People Will Talk

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Cast & Crew

Cary Grant

Dr. Noah Praetorius

Jeanne Crain

Deborah Higgins

Finlay Currie

Shunderson

Walter Slezak

Prof. Barker

Hume Cronyn

Prof. Rodney Elwell

Sidney Blackmer

Arthur Higgins

Basil Ruysdael

Dean Lyman Brockwell

Katherine Locke

Miss James

Joseph L. Mankiewicz

Director

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Critic Reviews for People Will Talk

Audience Reviews for People Will Talk

• May 27, 2015

  An unusual Grant film, as he plays an unorthodox doctor (one who cares about his patients with a capital "C"), filled less with comedy than with preaching. And talk about implausible, the work is ripe with unbelievable actions, unbelievable motivations, unbelievable conclusions. In point of fact only the presence of Grant allows this tripe any hearing time at all. And the film is well aware of that fact.
  

  kevin w Super Reviewer
• Nov 09, 2013

  A doctor treats and loves a pregnant woman amid scandals about the morality of his past. Predictable but charming, Joseph L. Mankiewicz once again proves why he's one of my favorite classic directors. His stories are tightly constructed, and the performances by his actors are always fun but with a kind of depth that many directors of his time weren't able to manage. Cary Grant, the great gentleman of classic film, is alternatively charming and petulant, able to convey a strength of character that is absent in present-day movie stars. I would have liked the film to be more morally ambiguous. The entire question of the film is whether or not Grant's character harbor some deep, black secret (as though one could be such a question on Grant), and by the time we realize he's as pure as he purports to be, it's like we been shown a box that contains a treasure, but once the box is opened, we discover it's only a scrap of paper reading, "Fooled you." Overall, I enjoyed <i>People Will Talk</i>, but the compelling story is not flawless.
  

  Super Reviewer
• Feb 10, 2013

  People Will Talk is a hysterical film, filled with wit and ingenious puns throughout. The screenplay by Mankiewicz ( who also directed the film) was filled with great dialogue. I wasn't only looking forward to what would happen next, but what would be said next. Dr. Praetorius is a new favorite character of mine, and as the epilogue suggests I wish he did exist, if he didn't of course. My favorite scene of the film was the train set. The miscommunication and childishness of it all brought loads of laughter. The informal trial scene was the second that stood out, and was a touching but still quirky scene. I loved this film, classy comedy and should get more recognition than it does.
  

  Super Reviewer
• Aug 03, 2012

  A film that is less about the comedic prowess of the incomparable Cary Grant or even about the semblance of a plot, and more of a political and moral tale that addresses very little and pushes the envelope for its time. Director Joseph L. Mankiewicz pulls some truly rash decisions in writing the dialogue for this film, in times being cute and full of genuine humor and at others being obviously and obnoxiously interested in singular political dealings. Grant is usually either a debonair action hero, sweet tempered authority figure, or a romantic lead. He has many faces, many characters that flourish from witty scripts and beautiful leading ladies. Here his character is so flat and uninteresting that there is little to hold on to. He is depicted as a doctor and professor who cares for people and...that seems to be it. He's good. That is his sole characteristic, and he plays it to the best of his wholesome ability. Pair that with the situation of an unmarried young woman who he falls in love with and you would think there would be calamity, chaos, and comedy throughout. Instead it's this long paced, overwrought piece of American influence, rather than a film about anything that really matters. The chemistry between Grant and Crain is basically nonexistent. He pities her, they have a couple of trite conversations and he secretly, quietly marries her. The rest of the film is killing time to build the ending up to a gravitas level. The ending itself is also long and makes little sense to the rest of the film. It's just as pointless and self indulgent as the rest, though it references back to the beginning with a conservative professor who tries to foil him which goes nowhere. Though it is slow and overtly heavyhanded, some of the supporting characters are quite quirky and eccentric, but it's not a film that finds its humor in wit or even pratfalls but built up oddities and humorless storytelling. The entire point of the film or even its moral is lost or nonexistent. There is very little to enjoy in this except another goofy Grant performance where he lets himself become childlike in front of the camera. Still, it's little consolation for a life lesson that was unwanted to begin with.
  

  Super Reviewer