People Will Talk

Released Aug 29, 1951

1h 50m

Comedy

Drama

List

88%

8 Reviews

Tomatometer

79%

2,500+ Ratings

Audience Score

The unorthodox methods of Midwestern physician and lecturer Noah Praetorious (Cary Grant) make him popular with students and patients but ruffle the pride of Professor Rodney Elwell (Hume Cronyn). When student Deborah Higgins (Jeanne Crain) faints in Noah's class and confides that she is pregnant and unmarried, Noah takes an interest in her. Eager to ruin Noah, Elwell uses the doctor's connection to Deborah and to a mysterious and shady friend to bring charges of unsuitability against him.

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Richard Brody

New Yorker

Joseph Mankiewicz's noble, mysterious 1951 comedy of medicine and mores...

Sep 14, 2020

Full Review

Manny Farber

The Nation

Though People Will Talk is basically only a Dr. Kildare story about "good" medicine and "bad," it has been precociously adult-erated a the toniest film of the year.

Sep 15, 2021

Full Review

Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

Despite the diminishing likelihood of a believable happy ending, there's an impressive authenticity to the leads' relationship, thanks chiefly to their performances.

Rated: 8/10

Aug 23, 2020

Full Review

Clyde Gilmour

Maclean's Magazine

People Will Talk had the nerve to present two such conventional box-office stars as Cary Grant and Jeanne Crain in a highly unconventional story which the bankers who underwrite Hollywood would never have sanctioned a few years ago.

Nov 26, 2019

Full Review

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Rated: 3/5

Jul 6, 2005

Full Review

Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

Mankiewicz's chatty and dyspeptic liberal response to Senator McCarthy's witch hunting days.

Rated: B

Jan 8, 2004

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nick s

I hate to knock one of the biggest stars of the era but I found Cary Grant's radio voice quite distracting. It sounded put on. The script does enjoy giving little social lectures, so plenty of exposition and yawn inducing speaches. Overall the movie wasn't bad but I didn't engage with it.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

04/30/24

Full Review

Audience Member

This movie is sensitive and insightful to personal issues, consistently intelligent, authentic and intimate dialogue that is relevant today regarding health and relationships, friendly ribbing among colleagues, respect between friends, and turns a profoundly moving love interest into the most uplifting symbol of human triumph I've ever seen on screen. I never tire watching this movie. More intelligence is exchanged between two characters at any time than any movie today. Cary Grant is perfect in the role. An absolutely perfect and delightful movie.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/16/23

Full Review

Jessica C

Wonderful movie with the amazing Cary Grant. No one ever looked as good in a suit as him. The story is fun and interesting. Goes to show how much "modern" doctors had to go through in the past. Also, the dialogues are really good. And the actors? Wow. Such a great ensemble. Love it!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

08/12/20

Full Review

steve d

Strong story with strong acting and important for its time.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

This movie has a lot to say -- director Joseph L. Mankiewicz knew what he was doing in bringing this script into production. But Cary Grant doesn't work in this role. He is too well known and carries a great amount of baggage from all his previous roles. The part of Dr, Praetorius needed to be played by a relatively new or unknown actor. Grant could only be seen as Grant -- his presence was that strong. This was not Dr. Praetorius... it was Cary Grant. It knocked the film off kilter from its offbeat and beguiling beginning in which we see Margaret Hamilton very solemnly warning someone about this Dr. Praetorius character. He is really bad. Then the scene shifts and its ... Cary Grant! It just doesn't work. Jeanne Crain, sorry to say, does not establish herself in this role and inhabit it like it needed. She acted and this was apparent, but she was always Jeanne Crain, never the character. This movie was a masterpiece outside of these glaring casting mistakes. Others have run down the plot, but to fully grasp its genius you have to see it more than once. That's why it didn't do as well as expected at the box office. One sitting wasn't enough. The appreciation comes from a deeper understanding, and the majority of the people won't want to do that. Picture this film with another lead and imagine how much improved it would have been, not because Grant was in any way bad, but because he was so good and so well known that he would always just be Cary Grant.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/16/23

Full Review

paul d

This is an odd but deeply interesting and ambitious film. It addresses many important topics: political correctness, witch hunts, unwanted pregnancy, friendship, professional conduct, the role of psychology in healing, and others. Yet it also toggles among comedy, drama and romance in an unsettling way, and descends into an odd preachiness at times. It's tackling of adult themes requires intelligence and engagement from the audience. It is a dense film, and I'd like to watch it again.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

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Joseph L. Mankiewicz

Director

Cary Grant

Dr. Noah Praetorius

Jeanne Crain

Deborah Higgins

Finlay Currie

Shunderson

Walter Slezak

Prof. Barker

Hume Cronyn

Prof. Rodney Elwell

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Synopsis

The unorthodox methods of Midwestern physician and lecturer Noah Praetorious (Cary Grant) make him popular with students and patients but ruffle the pride of Professor Rodney Elwell (Hume Cronyn). When student Deborah Higgins (Jeanne Crain) faints in Noah's class and confides that she is pregnant and unmarried, Noah takes an interest in her. Eager to ruin Noah, Elwell uses the doctor's connection to Deborah and to a mysterious and shady friend to bring charges of unsuitability against him.

Director: Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Production Co: Twentieth Century Fox
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 29, 1951, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 1, 2013
Runtime: 1h 50m

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