An edited
film review for fourstarfilmfan.com on October 15, 2015.
People Will Talk is in this weird gray area between
genres. It has humor but it’s not screwy enough to be a screwball. It has
drama, but it’s not intense enough to be a full-fledged melodrama. And
underlining all this are issues that reflect such areas as the medical industry,
the Korean War, and most definitely the witch hunts that were going on in the
nation — bleeding into the Hollywood industry.
Written
and directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz,
this is a minor classic about a doctor named Noah Praetorius (Cary Grant), who is under investigation
from one of his by-the-book colleagues Dr. Elwell (Hume Cronyn), who dislikes the good doctor’s unorthodox and
thoroughly effective approach to his trade. Praetorius by now is a preeminent
physician who started his own clinic and also teaches classes at a local med
school, as well as occasionally conducting an orchestra.
One of
these individuals happens to be Mrs. Deborah Higgins (Jeanne Crain). She is not a student but sits in the lecture because
her former partner was a medic. A date with a cadaver proves to be too much for
her and she faints. Seems normal enough right? Wrong. After examining her, Dr. Praetorius
tells her she’s pregnant. The truth comes out that she’s not really married and
the father is dead. Her own father would be greatly distressed to learn about
her condition, since he cannot provide for her.
That’s
where Dr. Praetorius comes into the picture, and he takes great concern in Ms.
Higgins condition. He attempts to allay her anxiety by saying she’s not really
pregnant, and she runs away from his clinic out of embarrassment, since she is
falling in love with him. He goes with his stoic friend Mr. Shunderson (Finlay Currie) to the farm owned by
Deborah’s uncle where her father also lives.
Deborah
turns out to have a strange mix of aloofness and lovesickness, but when she
realizes the doctor’s true motive for being there (before he even does) she is
wholly relieved. They share a passionate kiss and leave the farm behind to get
married. Of course, the good doctor still hasn’t told her about her pregnancy.
Meanwhile,
the whole storyline culminates with a concert conducted by Praetorius himself,
but it just so happens that the hearing to analyze his conduct is happening the
same evening. Some mysterious truths about Mr. Shunderson are given in his own
words, and Mr. Elwell’s frivolous case is dumped. Everything wraps up nicely as
you expect with a happy marriage and Praetorius free to direct the symphony in
one last glorious crescendo.
If you
really look at this film, there are these two main story arcs. One is a
response to Sen. Joseph McCarthy’s witch hunt for communists in America. The
other an unconventional love story about a doctor marrying a patient who had a
pregnancy out of wedlock. Viewed from this perspective the film contains plenty
of controversy, and yet it is all concealed in a romantic comedy. Walter Slezak is a welcomed addition to
the cast as Prof. Barker, the nutty colleague, and Hume Cronyn has taken on
better roles, but nonetheless, he is always an enjoyable character actor.
Obviously, this is a lesser Cary Grant performance, but his pairing with the
beautiful Jeanne Crain is still a fun one. [Reviewer’s rating: **** out of 5
stars]
Labels:
comedy, drama, Fifties, Jeanne Crain, romance
