Cary Grant is the biggest star in this 1942 comedy classic, but he’s just one part of a lead trio including Jean Arthur and Ronald Colman. Grant plays a wrongly convicted escaped felon named Leopold who holes up in the home of his friend Nora (Arthur). Posing as her gardener, he quickly befriends her summer tenant, Supreme Court candidate Michael Lightcap (Colman). The boys have much in common and spend more time on their burgeoning bromance than their individual romantic pursuits of Nora, at least until Leopold’s secret identity comes to light.
Buy The Talk of the Town 4K UHDGrant is typically delightful, even as the clandestine nature of his role shuffles him to the background for much of the film. That leaves the heavy lifting to Arthur, here playing her lightly comedic role as more of a zany dame than a swooning damsel. Colman brings gravitas to the film once he appears, with his serious judge character engaging the other characters in cerebral dialogue during his cohabitation. It’s fascinating to watch Leopold and Michael bond in the film, with both genuinely enjoying each other’s company with no other agenda. Each of their romances with Nora are practically second thoughts, mere wisps of affection that barely register as attraction.
The film was produced and directed by George Stevens. While he keeps the plot on track, he pads it to two hours in length, making for a film that is a bit too long for its fairly simple story. Still, the actors are engaging and the mystery about the true perpetrator of Leopold’s crime makes for some intrigue. Ultimately, the charming relationship between Leopold and Michael is the strongest aspect of the film, two unlikely cohorts who become the best of friends.
The new 4K UHD disc presents the black and white film in its original 1.37:1 aspect ratio, with English, French, and Spanish mono DTS-HD MA audio. I watched a prior DVD release of the film for comparison, and the results were striking. Where the DVD appears muddy, with poorly contrasted shades of gray and an immense amount of debris on the print, the new 4K has luminous definition of its black and white levels and no perceptible flaws. Likewise, the scratchy DVD audio has been cleaned up with a crisp, clear DTS soundtrack. The 4K disc is clearly now the reference-viewing choice for the film, and the film has never looked better.
Bonus features include a commentary track and a featurette talking about the film. The package also includes a Movies Anywhere-eligible digital code for those wishing to add the film to their digital libraries. However, there is no Blu-ray disc, so only 4K players need apply.
