Hi Diddle Diddle

1943 "His bride was EVERYTHING he thought she was...and an air-raid warden besides!"
6.6| 1h12m| NR| en
Details

When the bride's mother is supposedly swindled out of her money by a spurned suitor, the groom's father orchestrates a scheme of his own to set things right. He is aided by a cabaret singer, while placating a jealous wife.

Director

Producted By

Andrew L. Stone Productions

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Reviews

ChicDragon It's a mild crowd pleaser for people who are exhausted by blockbusters.
Micah Lloyd Excellent characters with emotional depth. My wife, daughter and granddaughter all enjoyed it...and me, too! Very good movie! You won't be disappointed.
Aneesa Wardle The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.
Taha Avalos The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.
csteidler Sailor Dennis O'Keefe has a two-day shore leave and the wedding is all planned out by bride Martha Scott and her family. Unfortunately, O'Keefe's ship comes in late and that delay is followed by the discovery that Scott's mother has been swindled out of her fortune....Can they manage to get hitched before O'Keefe is called back to his ship? O'Keefe and Scott are attractive and funny, and Adolph Menjou is outstanding as O'Keefe's father, a con man who means well but never quite hits it big. Menjou vows to help restore the lost fortune and sets about using his connections at the casino.A wonderful and unique supporting cast includes Billie Burke as Scott's mother, cheerfully goofy as always; June Havoc as a spirited song-and-dance girl who helps Menjou out; and Pola Negri as a temperamental opera singer who loves Wagner ("She half wildcat!" a casino employee exclaims—a clever nod to Negri's wacky 1921 picture The Wildcat.) The plot itself is just okay but much enhanced by memorable little bits that surprise and delight. One such moment features Burke and friends sitting around a nightclub table practicing doing double takes; another is the musical number in which Havoc duets with a movie of herself. Then there's the slinky babe who keeps popping up in different scenes for no apparent reason—until Burke finally fills us in: "She's a very particular friend of the director who's making this picture. He sticks her in every scene he can."It doesn't aim too high but it sure is lots of fun.
cstotlar-1 This period in American movies saw such delights as "Hellzapoppin". Here the actors bring to attention that they are playing in a film. They make faces at the audience, wallpaper comes alive, there is a woman who keeps popping up in scenes where she isn't even acting. The dialog and the plot move lightning fast and there's no time at all to waste in this pleasant and often hilarious comedy. There's a wedding reception before the wedding, fortunes earned and lost in a space of minutes, a married couple disunited throughout. What's not to like? This film has been in public domain and has been copied, often badly and on stock of poor quality, so viewer beware...
tavm I recently purchased a used copy of a 1987 video of Hi Diddle Diddle at Pike's Market Place in Seatle, Washington because it mentioned a cartoon sequence from Leon Schlesinger just before he sold his studio (as well as characters Porky Pig, Bugs Bunny, and Daffy Duck) to Warner Bros. Those animations open and close the picture to amusing effect in this slightly surreal romantic comedy starring Dennis O'Keefe, Martha Scott, Adolphe Menjou, Billie Burke, June Havoc, and in her last film before The Moon-Spinners 21 years later (which was her final one!) Pola Negri. One of my favorite running gags involves a beautiful woman (Lorraine Miller) who keeps appearing in various scenes in different roles as noted first by Menjou, then various cast members. Finally, Burke says, "She was put in different places as a favor to the director!" It's interesting to note that both Negri and Menjou (in Pollyanna) made their final feature appearances opposite Hayley Mills in Disney movies. For the occasional nonsense that pops up, Hi Diddle Diddle is worth a look.
Ray Faiola HI DIDDLE DIDDLE is one of those pictures that, because it has fallen into public domain, is almost always seen in dreadful dupe prints. Well, don't let that dissuade you from seeing this picture. It is one of the fastest-paced, downright hilarious comedies of the early 40's. The combination of sharp dialogue and impeccable characterizations make this a real winner. Here is Dennis O'Keefe at his farceur best. He's a sailor-on-leave-bridegroom who spends his wedding night doing everything EXCEPT what he's supposed to be doing. Adolph Menjou is his pop, a conniver (not Connover this time!) who pledges to help Dennis' mom-in-law, dizzy Billie Burke, regain her fortune. Menjou is married to Pola Negri, a domineering Wagnerian opera singer. June Havoc is a lady friend of Menjou's and is she hot! They're all a riot. One of my favorite bits is when waiter Joe Devlin, taking Billie's order at a night club, does a double take and walks away. Billie exclaims - "He did a double take - just like in the movies!" Then Billie, Martha Scott (the bride), Walter Kingsford and Barton Hepburn all proceed to practice doing double takes. Devlin gets a gander at this and does - A DOUBLE TAKE! A wonderful musical moment is June Havoc singing alongside herself in a Panaogram Soundie machine. Composer Richard Hageman, who also appears in director Andrew Stone's SENSATIONS OF 1945, does a very wry bit as a brokerage firm president.If you need a laugh - see HI DIDDLE DIDDLE by any and all means!