People Will Talk

Joseph L. Mankiewicz's film about a doctor. Noah Praetorius teaches at a medical school and also runs his own clinic. His method troubles his colleagues: he talks to his patients, takes an interest in their lives, and does not reduce treatment to the body. A professor at the school begins investigating his past. The claim: Praetorius practised for a time without a licence and there is something hidden about his identity. The investigation becomes a formal hearing. At the same time a student, Deborah, comes to the clinic; she is pregnant and unmarried. Praetorius helps her, and that relationship becomes material for the inquiry too. The timing matters. It was made in 1951, in an America where people were being investigated through their pasts, and the subject is plainly that: digging into someone's history to end their career. Cary Grant plays Praetorius and Jeanne Crain plays Deborah. An interesting production for anyone who likes classical Hollywood and films built on dialogue. For a viewer expecting a fast narrative, the film runs on conversation and its register moves between comedy and seriousness.