The Whole Town's Talking (1935): cast, story & where to watch
1935 · Film · ★ 6.8
Released in 1935, The Whole Town's Talking is a comedy, drama and crime film directed by John Ford, running about 93 minutes. “The most exciting picture in a decade..Inspired by the biggest front page sensation in recent years” — that tagline sets the tone.
What it’s about. Ordinary man-in-the-street Arthur Ferguson Jones leads a very straightforward life. He's never late for work and nothing interesting ever happens to him. One day everything changes: he oversleeps and is fired as an example, he's then mistaken for evil criminal killer Mannion and is arrested. The resemblance is so striking that the police give him a special pass to avoid a similar mistake. The real Mannion sees the opportunity to steal the pass and move around freely and chaos results.
Who’s in it. The Whole Town's Talking stars Edward G. Robinson as Arthur Ferguson 'Jonesy' Jones / 'Killer' Mannion, Jean Arthur as Wilhelmina 'Bill' Clark, Arthur Hohl as Det. Sgt. Michael F. Boyle and James Donlan as Detective Sergeant Patrick J. Howe, among others.
How it landed. With an audience score of 6.8/10, The Whole Town's Talking has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response.
Where to watch. In US you can stream it on Criterion Channel and rent or buy it from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies and YouTube. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch The Whole Town's Talking page.
If you liked it. Fans of The Whole Town's Talking tend to enjoy Forrest Gump, Parasite, Life Is Beautiful and Fight Club.
Frequently asked
- Where can I watch The Whole Town's Talking (1935)?
- In US, The Whole Town's Talking is available to stream on Criterion Channel, and rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store and Google Play Movies. Availability varies by country — check our where-to-watch page for every region.
- Is The Whole Town's Talking worth watching?
- The Whole Town's Talking holds an audience score of 6.8 out of 10, and is a strong pick if you enjoy comedy, drama and crime. Reactions are mixed, so it may depend on taste.
- Who stars in The Whole Town's Talking?
- The Whole Town's Talking stars Edward G. Robinson, Jean Arthur, Arthur Hohl, James Donlan and Arthur Byron.
- When was The Whole Town's Talking released?
- The Whole Town's Talking was released in 1935, with a runtime of about 93 minutes.