ThedevilChoose When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

Forumrxes Yo, there's no way for me to review this film without saying, take your *insert ethnicity + "ass" here* to see this film,like now. You have to see it in order to know what you're really messing with.

Kamila Bell This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

Josephina Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

mark.waltz That is, two Edward G's for the price of one. Mr. Robinson is a milquetoast clerk who discovers quite by accident that he looks exactly like Public Enemy #1. Not wanting to keep arresting the wrong man for crimes he didn't commit, the police give him a pass to prove who he is, but when the real gangster finds out, this becomes his own pass to committing all sorts of crimes and getting away with it. The innocent Eddie's wise-cracking co-worker (Jean Arthur), already fond of him, begins to see a different side to him as they become a bit more than pals (see?), but when gangster Eddie gets a crack at Arthur, out comes the Octopous, something Ms. Arthur wasn't quite ready for...This brilliantly written screwball comedy has Frank Capra written all over it, but Mr. Capra was not involved. However, his screenwriter, Robert Riskin, was, and here the director is John Ford. Edward G. proves that he is not only an expert gangster but an able comic as well. In fact, it is the milquetoast character that remains even more memorable as the gangster. Thirty some years ago, I discovered this classic during my early days as an old movie fan, and it remains as delightfully fresh as when I first saw it. My local TV channel back then gave me a double dose, not only of Robinson in this movie, but Jean Arthur as well, having played this back to back with "Mr. Deeds Goes to Town". Two very diminutive character actors, Donald Meek and Ferdinand Gottschalk are very funny; Meek is the squeaky voiced man who keeps trying to claim a reward for turning the innocent Robinson in, while Gottschalk is very funny as Robinson and Arthur's boss. "I can't give you a raise, then fire you. That wouldn't make sense", he tells Robinson after finding out from his boss that EG is the only one on time, but to fire the next person who is late. Guess who that happens to be! This film is filled with magical comic moments like that.

calvinnme Here Robinson plays the role of a mild-mannered bookkeeper, that of a body double in the person of a murderous gangster on the run - Killer Mannion, and he also effectively plays two other roles - that of the bookkeeper pretending to be the gangster, and the gangster pretending to be the bookkeeper. This could get very confusing, especially in the case of the latter two roles, but as the viewer you will be pretty sure you know who you're looking at by the circumstances. However, you'll still be bowled over by the subtlety of Robinson's performance - I know I was.Jean Arthur plays Jones' (Robinson's) would-be girlfriend. She works in the same place as Jones, but longs for more than a hum-drum existence. When Jones tells her his hopes and dreams of being a writer and traveling to exotic places, she encourages him, and seems to see what he could be even if Jones doesn't quite see it yet. Arthur has what amounts to one of the funniest scenes in the movie, and there are many candidates. When the police first pick up and arrest Jones, believing him to be Mannion, they pick up Arthur too, thinking that she is his "gun moll". She has some fun with this and starts using gangster slang and mannerisms and confessing that Mannion committed every crime that the police ask her about.One of my favorite supporting players of the 30's shows up here too - Ed Brophy, who was an assistant director over at MGM until Buster Keaton put him into a small but important role in "The Cameraman" in 1928. Once sound came in Brophy was perfect for playing supporting Runyonesque parts. Here Brophy plays an associate of Killer Mannion who is picked up by the police and makes a deal, promising to put the finger on Mannion. In return the police have to keep him safe in jail until Mannion is picked up. Brophy's character is brave whenever he thinks Manion has been captured and a blubbering coward whenever he realizes Mannion is still free.Highly recommended as a great screwball comedy that shows the versatility of not only Edward G. Robinson, but of director John Ford.

Neil Doyle John Ford seems an unlikely choice to direct a screwball comedy starring EDWARD G. ROBINSON in a good guy/bad guy dual role as a meek accountant who is mistaken by the public (and the police) for hardened criminal Killer Mannion. Robinson is great in both roles, timid and ineffectual as the meek clerk (Edward Jones) and rough and tough as the crime boss. The scenes between the two Robinsons are extremely well handled for such an early flick. DONALD MEEK has an enjoyable supporting role as a restaurant patron who spots innocent Robinson at a nearby table and reports the find to the police, hoping to get the award money for Killer Mannion's capture.JEAN ARTHUR is the bouncy office co-worker who becomes friends with Robinson and has a scary encounter with Killer Mannion, after which she tips off the police as to his whereabouts. There are plot turns involving Killer Mannion switching places with clerk Jonesy in order to manage the prison killing of another thug (EDWARD BROPHY). When Robinson's own criminal gang mistakes him for Jonesy in the final sequence, it makes way for a happy ending.And speaking of happy endings, the last scene has Robinson, Arthur, his pet canary and black cat all steamship bound for Shanghai. Cozy, eh?Nicely paced comedy/drama still works thanks to the expert direction and fun performances from JEAN ARTHUR, EDW. G. ROBINSON and especially DONALD MEEK, who gets his monetary reward too before the final credits.Trivia note: Interesting to note that the story is based on something by W.R. Burnett (he wrote "Treasure of the Sierra Madre"). Doesn't seem like his type of material.

manuel-pestalozzi I saw this movie a long time ago as a teenager during a Edward G. Robinson retrospective. It was the one that stuck in my mind, and I never forgot it. Now I have it on videotape and watch it regularly, it stands multiple viewing very well.The Whole Town's Talking is one of those perfect little movies. Everything falls into place – the acting, the pace, the timing of the jokes, the dialog. Even the set design is fabulous, it was basically the big, bright office space in which the good guy Robinson plays „slaves" that was unforgettable to me. The movie boasts an assortment of caricature like characters like no other movie I know, beside Robinson I would like to mention Jean Arthur, of course, and the two funny little guys, Donald Meek and, even more memorable, Etienne Girardot as the pedantic office overseer who urges Robinson to get on with the Macintyre account.In its social comment The Whole Town's Talking reminds me of the work of Preston Sturgess. Mentionable are the media hype about a famous gangster which is really over the top (it's up there with His Girl Friday in this aspect) and the incompetence of the police force which is unable to deal with the gangster and even less with the media and is presented as a helpless and clueless organization. So the movie still has some actuality.Movie buffs who look at John Ford as an „auteur" may be disappointed. The Whole Town's Talking is very much a product of the studio system. But it amply shows what great things that system was able to accomplish at times!