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6.3/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.3/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Diplomaniacs remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
Honestly, it depends on how much you enjoy early 1930s musical comedy chaos. If you can handle a movie that feels like it’s being made up on the spot, you’ll probably have a blast. If you need a script that makes sense or characters who behave like real human beings, you’re going to be bored to tears within fifteen minutes. 😵💫
The premise is wild: two barbers, Nilly and Glub, end up as diplomats. It’s the kind of premise that makes you wonder if the writers were having a contest to see how ridiculous they could get. There is a whole subplot involving an ammunition executive trying to sabotage everything because, obviously, war is good for business. It’s all very 1933, if that makes sense.
Bert Wheeler and Robert Woolsey are an acquired taste. They have this rhythm—fast, sharp, and constantly stepping on each other's lines—that feels like a relic from a different planet. Sometimes it’s genuinely funny, and other times it’s just noisy. There is one bit where they are trying to navigate a formal party that had me laughing despite myself. It’s just so incredibly clumsy.
The musical numbers are… well, they are certainly there. They pop up whenever the plot starts to drag, which is often. Sometimes it feels like they’re just trying to fill time until the next pratfall. It reminds me a bit of the frantic energy in Buster se marie, where the pacing just goes out the window.
It’s not as tightly constructed as a Marx Brothers film. It’s looser. It feels like the edges are fraying. There’s a specific scene in a garden that goes on for about three minutes too long, and you can practically see the actors waiting for the director to yell cut. It’s awkward, but in a way that feels strangely honest.
If you’re looking for a comparison, this isn't anywhere near the charm of His First Flame. It’s louder, messier, and much more cynical. The way the movie treats the 'Indian nation' plot point is pretty dated, even for the time, so be prepared for some cringey moments. It’s definitely not a 'polite' comedy.
I wouldn’t call this a masterpiece, or even particularly good. But it’s definitely memorable in its own strange way. It’s the kind of movie you put on while you’re doing something else, just to hear the weird, snappy dialogue and see the bizarre costumes. Just don’t expect it to change your life. 🎩
IMDb —
1922
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