Diplomaniacs finds Wheeler&Woolsey as a pair of barbers who open up a shop on an Indian reservation where the residents don't grow beards and also do their own haircuts on themselves and others. Business ain't good but their gift for gab has them chosen as delegates to a world peace conference.
The Twenties and early Thirties abounded in conferences and treaties and pacts all in the hope of avoiding another World War. It was a great subject for satire as was shown over at Paramount the same year with the Marx Brothers Duck Soup. Seeing Diplomaniacs the comparisons are obvious.
No one goes to war here, but munitions manufacturer Louis Calhern wants to make sure the option is kept open. Bert and Bob have their instructions and he's going to stop them, aided and abetted by the 'Chinaman' as played by Hugh Herbert.
I did love the casting of Edgar Kennedy as the chair of the Peace Conference in Geneva. The most notoriously inpatient man in the history of the cinema, Kennedy strikes the right note here
The minstrel number at the end was offensive and if it weren't for that Diplomaniacs might rank as high and be as well known as Duck Soup. Still it's a great showcase for Wheeler&Woolsey and those who want to get acquainted with their comedy stylings can do no better than to check this out.
The Twenties and early Thirties abounded in conferences and treaties and pacts all in the hope of avoiding another World War. It was a great subject for satire as was shown over at Paramount the same year with the Marx Brothers Duck Soup. Seeing Diplomaniacs the comparisons are obvious.
No one goes to war here, but munitions manufacturer Louis Calhern wants to make sure the option is kept open. Bert and Bob have their instructions and he's going to stop them, aided and abetted by the 'Chinaman' as played by Hugh Herbert.
I did love the casting of Edgar Kennedy as the chair of the Peace Conference in Geneva. The most notoriously inpatient man in the history of the cinema, Kennedy strikes the right note here
The minstrel number at the end was offensive and if it weren't for that Diplomaniacs might rank as high and be as well known as Duck Soup. Still it's a great showcase for Wheeler&Woolsey and those who want to get acquainted with their comedy stylings can do no better than to check this out.