earning his character's laughs through some careful phrasing and subtle gestures.

Arthur's Nora must choose one of the men by the end of the picture, and I won't spoil it by telling you who it is. One of the great pleasures of watching this film is seeing her go back and forth between the two men in terms of which holds her attention more. I'm not sure you'd necessarily be able to guess her final choice based upon what happens throughout the film; it's that carefully balanced.