Larry41OnEbay-2 Review of Diplomaniacs

Diplomaniacs (1933)

From my brief introduction of the film at the Library Of Congress in 2012.

[8/10 · 30 April 2013]

Bert Wheeler & Robert Woolsey (Woolsey is the one wearing glasses) were highly successful in Vaudeville before making it big on Broadway which lead to their going Hollywood. The opening Barbershop scene was an old Vaudeville routine, but once you get past that it starts to take off, and I'm not just talking girls clothing… They made 24 films together before Woolsey died at the age of 50 only five years after tonight's film was made. Some of their titles are: HALF SHOT AT SUNRISE; Cracked Nuts; CAUGHT PLASTERED; Hips, Hips, Hooray!; NITWITS & Silly Billies. O yeah, they also saved the RKO studio from going bankrupt during the Great Depression! Critics and film buffs often call them the poor man's Marx Brothers since they share a certain zany comedy and were successful during the same era. In fact tonight's movie which opened in May of 1933 was written by Joseph Mankiewicz who later redeemed himself by writing & directing ALL ABOUT EVE and his brother Herman Mankiewicz so liked this anti-war comedy that six months later he made one of his own with the Marx Bros. called DUCK SOUP which has many similarities including the same bad guy in both played by Louis Calhern as a war profiteer. Herman Mankiewicz later redeemed himself by co-writing CITIZEN KANE, which this soitenley ain't! And here's why you won't see it on TV… it's not politically correct. In fact it may be offensive to some who are put off by bad Chinese stereotypes made by Jewish actors, the objectification and gift wrapping of pretty girls and blackface minstrel numbers. This film has it all, and I apologize but sometimes while examining film history you uncover a stinker, and well folks --- I hope you can enjoy this Pre-Code film made to take Depression era audiences minds of their troubles in a print pulled from the garbage aka DIPLOMANIACS.