History Film / TheWholeTownsTalking

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''The Whole Town’s Talking'' is a 1935 comedy directed by Creator/JohnFord, starring Creator/EdwardGRobinson and Creator/JeanArthur.

%% * GettingCrapPastThe Radar: Due to overwhelming and persistent misuse, GCPTR is on-page examples only until 01 June 2021. If you are reading this in the future, please check the trope page to make sure your example fits the current definition.

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: In the beginning of the film, Jones wakes up and tells his pet bird that he had a wonderful dream about Miss Clark, but tells the bird that it’s too young to know all the juicy details.

* CreatorsOddball: People still get surprised when they hear ''John Ford'' directed this ScrewballComedy. This was four years before Ford directed ''Stagecoach'' and became widely regarded for his work on Westerns.

* DeadpanSnarker: Miss Clark in spades.

* PoliceAreUseless: They think that many won’t catch on two the letter plan even when Jones becomes a sensation.

* CriminalDoppelganger: An awesome performance by Robinson, he plays the mild-mannered clerk who happens to look like the coldblooded killer, Mannion.

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''The Whole Town’s Talking'' (1935) is a comedy starring Creator/EdwardGRobinson and Creator/JeanArthur, directed by Creator/JohnFord.

* WealthyEverAfter: There was a reward $25,000 for the capturing or killing of Mannion, and since Jones did him in, he can now go to Shanghai with Miss Clark.

* NoGuyWantsToBeChased: Averted: Jones doesn’t mind that Miss Clark

* GenreSavvy: Miss Clark when she’s being interrogated by the two detectives, who still think that Jones is Mannion, she rolls her eyes when they tell her the usual cop trick of saying Jones confessed. She then trolls them by admitting to all the crimes they throw at her.

Unsurprisingly, Mannion finds out about the letter scheme, and forces Jones to let him hide in his apartment and share the letter 50/50; Jones keeps it during the day while Mannion uses it at night, where he can commit crimes with impunity. Scared for his life and always the pushover, Jones submits to Mannion. Annoyed by the way the newspapers are painting him as a “false alarm”, Mannion forces Jones to write his escape from his point of view. This tips off the DA and company, since Jones is laying out details that only Mannion would’ve known. Growing suspicious herself, Miss Clark goes to Jones’ apartment when Mannion is hiding there, and she realizes he’s an imposter. Before she can call the police, she’s kidnapped by the gangster and his {{mooks}}.

Essentially fooling everyone, Mannion escapes the police’s grip and sets Jones up; he tells Jones to deposit money in a bank, a ploy for Mannion to tip off the police, knowing Jones will be shot on the spot. Luckily for Jones, he forgets the deposit, and when he returns, Mannion’s mooks mistake him for theor boss, and cluelessly tell him the ploy against his life. No longer willing to be a pushover, Jones finally stands up for himself, and shoots down Mannion.

A. F. Jones (Robinson) is an unremarkable office clerk who’s got a big crush on [[GoodBadGirl resident bad girl]], Wilhelmina Clark (Arthur). As per usual, his diffidence makes him highly uninteresting to Miss Clark until one day she finds out that he’s a dead ringer to recently escaped gangster, ‘Killer’ Mannion ([[ActingForTwo also played by Robinson]]). Amused by this, he and Clark discuss its silliness at a local restaurant when a patron confuses him with the gangster, and has Jones falsely arrested. Once it's clear that he'should not Mannion, Jones must carry a letter signed by the district attorney to avoid any further confusion.

This kerfuffle makes Jones a local celebrity, bringing the attention of a local newspaper that asks him to give his opinion about the famed murder.

* HoistByHisOwnPetard: Mannion’s plan to bump off Jones

-->'''Miss Clark''': Oh, don't mention it. Always glad to serve a [[Shout-out Public Enemy]]. Ah, what do you say we go up to your room and read it over?

-->'''Miss Clark''': Oh, don't mention it. Always glad to serve a Public Enemy. Ah, what do you say we go up to your room and read it over?

A. F. Jones (Robinson) is an unremarkable office clerk who’s got a big crush on resident bad girl, Wilhelmina Clark (Arthur). As per usual, his diffidence makes him highly uninteresting to Miss Clark until one day she finds out that he’s a dead ringer to recently escaped gangster, ‘Killer’ Mannion ([[PlayForTwo also played by Robinson]]). Amused by this, he and Clark discuss its silliness at a local restaurant when a patron confuses him with the gangster, and has Jones falsely arrested. Once it's clear that he'should not Mannion, Jones must carry a letter signed by the district attorney to avoid any further confusion.

