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People Will Talk | Year: 1951 Classification: Comedy Directed: - Joseph L. Mankiewicz Actors/Actresses: - Cary Grant - Jeanne Crain Good Doctor Praetorius and the Mysterious Mr. Shunderson "People Will Talk" is a movie that I first stumbled upon while flipping channels one day. Cary Grant plays Dr. Noah Praetorius, who both practices and teaches medicine with an apporach that is refreshingly modern, even by today's standards. When young Deborah Higgins (Jeanne Crain) collapses, the good Doctor learns she is pregnant, unmarried, and suicidal. After telling her a story about a frog to make her think she is not really pregnant, some things happen and he ends up marrying Deborah. Meanwhile, Professor Rodney Elwell (Hume Cronyn) find Praetorius's novel methods abominable and is trying to find out the truth about not only the good Doctor but his strange companion, Mr. Shunderson (Finlay Currie). The film's climax is an inquisition into Praetorius's past (which keeps him from conduction his orchestra made up of all the school's med students), where it seems that he cured people in a backwater town as their butcher. However, the more Elwell goes after Praetorius, the better the good Doctor looks. Then there is the unbelievable truth about Mr. Shunderson. For me and a lot of other people the strengths of this film outweigh its weaknesses. The proposal scene does not really work, Grant's performance goes off in different directions from time to time, and you have to think Professor Elwell is too smart to be this stupid. But for me the reason I always watch at least the end of this film whenever I can is that the payoff for the mystery of Mr. Shunderson just bowls me over. Walter Slezak is wonderful as always playing Professor Barker, Praetorius's stout supporter, and although it might be a tad forced I love the scene where the three men are playing with the good Doctor's new train set. Hume Cronyn creates an extremely bitter little man to be the story's villain (pay attention to the little details of his performance). Basil Ruysdael does a nice job as the Dean, who finally restores sanity to the proceedings. Certainly there are massive holes in "People Will Talk," but for me the sum of the whole is greater than the parts. I know lots of better films that are not as enjoyable as this quirky little film. Dr. Praetorius I Presume! Another one of Joseph L. Mankiewicz's films to be lost in the wake of All About Eve, People Will Talk is a terrific comedy/drama featuring a wonderful cast. Cary Grant is Dr. Praetorius whose treatment of patients is somewhat controversial and unconventional. When he befriends a young, unmarried pregnant woman (Jeanne Crain), Grant finds himself the focus of an investigation lead by a jealous collegue (Hume Cronyn) at the university where they both teach. Grant's interest and concern for Crain goes so far as his proposing marriage. And then there's the matter of Mr. Shunderson (Finlay Currie), Grant's seemingly simple-minded, yet constant companion. No one seems to know the details of Mr. Shunderson's life, except Grant, and he's not telling. Not a huge hit when first released, People Will Talk has developed an almost cult following today, and like many past film "failures," it's now considerd a pretty good film. Perhaps it was ahead of its time, but it has some wonderfully rich characterizations, including great turns by the aforementioned Currie, Hume Cronyn, Walter Slezak, Sidney Blackmer, and a terrific bit by an unbilled Margaret Hamilton as Miss Pickett to keep the narrative moving. My favorite scene is Grant's visit to Crain's uncle's house (she and her father life with her uncle). Grant, Blackmer, Currie, and Crain are all sitting on the front porch. Crain objects to being the center of their discussion and refuses to leave the porch. She goes so far as to scream the cook's name "Bella" at the top of her lungs, rather than move from her perch. What the movie does say about the practice of medicine and human relationships is perhaps more relevant today than when first released in 1951. As with most Mankiewicz films, it is successful on the surface. If there was another intent by the director to tell another tale or an allusion to something else, look at this as an added bonus. Fans of Cary Grant will not be disappointed; this is one of his best and most relaxed performances on film. And fans of Jeanne Crain will be pleased as well. Her role is the more difficult one and she pulls it off quite well, besides looking beautiful in ordinary farm-girl dress. Any way you slice it, you'll be talking about People Will Talk. The Health of the Human Spirit Cary Grant stars as Dr. Noah Praetorius, a gifted physician who believes that his patients' emotional and spiritual states are critical to their overcoming physical challenges. There's a lot of mystery surrounding Grant's past, and Grant plays the character with such an even balance it adds to the mystery. He's given a lot of preachy speeches to deliver, some of which work and some of which don't, but Grant makes the character believable. Jeanne Crain is less successful as the young woman that Grant saves. She never zeroes in on her character's personality, although that may be, in part, a fault of the script. The rest of the cast does well, including Finlay Currie as Grant's mysterious, quiet manservant and shadow. The film left me with an odd feeling. I felt I was being preached to, but I did enjoy learning about the puzzle that was Grant's past and the role that Currie played in it. This is an unusual film, difficult to describe, that will fascinate some and frustrate others. It did both for me. Buy People Will Talk at Amazon.com Buy posters at Allposters.com Jamster - the latest ringtones for your phone!  Search with Walhello on the Internet on People Will Talk Search with the Priority Search Engine on People Will Talk This page in other languages: Suomeksi | Nederlands | Deutsch
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