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The Whole Town's Talking

1935·Movie·93 min·6.9(60)

The most exciting picture in a decade..Inspired by the biggest front page sensation in recent years

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.

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Where to watch The Whole Town's Talking in United States

Click a service to open The Whole Town's Talking there. Availability last verified on June 21, 2026.

Where is The Whole Town's Talking streaming around the world?

CountryStreaming onRent / Buy
United StatesCriterion ChannelAmazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies
United KingdomAmazon Video
CanadaCriterion ChannelApple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube

About The Whole Town's Talking

The Whole Town's Talking is a 1935 English-language comedy and crime film directed by John Ford. The cast is led by Edward G. Robinson, Jean Arthur, Arthur Hohl. It has a runtime of 1h 33m. Viewers rate it 6.9/10 across 100 ratings. In United States, it is currently streaming on Criterion Channel.

The Whole Town's Talking was produced by Columbia Pictures and made in United States of America. It was released on February 22, 1935.

Director
John Ford
Writers
Robert Riskin, Jo Swerling, W.R. Burnett
Release date
February 22, 1935
Original language
English
Status
Released
Country
United States of America
Production
Columbia Pictures
#mistaken identity#screwball comedy#milquetoast

The Whole Town's Talking cast & crew

The Whole Town's Talking was directed by John Ford and written by Robert Riskin, Jo Swerling, and W.R. Burnett.

The cast features Edward G. Robinson as Arthur Ferguson 'Jonesy' Jones / 'Killer' Mannion, Jean Arthur as Wilhelmina 'Bill' Clark, Arthur Hohl as Det. Sgt. Michael F. Boyle, James Donlan as Detective Sergeant Patrick J. Howe, Arthur Byron as Spencer, and Wallace Ford as Healy.

Behind the camera, cinematography is by Joseph H. August and it was produced by Lester Cowan and John Ford.

Is The Whole Town's Talking worth watching?

The Whole Town's Talking holds an audience score of 6.9/10 from 60 ratings, a solidly received comedy films.

At 1h 33m, it's an easy, time-light watch.

If you enjoy comedy and crime, The Whole Town's Talking is worth a place on your watchlist.

How and where to watch The Whole Town's Talking

In United States, you can stream The Whole Town's Talking on Criterion Channel, or rent and buy it on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, and YouTube. Click any service above to open it directly.

Streaming rights change country by country and month by month, so the options above reflect United States today — switch your country at the top of the where-to-watch section to see availability elsewhere.

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Cast of The Whole Town's Talking

Edward G. Robinson

Edward G. Robinson

Arthur Ferguson 'Jonesy' Jones / 'Killer' Mannion

Jean Arthur

Jean Arthur

Wilhelmina 'Bill' Clark

Arthur Hohl

Arthur Hohl

Det. Sgt. Michael F. Boyle

James Donlan

James Donlan

Detective Sergeant Patrick J. Howe

Arthur Byron

Arthur Byron

Spencer

Wallace Ford

Wallace Ford

Healy

Donald Meek

Donald Meek

Hoyt

Etienne Girardot

Etienne Girardot

Seaver

Edward Brophy

Edward Brophy

'Slugs' Martin

Paul Harvey

Paul Harvey

'J.G.' Carpenter

J. Farrell MacDonald

J. Farrell MacDonald

Prison Warden (uncredited)

No photo

Ralph Remley

Sam Dixon

The Whole Town's Talking — FAQs

Where can I watch The Whole Town's Talking in United States?

The Whole Town's Talking is streaming on Criterion Channel in United States.

Is The Whole Town's Talking on Criterion Channel?

Yes — The Whole Town's Talking is currently available on Criterion Channel in United States.

What language is The Whole Town's Talking in?

The Whole Town's Talking is originally in English. Subtitle and dub options vary by streaming service.

How long is The Whole Town's Talking?

The Whole Town's Talking runs 1 hours 33 minutes (93 minutes).

What is The Whole Town's Talking rated?

It holds a 6.9/10 audience score from 60 ratings.

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