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Friday, May 29, 2020

The Whole Town's Talking (1935)

A timid milquetoast of a man (Edward G. Robinson) works in an advertising department where he has a crush on a co-worker (Jean Arthur). But he bears an uncanny resemblance to a notorious bank robber and killer (Edward G. Robinson) and is arrested by the police when he is fingered by a fellow diner (Donald Meek) at a restaurant as the notorious gangster. Directed by John Ford, this is as close as he ever got to doing a screwball comedy. It's a comedy but there are still a couple of unexpected shocking moments. The movie gives Robinson one of his very best parts. Here he gets to satirize his Little Caesar image while giving a charming performance as the faint hearted accountant and he and Jean Arthur make a delightful coupling. I might even call it a perfect entertainment if it weren't for Ford dragging it out a bit. The excellent supporting cast includes Wallace Ford, Edward Brophy, Etienne Girardot and Paul Harvey.

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