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The Talk of the Town

Play trailer Poster for The Talk of the Town 1942 1h 55m Comedy Drama Romance Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
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89% Tomatometer 18 Reviews 85% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings
Leopold Dilg (Cary Grant), who was wrongfully convicted of arson, manages to escape from prison. While on the lam, he finds the home of Nora Shelley (Jean Arthur), an old friend from school for whom he harbors a secret affection. Nora believes in Dilg's innocence and lets him pose as her landscaper; meanwhile, Professor Lightcap (Ronald Colman), a legal expert, has just begun renting a room in Nora's home. Lightcap, like Dilg, also has eyes for Nora, leading to a series of comic misadventures.
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The Talk of the Town

Critics Reviews

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Tom Milne Time Out Jun 24, 2006
An attractive serio-comic tale of civic corruption. Go to Full Review Bosley Crowther New York Times Mar 25, 2006
3.5/5
It may be off beam in its philosophy, but its quality of humor is not strained. Go to Full Review Dave Kehr Chicago Reader Jan 1, 2000
Overblown, too long, and not nearly as much fun as it's cracked up to be. Go to Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy Jan 5, 2025
3.5/4
A seriocomedy in which laughs and legalities easily commingle. Go to Full Review Danielle Solzman Solzy at the Movies Dec 17, 2024
4.5/5
Three's a crowd in The Talk of the Town and the laughs are a plenty. Go to Full Review Yasser Medina Cinefilia Jul 15, 2020
7/10
The rhythm is irregular, but the drama and comedy are very well balanced. In the plot there is humor, surprises, very nice characters and a delicate love triangle that works properly. [Full review in Spanish] Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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bruce F @bruce999 Aug 15, 2026 a wonderful drama, with fun interactions. a man being hunted hides in the house of a judge. enjoyable all the way. See more Henry D @Henry_Domke Jul 1, 2026 Fine movie. Funny, clever and fresh, with a good print and great acting, especially by Jean Arthur and Ronald Colman. The music was just right, fitting each scene with a light humorous touch. It did run a little long, and tighter editing could have trimmed ten or fifteen minutes. The script also meandered in places, especially near the end, where it needed a little more help. See more Horror fan 4 @Horrorfan4life Jun 22, 2026 Yet another great picture starring Cary Grant and Jean Arthur. A nice appearance by the funny Lloyd Bridges. A very good performance by Ronald Coleman. This is a great Dramedy about a man wrongfully accused of a crime and seeks the help of a friend. It turns into total chaos when a third person shows up. This is the exact comedy I appreciate. Tim Treakle See more Ed . @RT01276001 Aug 29, 2025 If two's company, is three the talk of the town? No, not until you're finally caught. I think Cary Grant demonstrates in this film the least amount of sex appeal and attraction of all the many films he has starred. He's still the Man, it's just lesser in magnitude. Edgar Buchannan shows the most sex appeal in his career outside of Petticoat Junction, but that doesn't say all that much. The plot and scenes involving the real perp are the weakest parts of this movie. These are outweighed by the scenes where all three principals interact. Grant makes quite a forward acting gardener! Jean Arthur would get poor AirBnB reviews but is a supremely likeable actress. See more Allen T @RT39578667 Nov 4, 2024 This movie is an all time classic! I love George Steven films. Jean Arthur, Cary Grant and Ronald Colman deliver. See more Jun 28, 2023 Very good movie James Welch, Henderson, Arkansas June 27, 2023 See more Read all reviews
The Talk of the Town

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Cast & Crew

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George Stevens

Director

Cary Grant

Leopold Dilg

Jean Arthur

Miss Nora Shelley

Ronald Colman

Professor Michael Lightcap

Edgar Buchanan

Sam Yates

Glenda Farrell

Regina Bush

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The Talk of the Town

The Talk of the Town (1942) The Talk of the Town (1942) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Leopold Dilg (Cary Grant), who was wrongfully convicted of arson, manages to escape from prison. While on the lam, he finds the home of Nora Shelley (Jean Arthur), an old friend from school for whom he harbors a secret affection. Nora believes in Dilg's innocence and lets him pose as her landscaper; meanwhile, Professor Lightcap (Ronald Colman), a legal expert, has just begun renting a room in Nora's home. Lightcap, like Dilg, also has eyes for Nora, leading to a series of comic misadventures.
Director
George Stevens
Producer
Fred Guiol
Screenwriter
Irwin Shaw, Sidney Buchman, Sidney Harmon
Production Co
Columbia Pictures Corporation
Genre
Comedy, Drama, Romance, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Aug 27, 1942, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 16, 2012
Runtime
1h 55m
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