Rating: 
Summary: A great screwball comedy with Grant, Arthur and Colman
Review: In the classic screwball comedy "Talk of the Town," Ronald Colman plays Michael Lightcap, a dry, by-the-book law professor who rents the house of school Nora Shelley, played by Jean Arthur, who happens to be harboring a fugitive from justice, Leopold Dilg, played by Cary Grant. Nora passes off Leopold as her gardener, which confuses Professor Lightcap. Judicial corruption and the wacky ways of American justice are satirized, which is a bit depressing when you realize it is 1942 and already things are pretty sad. As Leopold says at one point: "What is the law? It's a gun pointed at somebody's head. All depends upon which end of the gun you stand, whether the law is just or not." Certainly the idea that the less privileged deserve a fair deal is more popular today than it was then, but you would not say this film is really dated in that regard. All three principles turn in great comic performances. Glenda Farrell plays a woman who helps the professor find the real arsonist, and Edgar Buchanan, Charles Dingle and Emma Dunn all have choice supporting roles to play in the proceedings. The crackling dialogue in the script by Dale Van Every, Irwin Shaw and Sidney Buchman from Sidney Harmon's story is excellent but director George Stevens gets the highest marks, mainly because you do not think of him as doing this type of comedy.
Rating:
Summary: wonderful wit, sassy and charming
Review: Jean Arthur, Cary Grant and Ronald Coleman are at their best. One laugh after another and still the film manages to show the three in a round robin of wit. And there is even a plot!
Rating:
Summary: Cary Grant AND Ronald Colman
Review: Leopold Dilg (played by Cary Grant, but where did they get that name?), a small town malcontent and challenger to the status quo, is framed for arson. Seeking to hide out in the home of Nora Shelley (Jean Arthur), he finds that he must hide from the new renter, Michael Lightcap (Ronald Colman). Luck seems to be on his side when it turns out that Lightcap is a famous legal scholar and Supreme Court nominee. However, Lightcap likes his law cold and academic. What will it take to both melt Lightcap and free Dilg? [Black and white, created in 1942, with a running time of 1 hour, 58 minutes.]What a great movie! The cover for the tape looks like Mount Rushmore, and that is no exaggeration. Cary Grant AND Ronald Colman, who could ask for more? The story is humorous is a subtle way, and just as subtly romantic. This movie doesn't hit you over the head, but strongly looks at the use and abuse of the law in the United States. There is nothing objectionable in this movie, so you can watch it with small children, though it will probably prove too slow moving for them. I recommend this movie absolutely!
Rating:
Summary: The Talk of the Town
Review: Plot: Leopold Dilg is wanted for murder and arson, and persuades the prettiest girl in town, Nora, to hide him in a house which she has rented to a law school dean (Michael) for the summer. Michael becomes Dilg's defense lawyer, and they both try to win Nora's heart. Leopold Dilg (CG) an injured escapee from prison, hunted on a murder and arson charge, persuades Nora Shelly to hide him in the house she has rented to Mr. Lightcap, an austere law school dean, who plans to spend a quiet summer writing, in anticipation of a Supreme Court appointment. Lightcap can be compared to a "quiet librarian who the world does not interrupt", a man who sees things in black and white and has always hid from the world behind his beard. Dilg, in the guise as the gardener, and Lightcap become philosophical adversaries in the reality of the justice system, but manage to develop a mutual friendship in the process. Lightcap is made to see that justice is not always in the letter of the law, and despite that this might jeopardize his Supreme Court appointment, he undertakes to be Dilg's champion. As usual someone gets the girl in the end, but just who is not shown until the final scene. While Dilg is set on showing the professor that life according to books is quite different from reality, the character of Nora as a sort of comic relief steals the show. She is quite charming and fun to watch as Nora has to be constantly on her toes to keep Dilg's true identity a secret from Lightcap in addition to preventing the police from finding Dilg.
Rating: 
Summary: Pretty good mix of a serious topic and comedy...
