THE WHOLE TOWN'S TALKING
aka Passport to Fame
DIRECTED BY JOHN FORD
PRODUCED BY JOHN FORD/ LESTER COWAN
COLUMBIA PICTURES CORPORATION
Information from IMDb
Plot Summary
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.
Written by Col Needham
Full Cast
Edward G. Robinson ... Arthur Ferguson Jones
Jean Arthur ... Miss Clark
Arthur Hohl ... Detective Sergeant Boyle
James Donlan ... Detective Sergeant Howe
Arthur Byron ... Spencer
Wallace Ford ... Healy
Donald Meek ... Hoyt
Etienne Girardot ... Seaver
Edward Brophy ... 'Slugs' Martin
Paul Harvey ... 'J.G.' Carpenter
Harry Abrahams ... Convict (uncredited)
Ernie Adams ... Reporter (uncredited)
Carmen Andre ... Clerk (uncredited)
Charles A. Bachman ... Policeman (uncredited)
Eddie Baker ... Policeman (uncredited)
Lucille Ball ... Bank Employee (uncredited)
George Barton ... Policeman (uncredited)
Arthur Belasco ... Policeman (uncredited)
Brooks Benedict ... Reporter (uncredited)
Joseph E. Bernard ... Policeman (uncredited)
Stanley Blystone ... Charlie - Clerk (uncredited)
Harry Bowen ... Mike O'Connor - Taxi Driver (uncredited)
Ed Brady ... Trustee (uncredited)
Lynton Brent ... Warden's Secretary (uncredited)
Maurice Brierre ... Clerk (uncredited)
Don Brodie ... Reporter (uncredited)
Vance Carroll ... Policeman (uncredited)
Monte Carter ... (uncredited)
Nancy Caswell ... Clerk (uncredited)
Allan Cavan ... Conductor (uncredited)
Eddy Chandler ... Guard / Driver (uncredited)
Jack Cheatham ... Guard with Warden (uncredited)
Ivan Christy ... Customer (uncredited)
Steve Clark ... Convict (uncredited)
Nick Copeland ... Waiter (uncredited)
Jules Cowles ... Convict (uncredited)
Kernan Cripps ... Policeman / Guard (uncredited)
Floyd Criswell ... Motorcycle Officer (uncredited)
Charles Cross ... Reporter (uncredited)
Sidney D'Albrook ... Waiter (uncredited)
Alice Dahl ... (uncredited)
Bobbie Dale ... Cameraman (uncredited)
Edwards Davis ... Captain, S.S. Shanghai (uncredited)
Lew Davis ... Ship Steward (uncredited)
Sidney De Gray ... Customer (uncredited)
Gordon De Main ... Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Rita Donlin ... (uncredited)
Allyn Drake ... Telephone Operator (uncredited)
Lowell Drew ... (uncredited)
Harry Dunkinson ... Customer (uncredited)
Jay Eaton ... (uncredited)
Pearl Eaton ... (uncredited)
Effie Ellsler ... Aunt Agatha (uncredited)
Eddie Fetherston ... Cameraman (uncredited)
Budd Fine ... Policeman (uncredited)
Larry Fisher ... Trustee (uncredited)
Sam Flint ... City Commissioner (uncredited)
Bess Flowers ... Miss Gower - Secretary (uncredited)
Francis Ford ... Newspaper Reporter at Dock (uncredited)
May Foster ... Fat Woman (uncredited)
Rosita Foucher ... Telephone Operator (uncredited)
Christian J. Frank ... (uncredited)
Desmond Gallagher ... Policeman (uncredited)
Robert Graves ... (uncredited)
Maurine Gray ... (uncredited)
Roger Gray ... Customer (uncredited)
Jack Grey ... Policeman (uncredited)
Carlton Griffin ... (uncredited)
Kit Guard ... Convict (uncredited)
Sherry Hall ... Reporter (uncredited)
Eddie Hart ... Gangster (uncredited)
Pat Hartigan ... Policeman (uncredited)
Bernadene Hayes ... Waitress (uncredited)
Grace Hayle ... Reporter (uncredited)
Edward Hearn ... Policeman Announcing Carpenter (uncredited)
Oscar 'Dutch' Hendrian ... Gangster (uncredited)
Charles H. Hickman ... Detective (uncredited)
Pauline High ... (uncredited)
Rodney Hildebrand ... Policeman (uncredited)
Al Hill ... One of Mannion's Henchmen (uncredited)
Carol Holloway ... Customer (uncredited)
Robert Homans ... Detective (uncredited)
Arthur Stuart Hull ... City Official (uncredited)
John Ince ... (uncredited)
Mitchell Ingraham ... (uncredited)
Sunny Ingraham ... Secretary (uncredited)
John Irwin ... Convict (uncredited)
Gladden James ... Secretary (uncredited)
Bud Jamison ... Policeman (uncredited)
William Jeffrey ... Bank Manager (uncredited)
Ed Jones ... (uncredited)
Edward Keane ... U.S. Deputy Attorney (uncredited)
Cornelius Keefe ... Radio Man (uncredited)
Charles King ... Cameraman (uncredited)
Brady Kline ... Policeman (uncredited)
Ethan Laidlaw ... Police Switchboard Operator (uncredited)
Jerry Larkin ... Porter (uncredited)
W.E. Lawrence ... Customer (uncredited)
Peggy Leon ... (uncredited)
Tom London ... Guard (uncredited)
Walter Long ... Convict (uncredited)
J. Farrell MacDonald ... Prison Warden (uncredited)
Stanley Mack ... Gangster (uncredited)
Frank Marlowe ... Ship Steward (uncredited)
