The Whole Town's Talking (1935)

When people think of Edward G. Robinson, they are inclined to think of his roles as gangsters in such films as Little Caesar (1931) and Smart Money (1931) or his roles in such film noirs as Double Indemnity (1944), The Woman in the Window (1944), and Scarlet Street (1945). That having been said, Edward G. Robinson also made comedies, such as The Little Giant (1933), A Slight Case of Murder (1938), and Brother Orchid (1940). Among Edward G. Robinson's best comedies was The Whole Town's Talking from 1935.

The Whole Town's Talking was based on the short story "Jail Breaker" by W. R. Burnett published in Collier's in August 1932. If the name "W. R. Burnett" sounds familiar, it is because he also wrote the novel upon which the movie Little Caesar was based. Despite being adapted from source material by the same author, Little Caesar and The Whole Town's Talking are entirely different types of films. While Little Caesar is a serious gangster movie, The Whole Town's Talking is a fast paced comedy. In The Whole Town's Talking, Edward G. Robinson plays meek office clerk Arthur Ferguson Jones, who aspires to be a writer and has secret crush on his co-worker Wilhelmina Clark (played by Jean Arthur). Unfortunately for Jones, he is also a dead ringer for vicious gangster "Killer" Mannion (also played by Edward G. Robinson. When Mannion breaks out of prison, the soft-spoken Jones finds his life complicated in ways he never expected.

By 1935 Edward G. Robinson had already played several gangster roles and was not eager to play more. When he learned from his agent and gossip columnist Louella Parsons that Warner Bros. was loaning him to Columbia Pictures for The Whole Town's Talking, he was not particularly happy. It was after he read the screenplay and learned that he would be playing dual roles (the meek office clerk and the vicious gangster) that he changed his mind. The Whole's Town's Talking was directed by John Ford, who is not particularly known for his comedies. Author W. R. Burnett said that at story conferences Mr. Ford did not say anything and the author commented, "I don't even know why he took the picture." Regardless, Edward G. Robinson got along with John Ford, as well as his co-star Jean Arthur. In his autobiography All My Yesterdays, Mr. Robinson wrote of Miss Arthur, "She was whimsical without being silly, unique without being nutty, a theatrical personality who was an untheatrical person. She was a delight to work with and to know."

If John Ford seemed uninterested in The Whole Town's Talking as W. R. Burnett thought, it certainly didn't show on the screen. The Whole Town's Talking did very well at the box office, grossing $3.1 million domestically. It also received positive reviews. The New York American called the movie, "...the best thing Mr. Robinson has done since the unforgettable Little Caesar."Andre Sennwald in The New York Times wrote of the movie "Pungently written, wittily produced and topped off with a splendid dual performance by Edward G. Robinson, it may be handsomely recommended as the best of the new year's screen comedies." Variety commented that, "Robinson will derive a heap of benefits from this assignment. It hands him some dazzling moments of acting..."

The Whole Town's Talking remains not only one of Edward G. Robinson's best movies, but one of John Ford's best films as well. Easily the best thing about the movie is Edward G. Robinson's dual roles as the meek Arthur Ferguson Jones and the brutal "Killer" Mannion. In particular, his performance as Jones could well be one of the best in his career. Mr. Robinson is convincing as the office clerk with a tendency to be overly polite and vacillating. Not only does Edward G. Robinson do a good job in the film, but so do the supporting cast. Jean Arthur is great as the frank but charming Miss Clark. The script, by Jo Swerling and Robert Riskin, is a remarkable piece of work. The films moves at a good clip, with realistic complications arising from the movie's somewhat implausible premise.

The Whole Town's Talking may not be one of the best known comedies of the Thirties, but it is definitely one of the best comedies of the decade. Benefiting from bravura performances from its cast and a sterling script, it really should be seen more often than it is.