Plot: What’s it about?
Leopold Dilg (Cary Grant) has just escaped from jail, but he’s not the usual dangerous criminal on the loose. He was locked up for arson when a mill burnt down, mostly because of his known political stances. Leopold is an activist, but he isn’t a criminal and as such, he fears a jury might only look at his political beliefs. So instead of going to trial, he escapes and heads off to lay low for a while. He winds up at the home of a friend, Nora (Jean Arthur), but he is surprised to discover someone else is living there at the time. That someone is Michael Lightcap (Ronald Colman), one of the greatest law minds in the world, no to mention a candidate for the Supreme Court. As it turns out, Nora rented out her place for the summer and Lightcap is the tenant, but soon, all three wind up under the same roof. As Lightcap is such a genius when it comes to the law, Nora tries to convince him to take a stand and lend a hand, but the man is cautious, to say the least. As time passes, the trio have to avoid the police, try to track down the real criminals, and as it turns out, fall in love, as both men become attached to Nora. She has feelings for both men, but only one can have her heart and the choice will be a hard one. At the same time, will Leopold ever prove his innocence, or is he doomed to face life behind bars?
At first glance, this movie seems like yet another love triangle fiasco, but The Talk of the Town is much more than that. Yes, we have the love triangle side of the picture, but this is also a well written, highly intelligent picture. So there’s more to the story than the triple threat of romance, plus with such a dynamic cast, even the bland, tired love triangle premise would have been fun to watch. I mean, we have such stars as Cary Grant, Jean Arthur, and Ronald Colman, not to mention the direction of George Stevens. So like I said, with this much talent involved, even a basic premise could be wonderful, so it’s no surprise this turns out to be an almost classic, since the material is so well crafted. I do think the social commentary gums up the works at times, but even so, The Talk of the Town is a fun movie. It could have been better with some fine tuning on the script and less focus on the social message, though of course, that might have taken some of the impact out of the main premise. And in the end, the sheer charm of the performances carries the film past its flaws, or at least most of them. So no, The Talk of the Town won’t be remembered as a true classic, but it is a terrific movie, without question. Columbia’s disc is bare bones, but even so, the movie deserves at least a rental, if not a purchase.
This movie has a trio of top notch performers, but I think Ronald Colman stands out here and deserves some attention. I’ve always enjoyed his performances, though he is often relegated to playing second fiddle to a better known worker. In this case, he plays opposite Grant and it works well, to be sure. Colman’s refined presence contrasts to perfection with Grant’s everyman texture, which propels the picture’s success. We need that contrast in order for most of the material to work and if you ask me, Colman was a natural choice for the role. He is as sophisticated as ever, with a memorable voice and excellent dialogue abilities, as he has a knack for milking all the potential out of every one of his lines. Even normal dialogue is sometimes humorous, just because of his voice and delivery methods.
Video: How does it look?
The Talk of the Town represents a bit of a departure for Sony, who hasn’t restored very many “classic” titles in 4K. And this is one of the few that never saw a Blu-ray release, it went straight from DVD to 4K. How about that? Given the length of time it’s been since I last saw this film, I have to say that I was duly impressed with their efforts. The film is shown in its original 1.33:1 aspect ratio and is, of course, presented in glorious black and white. Don’t let the film’s age fool you, though, this looks pretty darn good. There’s a much more even-looking presentation with upgraded detail, deeper contrast and the like. For other films of the time like Casablanca and Citizen Kane, this is right up there with them in regard to image quality. Fans of the film will be overjoyed with this 4K disc.
Audio: How does it sound?
A new DTS HD Master mono option is presented here and while unremarkable, it remains clean and free from serious problems, which is good enough, if you ask me. The materials haven’t been worn much by the tolls of time, so hiss, distortion, and the like aren’t an issue, though some minor instances of age related wear are evident. The sound effects come through well, while dialogue is crystal clear and never muffled in the least. I wouldn’t say this is a great audio treatment, but considering the material, I think it is a more than solid one.
Supplements: What are the extras?
- Audio Commentary – We get a new feature in the form of an audio commentary by author Marilyn Ann Moss and when it comes to the films of George Stevens, she knows her stuff. Moss delivers a very fact-filled track loaded with tons of tidbits about Stevens, the film and the stars involved. It’s a great track that delivers on all levels.
- Talking About “Talk of the Town” – There’s really nothing special with this one other than to fill a bullet point. Listen to the commentary – it’s much better.
The Bottom Line
This is kind of a forgotten film by an acclaimed director. It’s got a top-notch cast, was nominated for seven Academy Awards (but won none) including Best Picture (it lost to Mrs. Miniver). Sony’s new 4K restoration breathes new life into the film so for fans – it’s certainly worth a look.
