If famous lawyer Ronald Coleman hadn't worn a mustache and a van dyke, he would have lost his legal look, and "The Talk of the Town" would have been minus it's one really novel feature. But not even a clean-shaven Coleman could have slowed down the pace of this fast-stepping comedy. Technical errors and a few kernels of corn keep it from the top, but it still ranks high among the year's better pictures.

As interesting as it is complicated, the plot centers on troubles of landlady Jean Arthur. She has tenants on both sides of the law. One, the eminent and respectable jurist Coleman, is invited and expected. Uninvited, unexpected, but never quite unwelcome, escaped prisoner Cary Grant is the other. Boarding a lawyer with a criminal (Grant is an accused killer) complicates life, of course, but landlady Arthur improvises neatly. So "gardener" Grant and lawyer Coleman have long talks, play chess, and become close friends.

As improbable as it is complex, the plot requires capable acting right down the line, and it gets it. Hollywood's top comedienne, Jean Arthur, and Ronald Coleman both turn in standout performances. And Cary Grant plays his usual self in his usual role in a better than usual way. The producers didn't quite hit the jackpot, but they'll get plenty of nickels back from "The Talk of the Town."