Review: Sometimes I am tempted to describe this movie as having split personality disorder. On one level, it seems to be a lighthearted comedy with a love triangle between Cary Grant, Ronald Coleman, and Jean Arthur. And on another level, it aims to deal with deeper issues like the role of the law in society, etc, etc. But, actually, I think a more accurate way to describe this movie would be as a late screwball comedy. During the WWII years, screwball comedy, which had been so carefree in the depression, began to take on more serious issues, leading to movies like this one - strange mixes of the screwball spirit and deeper concerns. Regardless of its strange synthesis of screwball and serious issues, however, The Talk of the Town is a classic, and a great movie! Essentially, it is about a small town rebel (Cary Grant, in an uncharacteristic role) who escapes from prision after being wrongly accused of arson and murder. He comes across a former friend (Jean Arthur) and stays with her, posing as the gardener when a law professor (Ronald Coleman) comes to rent her house. There are many hilarious situations in the house, but the movie also discussed the role of the law in society and whether law should be interpreted coldly and to the letter or have a more personal application. The acting is very good. Cary Grant, though in a strange role, proves his talent as a more dramatic actor (and also shows off his incredible comedic skills). Even though he was ignored by the Oscars for years, Grant really was a spectacular actor - he just wasn't given enough credit because he tended to make it all look so easy. Ronald Coleman is also good as his urbane, cold rival, and Jean Arthur is great - her reactions steal scene after scene! Anyhow, this movie is very good. Although it is somewhat of a strange mix, it is quite enjoyable and typical of the semi-screwball comedies from the war years. Get this and enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: Review of Talk of The Town
Review: Talk of the Town is a wonderful film that examines practical versus theoretical application of the law. I first rented this film expecting it to be a light comedy, but it does a great job combining comedy with thought provoking discussions of the role of law in society. All three lead actors do a great job maintaining comic and romantic tension in the film, and it is one of Cary Grant's best performances.
Rating:
Summary: VINTAGE HOLLYWOOD COMEDY
Review: THE TALK OF THE TOWN manages with equal ease to deal with love and law. As the principal object of love, Jean Arthur unexpectedly finds herself hiding an escaped arsonist in her attic. As the principal object of the law, Cary Grant plays the alleged arsonist. On neutral ground, at the start, stands Ronald Colman as a distinguished dean of a law school. But before the film is over, the dean loses his detatched academic attitude towards both love and law, and even gets involved with a blonde manicurist. Grant meets his comeuppance throught his peculiar taste for a Polish soup made with eggs and beets. Jean Arthur had the unique distinction of playing her final love scenes in the U.S. Supreme Court Building! Bright and literate, this Columbia comedy from 1942 has its head in the clouds & its feet on the ground. According to a 1942 report done in VARIETY, Grade "A" movies were beating box-office records since 1927. This was partly due to the fact that better movies were now being made and a natural wartime desire for escapist entertainment (in the thirties, the reason being the Great Depression, naturally). Most of Hollywood's extra profits, however, were going up the river in extra war taxes.
Rating:
Summary: Delightful, funny, endearing
Review: This film is incredibly entertaining. Jean Arthur, Cary Grant and Ron Coleman made a great trio in this must-see film. It is films like "The Talk of the Town" and all the rest of the classic films of yesturday which should absolutely shame the immoral, tactless and untalented film industry of today.
Rating:
Summary: I LOVED IT
Review: This is a witty comedy,full of some wonderful bon mots that dot the clever dialog, and essayed with zest by Grant, Arthur and Colman. Grant takes refuge in Arthur's house along with professor Colman. Cary was framed for arson by a corrupt local government, and what's more, the foreman (who supposedly died in the blaze) is very much alive (in the form of Colman!) George Stevens directs his cast well, handling the double-edged story with grace and style.This film was a hit with the public in 1942, and it gave Colman's career a much needed boost.
Rating:
Summary: Great Stars, Great movie!
Review: This movie includes three of my very favourite movie stars, Cary Grant, Jean Arthur and Ronald Colman. Then, add on a top-rate director like George Stevens and what do you get? One fine, highly enjoyable movie.
The basic story is that Cary Grant is an innocent prisoner who escapes from prison. He hides out at his friends house (Jean Arthur) because he has been hurt from his escape. He then has to hide from Ronald Colman who is renting the house for the summer. Colman is a Supreme Court candidate. Cary wants to prove his innocence, but instead of hiding away from Colman forever, he pretends he is the gardener. I wont give away the rest.
It really is a fantastic movie. One of my personal favourite of Cary Grant's. The performances from all three stars are wonderful, as one would easily expect. Cast well, directed well, and has a clever, entertaining story, with one fine script. You don't want to miss this one.
This DVD from Columbia brings the film to us is a nice, sharp looking transfer with very good picture quality. The mono sound is clear throughout, but the DVD is slightly let down due to the lack of extra features. Still, pick it up immediately, it's worth a good look - not to mention a hundred more!
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