ReaderKenka Let's be realistic.

Tacticalin An absolute waste of money

Rio Hayward All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Anoushka Slater While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

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.

earlytalkie This film starts out differently, with an animated sequence before the opening credits. This is the first of several off-beat touches which makes Hi Diddle Diddle an enjoyable film. Pola Negri, former silent star from Valentino's day registers well here as a temperamental opera star. Not only is her voice understandable, but it is downright good here. She is also still quite beautiful in 1943, and it seems a pity that she did not have a bigger career in sound films. The rest of the cast, headed by Adolphe Menjou, Martha Scott, Dennis O'Keefe and Billie Burke are all in top form, and a special mention for a musical sequence featuring June Havoc singing along with herself on a soundie screen. There are some good belly laughs to be had and, all in all, this is a charming piece of forties fluff which will whizz by painlessly enough.

drednm A B film but a very funny comedy starring Martha Scott and Dennis O'Keefe as newlyweds who get caught up in the schemes of daddy (Adolphe Menjou) as he tries to win back mama's (Billie Burke) money at a crooked roulette wheel. Not much on plot but very funny with Menjou's opera singer wife (Pola Negri in her first American film in more than a decade)) singing Wagner at any given moment.The film rushes between standard comedy and weird comments to the camera. There's also a running gag about an actress who is only in the film because she's dating the director. And then there's that animated wallpaper.Co-Stars include June Havoc, who steals the film as a nightclub singer who at one point sings a duet with herself, Walter Kingsford, Bess Flowers, Barton Hepburn, Georges Metaxa, Paul Porcasi, Harry Tyler, Matt McHugh, and Bert Roach. as the flustered cab rider.The real interest here is of course Pola Negri in a talkie ... and she's very funny indeed and looks great.

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.