Review of People Will Talk (1951) by Anthony R — 20 Feb 2004

(Theatre) (First Viewing, 5th Mankiewicz film).

To call this film bizarre would be an understatement. Following the lauded [b]All About Eve[/b], I was completely taken aback at how different this film from its popular predecessor. The witty barbs that makes [b]Eve[/b] so spectacular are completely absent, and as far as romance goes, it's nothing at all like the dreamy [b]The Ghost and Mrs. Muir[/b] several years before. Actually, the only real resemblance to these other films is that it features the sophisticated dialogue expected of a Mankiewicz film.

But I guess it's an unfair comparison as [b]People Will Talk[/b] doesn't fall into any of these genres- in fact, I don't know what genre it could be classified as. But I guess the main thing is that I ended up really liking it. Though I was stumped nearly the whole way through in what Mankiewicz was shooting for as far as plot goes, it tied itself up nicely for the concert climax, though it comes out of nowhere.

This film is clever, but in a very contrived way. It takes great skill to pull cleverness off (Agatha Christie is probably the supreme example), but somehow [b]People Will Talk[/b] was able to pull it off, and manages to do it in a satisfying manner. It's also worth noting that beneath the glossy and conventional veneer this film was really pushing the envelope. Illegitimate children and gynecology are bluntly discussed, and it even ends up dabbling in ethics and the supernatural.

Strange. But worth watching, for sure.