British Film Institute - London Film Festival

Film

What's on at the cinema plus reviews of the latest movie and DVD releases

Search cinema listings

Browse cinemas A-Z

Search 20,000 reviews

 

The Sin of Harold Diddlebock (1946)

Director: Preston Sturges

Average user rating
1 review

Movie review

From Time Out Film Guide

Lloyd's last film - by no means the total disaster of reputation - kicks off with the final reel of The Freshman, then goes on to show Harold the go-getter of 1925, fired after 22 years stuck in the same dead-end job, breaking out in a wild Mad Wednesday spree which results in him drunkenly sowing the seeds of future success. Admittedly the quirkily sophisticated Sturges characters ('Sir, you bring out the artist in me' beams the bartender presented with the challenge of mixing Harold's very first drink) co-exist a trifle uneasily with Lloyd's cliffhanger exploits (which here include a rather tired rehash of the skyscraper antics from Safety Last). But the film is studded with gems, many of them contributed verbally by the Sturges stock company. It was re-released in 1950, cut to 78 minutes and retitled Mad Wednesday.

Author: TM

Time Out Film Guide


  • Print this page
  • Send to a friend

User reviews of this film

  • Mikado said...
    Posted on Sep 17 2007 01:44 Harold Lloyds last film is funny and entertaining to a point, but, seems to run too long, and the resolution of the film is completely unbelievable...this film isnt quite as good as Milky Way, but, not terrible either, mainly Id recommend it to dyed in the wool HL fans, others may not carefor it!
    Report as inappropriate

What do you think?
Post your review now

clear rating
Min 1 star. Zero stars will be treated as unrated.

*mandatory fields





Top Stories

The essential guide to the London Film Festival

The essential guide to the London Film Festival

Get the inside track on the all the films and events you'll want to catch at the Times BFI 52nd London Film Festival

Terence Davies: interview

Terence Davies: interview

Wally Hammond talks to visionary British director Terence Davies about his deeply personal and long-awaited new documentary ‘Of Time and the City’

A Bond a day: No. 10 'The Spy Who Loved Me'

A Bond a day: No. 10 'The Spy Who Loved Me'

Time Out revisits the 21 Bond movies day by day to celebrate the release of 'Quantum of Solace'

W.

W.

Read our early review of Oliver Stone's George W Bush biopic, 'W.', playing at this year's London Film Festival

Ten friendly ghost movies

Ten friendly ghost movies

To celebrate the release of 'Ghost Town' in which Ricky Gervais plays a New York dentist who can see dead people, Time Out counts down ten great friendly ghost movies.