‘The Whole Town’s Talking’ or — Seeing Double?
John Ford’s ‘The Whole Town’s Talking’ (1935) was not what I was expecting. A film starring Edward G. Robinson where he’s mistaken for public enemy №1? So this’ll be a gangster flick, albeit with a few humourous moments. Which it kinda is, but boy the way this movie kicks off then barrels along feels more like a Hawks screwball comedy than anything else.
Edward G. Robinson plays A.F. Jones (I know the A.F. stands for Arthur Ferguson but couldn’t help imagining it also had a naughty angle to it too), a spineless, easily bullied office clerk with a rather unexciting life. Unexciting that is until everyone discovers that Jones is the spitting image of America’s most wanted criminal — Killer Mannion. Not surprisingly this gets poor Jones into some hot water; it doesn’t matter how many times he tells the police he isn’t Mannion when he is obviously IS Mannion. Not even his boss, who is a busy man with no time for little people, recognises him.
Some good luck comes Jones’ way when Mannion robs a bank on the opposite side of the city alerting the cops that they do, indeed, have the wrong man. To ensure poor A.F. Jones is not mistakenly arrested again he is provided with a Police Passport, a letter from the district attorney stating that Mr Jones should not be arrested on sight just because he looks like Killer Mannion. Now all Jones has to do is make sure he doesn’t lose this letter and everything will be fine. But its not as if he’s going to lose it, is he? I mean, can you imagine the chaos if he did?
As I’m sure you can tell, this is one very funny set-up for a movie and trust me, that’s only the start of it with proceedings spiraling to even crazier heights once the real Mannion pops onto the scene, but I won’t spoil what that entails. Either way, this is a very entertaining movie that’s rammed to bursting point with touches and flourishes of comedy brilliance which exploits the premise to the full.
The best example of this is when poor, shy, cowering A.F. Jones is sitting by himself in a restaurant whilst reading the description of Killer Mannion in the newspaper telling of his animal-like teeth, evil sneer, hideous and frightening countenance whilst trying to understand how any of these ghastly descriptions could apply to a mild-mannered man like himself. Edward G. Robinson performance is a joy as we watch a man trying out various evil expressions and grimaces in the mirror next to him, the flaws in the mirror reflecting back to him the distortion his own self-image which must be going through his own head. It’s simply excellent and a great piece of conveying inner thought visually delivered by a perfectly pitched, and very funny, performance by Robinson playing against type.
In fact, Robinson is superb throughout the entire movie and when Killer Mannion turns up it allows for Robinson so play against himself, pulling off perfectly the scared, obsequious Jones opposite the terrifying, psychotic Mannion. Some very nifty special effects work help sell the idea but its Robinson who really makes it work.
Not that I found ‘The Whole Town’s Talking’ to be flawless with some of the ideas maybe spinning a little too out of control as the plot goes on but the overall effect of the movie is fun, energetic and exhilarating. I was left scratching my head afterwards as to why this isn’t more well known along with a new found appreciation for Edward G. Robinson’s already considerable skills — I had no idea he could play meek so well. This could also be why Robinson’s performance often reminded me of, what with his put upon office worker living his lonely bachelor life, Jack Lemmon in ‘The Apartment’ (1960) except 25 years earlier.
If you like fast, snappy, impressively acted and directed comedies then check this one out asap. It’s so much fun you’ll think you’re seeing double.
