The Talk of the Town

After a mill burns down, Leopold Dilg (Cary Grant), the black sheep of the village, is accused of arson and murder. His foot injured, he flees from the lynch mob into the holiday home of teacher Nora Shelley, who is just receiving her new tenant, criminal law professor Michael Lightcap. The stiff, prim legal scholar initially feels like his peace and quiet is being disturbed by his landlady and her alleged gardener, but soon becomes steadily more intrigued by the real-life criminal case of Leopold Dilg and the humane application of legal guidelines. “The turbulent wit of THE TALK OF THE TOWN is of a dual nature. Standard ways of living and the belief in an ‘unpolitical’ theory of law and order are the film’s targets (although Cary Grant represents both bow and arrow at the same time here), although its substrate is the learning process within the erotic love triangle.” (Harry Tomicek)