A. F. Jones (Robinson) is an unremarkable office clerk who’s got a big crush on resident bad girl, Wilhelmina Clark (Arthur). As per usual, his diffidence makes him highly uninteresting to Miss Clark until one day she finds out that he’s a dead ringer to recently escaped gangster, ‘Killer’ Mannion ( [[DualRole also played by Robinson]] ). Amused by this, he and Clark discuss its silliness at a local restaurant when a patron confuses him with the gangster, and has Jones falsely arrested. Once it's clear that he'should not Mannion, Jones must carry a letter signed by the district attorney to avoid any further confusion.

''The Whole Town’s Talking'' (1935) is comedy starring Creator/EdwardGRobinson and Creator/JeanArthur, directed by Creator/JohnFord.

A. F. Jones (Robinson) is an unremarkable office clerk and aspiring writer who’s got a big crush on resident bad girl, Wilhelmina Clark (Arthur). As per usual, his diffidence makes him highly uninteresting to Miss Clark until one day she finds out that he’s a dead ringer to recently escaped gangster, ‘Killer’ Mannion (also played by Robinson). Amused by this, he and Clark discuss its silliness at a local restaurant when a patron confuses him with the actual gangster, and calls the police on him. Poor Jones is falsely arrested, and after a lot of begging, he’s released, and must carry a letter signed by the district attorney to avoid this confusion.

This kerfuffle makes Jones a local celebrity, bringing the attention of a local newspaper that asks him to write the story of Mannion.

Unsurprisingly, Mannion finds out about the letter scheme, and forces Jones to let him hide in his apartment and share the letter 50/50; Jones can have it during the day while Mannion uses it at night, where he can commit crimes with impunity. Scared for his life and always the pushover, Jones submits to Mannion. Annoyed by the way the newspapers are painting him as a “false alarm”, Mannion forces Jones to write his escape from his point of view. This tips off the DA and company, since Jones is laying out details that only Mannion would’ve known. Growing suspicious herself, Miss Clark goes to Jones’ apartment when Mannion is hiding there, and she realizes he’s an imposter. Before she can call the police, she’s kidnapped by the gangster and his {{mooks}}.

Essentially fooling everyone, Mannion escapes the police’s grip and sets Jones up; he tells Jones that he needs him to deposit money in the bank for him, a ploy for Mannion to tip off the police, knowing Jones will be shot on the spot. Luckily for Jones, he forgets the deposit, Mannion’s mooks mistake him for their boss, and unwillingly tell him the ploy against his life. No longer willing to be a pushover, Jones finally stands up for himself, and shoots down Mannion.

This kerfuffle makes Jones a local celebrity, bringing the attention of a local newspaper who ask him to write the story of Mannion.

A. F. Jones (Robinson) is an unremarkable office clerk and aspiring writer who’s got a big crush on resident bad girl, Wilhelmina Clark (Arthur). As per usual, his diffidence makes him highly uninteresting to Miss Clark until one day she finds out that he’s a dead ringer to recently escaped gangster, ‘Killer’ Mannion (played by Robinson). Amused by this, he and Clark discuss its silliness at a local restaurant when a patron confuses him with the actual gangster, and calls the police on innocent Jones. Poor Jones is falsely arrested, and after a lot of begging, he’s released, and must carry a letter signed by the district attorney to avoid this confusion.

All of this fuss makes Jones a local celebrity, bringing the attention of newspapers who ask him to write the story of Mannion with Miss Clark inserting herself as his agent.

Unsurprisingly, Mannion finds out about this scheme, and forces Jones to let him hide in his apartment and share the letter 50/50; Jones can have it during the day while Mannion uses it at night, where he can commit crimes with impunity.
Scared for his life and always the pushover, Jones submits to Mannion. Annoyed by the way the newspapers are painting him as a “false alarm”, Mannion forces Jones to write his escape from his point of view. This tips off the DA and company, since Jones is laying out details that only Mannion would’ve known. Growing suspicious herself, Miss Clark goes to Jones’ apartment when Mannion is hiding there, and she realizes he’s an imposter. Before she can call the police, she’s kidnapped by the gangster and his {{mooks}}.

''The Whole Town’s Talking'' (1935) is comedy starring Creator/EdwardGRobinson and Creator/JeanArthur, directed by Creator/JohnFord. This film is significant for being an early PlayingAgainstType role for Robinson 9 years before his role in ''Film/DoubleIndemnity''.