Charles Marsh ... (uncredited)
Charles McAvoy ... Policeman (uncredited)
Charles McMurphy ... Policeman (uncredited)
Philip Morris ... Detective (uncredited)
Harry Mount ... Newsboy (uncredited)
Jack Mower ... Guard (uncredited)
Ferdinand Munier ... Mayor (uncredited)
Irving Newhoff ... Henchman (uncredited)
Ned Norton ... Reporter (uncredited)
Frank O'Connor ... Detective Removing Handcuffs (uncredited)
Robert Emmett O'Connor ... Police Lt. Mack (uncredited)
Pat O'Malley ... Detective (uncredited)
Ted Oliver ... Motorcycle Officer (uncredited)
Robert Parrish ... Bit Part (uncredited)
Steve Pendleton ... Convict (uncredited)
Jimmy Phillips ... Pickpocket (uncredited)
Virginia Pine ... Seaver's Secretary (uncredited)
Richard Powell ... Police Lieutenant in Bank (uncredited)
Hal Price ... Fingerprint Expert (uncredited)
James Quinn ... Pickpocket (uncredited)
Arthur Rankin ... Clerk (uncredited)
Ralph Remley ... Sam Dixon - Office Ribber (uncredited)
Jack Richardson ... Detective (uncredited)
Don Roberts ... (uncredited)
Ky Robinson ... Detective (uncredited)
Oscar Rudolph ... Office Clerk Bringing Telegram (uncredited)
Dick Rush ... Policeman (uncredited)
Jack Santoro ... Reporter (uncredited)
Joe Sawyer ... Nick - Mannion's Henchman (uncredited)
Allan Sears ... Policeman (uncredited)
Harry Semels ... Italian Visitor (uncredited)
Marion Sheldon ... (uncredited)
Frank Sheridan ... Russell - Prison Official (uncredited)
Charles Sherlock ... Reporter (uncredited)
Lee Shumway ... Police Sergeant (uncredited)
Reginald Simpson ... (uncredited)
Phillips Smalley ... City Official (uncredited)
Robert Stanley ... Reporter (uncredited)
Larry Steers ... (uncredited)
Charles Sullivan ... Henchman (uncredited)
Ben Taggart ... Traffic Officer (uncredited)
Harry Tenbrook ... Mannion's Henchman on Lookout (uncredited)
Arthur Thalasso ... Gatekeeper (uncredited)
William L. Thorne ... Policeman (uncredited)
John Tyke ... Convict (uncredited)
Emmett Vogan ... Reporter (uncredited)
Blue Washington ... Bank Doorman (uncredited)
Billy West ... Elevator Man (uncredited)
Lloyd Whitlock ... (uncredited)
Robert Wilber ... Henchman (uncredited)
Corinne Williams ... (uncredited)
Maston Williams ... Convict (uncredited)
William A. Williams ... (uncredited)
Clarence Wilson ... Head of Chamber of Commerce (uncredited)
Harry Wilson ... Convict (uncredited)
John Wray ... Henchman Harry (uncredited)
Ernest F. Young ... (uncredited)
Writing Credits
Jo Swerling (screen play) and
Robert Riskin (screen play)
W.R. Burnett (story "Jail Breaker")
Cinematography
Joseph H. August
Trivia
This movie is the inspiration for 1998 Bollywood movie 'Duplicate'
starring Shahrukh Khan in the double role.
The Whole Town's Talking – which had the working titles
of "Jail Breaker" and "Passport to Fame".[3] – was in production from
October 24 to December 11, 1934
The film incorporated some footage originally shot for Columbia's 1931 film The Criminal Code.
Columbia Pictures borrowed Edward G. Robinson for this film from Warner Bros.
– Robinson heard about the transactions through gossip columnist Louella Parsons.
At the time Robinson's career was somewhat moribund and the star was tired of playing only
gangsters.
He was initially opposed to the project but became convinced after reading the script.
In retrospect The Whole Town's Talking has been seen as a turning point for Robinson,
reviving his cinematic fortunes.
Along with 1938's A Slight Case of Murder, it was one of the few comedies Robinson made.
W.R. Burnett, who wrote the story that The Whole Town's Talking was based on,
also wrote Little Caesar, which was the film that catapulted Robinson to stardom,
and High Sierra, the film of which was a significant step for Humphrey Bogart
in moving from playing gangsters to romantic lead.
[edit]Response
Film critic and historian Jean Mitry said of the film that it is "...wonderfully cut and mounted,
supercharged, taut like a spring, it is a work of total perfection in its genre"
and Michael Costello of All Movie Guide wrote that
"Ford directs and cuts the scenes with uncharacteristic rapidity,
seeming to enjoy playing off the meek clerk against the anarchic gangster."
Goofs
Continuity
When Jonesy leaves his apartment in a rush he forgets to turn off the taps and his tub is (torrentially) overflowing. But when he returns from the police much later in the day there is no water anywhere.
Watch a Clip
The Whole Town's Talking