A drama, a comedy, a dramedy?

People Will Talk is a 1951 film which addresses numerous societal issues including out-of-wedlock pregnancy, alternative medicine and murder.  There is even a veiled discussion of abortion.  The film was released during the height of the power exercised by the Production Code Administration.  If there had been an Academy Award in 1951 for "Best Screenplay Negotiations with the Administrators of the PCA," the Oscar would certainly have been given to People Will Talk.  The Writers Guild of America nominated the screenplay for Best Written American Comedy. Certainly the movie has its light-hearted moments (well played by Cary Grant and Walter Slezak), but a comedy it is not. Was the nomination part of an effort to disguise a thoughtful morality play and to provide necessary "cover" for the PCA approval?   This film is a unique opportunity to see how a movie can be produced and directed in a manner which allows the audience to reflect on important moral issues without being overpowered by the subject matter.  People Will Talk is a movie to talk about!                 John Greanias, Copyright 2013.