Film Review
Joseph L. Mankiewicz followed up his monumentally successful
All About Eve (1950) with a
film which is less well-known but just as insightful and scathing in
its portrayal of American society. Based on the stage play "Dr.
Praetorius" by Curt Goetz,
People
Will Talk is an intelligent reaction to Mankiewicz's own
experiences during the communist witch hunts of the late 1940s, early
1950s which were initiated by Senator Joseph McCarthy. Whilst President
of the Director's Guild, Mankiewicz was openly attacked by Cecil B.
DeMille, a once great filmmaker and hard-line conservative, for his
unwillingness to support the anti-communist campaign. Like many
of his fellow directors and screenwriters, Mankiewicz was a liberal who
refused to denouce others working in Hollywood who had communist
sympathies.
Whilst
People Will Talk is
primarily a warning about the dangers of intellectual rivalry and
the immorality of witch
hunts, it does embrace a wide range of other subjects that were just as
controversial at the time - pregnancy outside of marriage, the
corrosive effect of unfettered capitalism, the human cost of the Korean
war, among others. It is also an entertaining romantic comedy,
with an attractive cast of talented performers and some sparkling
dialogue (one of Mankiewicz's hallmarks).
In one of his best performances, Cary Grant is at his most charming and
brings a depth and intensity to his portrayal of the kindly but
slightly mysterious Dr Praetorius which may surprise some
viewers. Jeanne Crain is just as alluring and succeeds in making
her character far more interesting than the stereotypical mixed up girl
she seems to be at first sight.
Perhaps the best performances are from Finlay Currie and Hume Cronyn,
although this only registers in the short but pivotal scene near the
end of the film where Curie's character make Cronyn's aware of his
petty small-mindedness, rather like an angry dog owner pushing his
pet's nose into something he shouldn't have done. It is
testament to Cronyn's talent - and Mankiewicz's generosity - that the
last shot we see of the odious Professor Elwell is the most poignant in the film. The
meaning is apparent. Those who seek to bring down others
risk destroying their own reputations, a fate that befell Cecil B.
DeMille after his own attack on Joseph L. Mankiewicz.
© James Travers 2008
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Next Joseph L. Mankiewicz film:
The Barefoot Contessa (1954)
Film Synopsis
Dr Noah Praetorius is a successful medical practitioner who enjoys
great popularity and respect at the university where he
teaches. Unfortunately, not everyone appreciates his
success. One of his colleagues, Professor Elwell, is determined
to ruin his career and has the good fortune to unearth a skeleton or
two from Praetorius's mysterious past. Meanwhile, Praetorius is
preoccupied with one of his students, Deborah Higgins, who has tried to
kill herself after learning she is pregnant. Since the father of
her unborn child, a man she hardly knew, died in combat recently,
Deborah is anxious over what her father will think. Praetorius
decides that Deborah's case is one that requires his urgent attention...
© James Travers
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.