Grade: B+
Synopsis: A popular doctor (Cary Grant) with a mysterious past meets a woman (Jeanne Crain) pregnant out of wedlock.
People Will Talk is an extremely well done comedy drama highlighted by a sparkling cast and a smart script.
Cary Grant’s performance a doctor committed, not to medicine, but rather to “making sick people well,” effortlessly balances the comedic and dramatic aspects of the story and charms the audience from the first frame.
Opposite Grant, Jeanne Crain manages to avoid the over emoting so common in the genre at the time, and instead turns in a solid, relatable performance that, while clearly overshadowed by Grant’s, is enjoyable to watch.
As for the supporting cast, Hume Cronyn is suitably weasely as the chief antagoist, and Walter Slezak is lots of fun as a vivacious physics professor, but the real highlight is Finlay Currie as Grant’s character’s mysterious friend, Mr. Shudnerson. Despite having very few lines for much of the film, Currie conveys a powerful presence and makes a strong emotional impact without ever seeming trite.
The script by director Joseph L. Mankiewicz from Curt Goetz’s play does a great job of grounding the story in a believable reality while still allowing for Grant’s larger than life character. Mankiewicz (who would go on to direct Sleuth (1972)) tactfully covers not only the pre-martial sex issue, but also abortion, suicide, and the role society plays in all three. Granted, there are a few issues untouched by the script, such as the age difference between Grant and Crain, and Crain’s non-showing pregnancy (even at four months!) but these are minor quibbles.
Bottom Line: Easily one of Cary Grant’s most enjoyable performances in a film that ages surprisingly well. Recommended.
