Hi Diddle Diddle

2268. HI DIDDLE DIDDLE (1943-USA). WITH adolphe menjou, Martha scott, pola negri, DENNIS O’KEEFE, BILLIE BURKE, JUNE HAVOC. Sailor Sonny Phyffe and pert Janie Prescott have just been married. He is only on leave for 48 hours, so they will have to cram a lifetime into their brief honeymoon. However, this perfectly normal young couple is surrounded by a menagerie Of wacky characters who keep intruding on their precious few hours. First there is Janie’s mind numbingly dizzy mom (perfectly played by Billie Burke), it seems that in the shortest possible time Mrs. Prescott has managed to lose all her money on a poorly advised stock investment and an unfortunate trip to a gambling parlor. Enter Sonny’s always debonair dad (acted perfectly by the always debonair Adolphe Menjou), who actually is as phony as a four dollar bill. Still, this man who calls himself “Colonel” Hector Phyffe is a conman with a kind-heart. He pulls Sonny away from his time with Janie and involves him in various schemes designed to get Mrs. Prescott back her money. A choice cast enlivens this perky screwball comedy which also features an ingeniously devised final sequence that is not to be believed. Plus, it is a special pleasure to see silent screen sex siren Pola Negri in a rare sound-film appearance. She plays the high-strung opera star Genya Smetana, who recently has wed Hector. At one point Genya is described as a “famous Wagnerian prima donna,” and a prima donna she most certainly is! 73 minutes. Screwball Comedy