The Talk of the Town

The Talk of the Town (1942) is George Stevens' comedy-drama, available to watch online on iFILM. It's a quick-witted story about justice in which three superb actors — Cary Grant, Jean Arthur and Ronald Colman — argue over what matters more: the letter of the law or the human being standing in front of you.

Leopold Dilg is accused of arson and a murder that never happened, and he breaks out of jail. He hides at the house of schoolteacher Nora Shelley — which she has just rented for the summer to Michael Lightcap, a stiff law professor awaiting a Supreme Court appointment. Nora passes her fugitive off as the gardener. So a hot-headed factory agitator and a buttoned-up legal scholar end up under one roof, and their abstract debate about fairness turns into a matter of life and death.

Stevens blends mistaken identity, a romantic triangle and a real argument about the law without ever losing his light touch. Colman is especially good as the professor who slowly climbs down from theory into the messy real world. The film earned seven Academy Award nominations. A smart old comedy for anyone who loves crackling dialogue. Stream The Talk of the Town (1942) online on iFILM.