SimilarScreen
The Whole Town's Talking

The Whole Town's Talking

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

19356.81h 33m

Overview

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.

Directed by John Ford
Written by Jo Swerling, Robert Riskin, W.R. Burnett
Produced by Lester Cowan, John Ford
0

Top Cast

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

Themes & Keywords

mistaken identityscrewball comedymilquetoast

About The Whole Town's Talking

The Whole Town's Talking is a comedy, crime film released in 1935 exploring themes of mistaken identity, screwball comedy, milquetoast. Directed by John Ford, it stars Edward G. Robinson, Jean Arthur, Arthur Hohl. 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.

Movies Similar to The Whole Town's Talking

Discover titles like The Whole Town's Talking — ranked by similarity and community votes

We found 15 movies similar to The Whole Town's Talking

If you enjoyed The Whole Town's Talking, you'll love these handpicked recommendations. Each title below shares similar themes, tone, and storytelling style. Our algorithm analyzes genres, keywords, director filmography, and cast connections to find the closest matches. Whether you're looking for the same emotional depth, narrative structure, or visual style, these picks are curated to deliver the best viewing experience for fans of The Whole Town's Talking.

The Man Who Knew Too Little
39% Match

An American gets a ticket for an audience participation game in London, then gets involved in a case of mistaken identity. As an international plot unravels around him, he thinks it's all part of the act.

Sullivan's Travels
36% Match

Successful movie director John L. Sullivan, convinced he won't be able to film his ambitious masterpiece until he has suffered, dons a hobo disguise and sets off on a journey, aiming to "know trouble" first-hand. When all he finds is a train ride back to Hollywood and a beautiful blonde companion, he redoubles his efforts, managing to land himself in more trouble than he bargained for when he loses his memory and ends up a prisoner on a chain gang.

Hit Man
33% Match

Hit Man(2024)

Movie6.8/10

A mild-mannered professor moonlighting as a fake hit man in police stings ignites a chain reaction of trouble when he falls for a potential client.

Stir Crazy
29% Match

Stir Crazy(1980)

Movie6.5/10

New Yorkers Skip Donahue and Harry Monroe have no jobs and no prospects, so they decide to flee the city and find work elsewhere, landing jobs wearing woodpecker costumes to promote the opening of a bank. When their feathery costumes are stolen and used in a bank robbery, they no longer have to worry about employment — they're sent to prison.

Crimewave
29% Match

Crimewave(1985)

Movie5.5/10

A pair of whacked-out cartoon-like exterminator/hitmen kill the owner of a burglar-alarm company, and stalk the partner who hired them, his wife, and a nerd framed for the murder, who tells the story in flashback from the electric chair.

My Man Godfrey
28% Match

Fifth Avenue socialite Irene Bullock needs a "forgotten man" to win a scavenger hunt, and no one is more forgotten than Godfrey Park, who resides in a dump by the East River. Irene hires Godfrey as a servant for her riotously unhinged family, to the chagrin of her spoiled sister, Cornelia, who tries her best to get Godfrey fired. As Irene falls for her new butler, Godfrey turns the tables and teaches the frivolous Bullocks a lesson or two.

Some Like It Hot
27% Match

In Prohibition-era Chicago, musicians Joe and Jerry witness a mob hit, and flee the state in an all-female band disguised as Josephine and Daphne, but further complications set in.

Connie and Carla
27% Match

After accidentally witnessing a mafia hit in the Windy City, gal pals Connie and Carla skip town for L.A., where they go way undercover as singers working the city's dinner theater circuit ... disguised as drag queens. Now, it's not enough that they become big hits on the scene; things get extra-weird when Connie meets Jeff -- a guy she'd like to be a woman with.

Monkey Business
26% Match

Research chemist Barnaby Fulton works on a fountain of youth pill for a chemical company. One of the labs chimps gets loose in the laboratory and mixes chemicals, but then pours the mix into the water cooler. When trying one of his own samples, washed down with water from the cooler, Fulton begins to act just like a twenty-year-old and believes his potion is working. Soon his wife and boss are also behaving like children.

Hold That Ghost
25% Match

Two bumbling service station attendants are left as the sole beneficiaries in a gangster's will. Their trip to claim their fortune is sidetracked when they are stranded in a haunted house along with several other strangers.