He doesn't have the same name recognition of some of his contemporaries, but the man served up the same reliable retinue of stunts, gags, situational humor, physical comedy, witty dialogue (imparted through intertitles), and downright silliness. There is no going wrong with any of Harold Lloyd's silent films, for each and every one is a terrific, funny classic. The same cannot be said for his work in the sound era, unfortunately, for only 1932's 'Movie crazy' matched the cleverness and vitality of his efforts preceding the advent of talkies; while all mildly enjoyable in some measure, everything else Lloyd made from 1929's 'Welcome danger' onward through the 30s paled in comparison. So what of this 1947 feature, his last starring vehicle, coming a full nine years after 'Professor beware?' What could 'The sin of Harold Diddlebock' mean for a career that in my opinion had flagged at least fifteen years before? The good news is that this is an improvement to one degree or another over some of his prior sound output, and at points it comes reasonably close to meeting the standards of his best pictures. The bad news is that this is still far from Lloyd's best, and it's uneven to an extent that places distinct upper limits on how much fun there is to be had here. I'm glad for those who get more out of this than I do, but in my mind it's very so-so.
The first ten minutes or so start well as we begin with recycled footage from 1925's 'The freshman,' with additional footage appended that carries much the same spirit. It's regrettable that the rest of the first third is darn near soporific, marked by a downcast tone and a dearth of energy. As we enter the second act we get a burst of the vibrancy and wit we expect and want from the icon, though it does rather seem that Lloyd is overcompensating, becoming overbearing in the utmost zest of the moment. For better and for worse, this dichotomy will come to define the length beyond that first stretch: kind of dull and unimpressive at some points, and at others bearing more recognizable tinges of the imagination and electricity we hope for, but often characterized by excessive, bombastic raucousness that overshadows the ingenuity we should be remarking upon instead. Exemplifying the point, the major sequence of the third act revisits for the second time the skyscraper scene that made 1923's 'Safety last!' famous (see also 1930's somewhat lackluster 'Feet first'), but now with extra yelling to greet our ears. It's not that this title isn't enjoyable, but I don't think I laughed once the entire time, and the fun to be had in 'The sin of Harold Diddlebock' is indeed sadly flaccid, through to the final scene that returns us to the general sleepiness of the first act.
While true for any given era, it seems sometimes that in the 30s and 40s especially we got a glut of fare out of Hollywood that was rather middling: well made, perhaps, but not making any particular impression, and being rather forgettable. This fits into that category more than not. The plot is thin and flimsy, and the situational humor and gags are highly variable in their quality. It's well done in terms of costume design, hair, makeup, stunts, and so on, but none of this matters all that much when the sum total is never more than lightly amusing. It's not bad, and I can readily name three of Lloyd's prior talkies to which I absolutely think this is superior ('Professor beware,' 'The milky way,' and above all 'The cat's paw'), but that isn't necessarily saying much. And the whole thing is that for a man whose best work is wonderfully entertaining from top to bottom, to fall from those heights and turn out material that's ultimately rather negligible is all but calamitous. Maybe we can say that he was trying something different in the latter part of his career, and that's fine; maybe we can say, in this instance, that a troubled production soured the possibilities for what the end result would become - but one way or another, the result still has to elicit the desired reaction in the audience. And I find myself pretty well nonplussed.
Watch if you like; I hope you like it. For my part, I would strongly recommend following this by rewatching 'The freshman' in full, or 'Safety last! Or 'Why worry?' or any of the star's silent offerings that stand taller by head, shoulders, knees, and toes. I can now say that I've seen 'The sin of Harold Diddlebock'; would that it meant anything to me.
The first ten minutes or so start well as we begin with recycled footage from 1925's 'The freshman,' with additional footage appended that carries much the same spirit. It's regrettable that the rest of the first third is darn near soporific, marked by a downcast tone and a dearth of energy. As we enter the second act we get a burst of the vibrancy and wit we expect and want from the icon, though it does rather seem that Lloyd is overcompensating, becoming overbearing in the utmost zest of the moment. For better and for worse, this dichotomy will come to define the length beyond that first stretch: kind of dull and unimpressive at some points, and at others bearing more recognizable tinges of the imagination and electricity we hope for, but often characterized by excessive, bombastic raucousness that overshadows the ingenuity we should be remarking upon instead. Exemplifying the point, the major sequence of the third act revisits for the second time the skyscraper scene that made 1923's 'Safety last!' famous (see also 1930's somewhat lackluster 'Feet first'), but now with extra yelling to greet our ears. It's not that this title isn't enjoyable, but I don't think I laughed once the entire time, and the fun to be had in 'The sin of Harold Diddlebock' is indeed sadly flaccid, through to the final scene that returns us to the general sleepiness of the first act.
While true for any given era, it seems sometimes that in the 30s and 40s especially we got a glut of fare out of Hollywood that was rather middling: well made, perhaps, but not making any particular impression, and being rather forgettable. This fits into that category more than not. The plot is thin and flimsy, and the situational humor and gags are highly variable in their quality. It's well done in terms of costume design, hair, makeup, stunts, and so on, but none of this matters all that much when the sum total is never more than lightly amusing. It's not bad, and I can readily name three of Lloyd's prior talkies to which I absolutely think this is superior ('Professor beware,' 'The milky way,' and above all 'The cat's paw'), but that isn't necessarily saying much. And the whole thing is that for a man whose best work is wonderfully entertaining from top to bottom, to fall from those heights and turn out material that's ultimately rather negligible is all but calamitous. Maybe we can say that he was trying something different in the latter part of his career, and that's fine; maybe we can say, in this instance, that a troubled production soured the possibilities for what the end result would become - but one way or another, the result still has to elicit the desired reaction in the audience. And I find myself pretty well nonplussed.
Watch if you like; I hope you like it. For my part, I would strongly recommend following this by rewatching 'The freshman' in full, or 'Safety last! Or 'Why worry?' or any of the star's silent offerings that stand taller by head, shoulders, knees, and toes. I can now say that I've seen 'The sin of Harold Diddlebock'; would that it meant anything to me.