mark.waltz A bad editorial decision causes New York newspaper editor Paul Muni to be fired then suddenly due to contract stipulations be "demoted" to editor of a love-lorn column, run anonymously by someone named "Nellie". Muni's old girlfriend, Glenda Farrell, who previously ran the column (and desperately wanted off) is promoted, while new editor (and Muni's old rival) Douglas Dumbrille rubs his promotion into Muni's face. Even the newly hired page refers to the humiliated Muni as "Nellie", and in a fit of anger, Muni destroys his office and heads out to get drunk. But with words of encouragement from Farrell and the hopes of secretly clearing his name in the bank scandal which got him demoted in the first place gives Muni hope that he'll be able to get through this down-phase of his career and move back up the ladder.Well written and extremely well acted, this newspaper comedy with serious overtones is a change of pace for veteran theater actor Muni who never had, and never would again, star in a movie comedy. He reminds me very much of Fredric March here with his crisp, cynical performance, Farrell an excellent foil and supported by such excellent character actors as Ned Sparks, Donald Meek, Berton Churchill, Marjorie Gateson and Robert Barrat, with special mention going to Sidney Miller as the spunky office boy who isn't afraid of cracking wise with the veterans at the paper. Meek is very amusing in a scene where he tells Miller not to kow-tow to him, because he has been an office boy himself for over 40 years.

jacksflicks Hi, Nellie is one of the most arch, hilarious movie titles I've ever encountered. At first it sounds banal, but as it's tossed around in different scenes by different characters, it gets funnier and funnier. There's a barroom scene that's a howler.But rather than just a prop for the title's running gag, the story is quite interesting on its own. It involves a newspaper and corruption and a missing banker, and things aren't what they seem. We're taken through some amazing sets. it's impressive to see how many resources were plowed into them by the studio, from tracking shots of the cavernous newsroom, of teeming city streets, of the interior of an elaborate nightclub, all following Paul Muni, who, by the way, is a rough-and-tumble editor relegated to the lovelorn column by his publisher.And this is a great showcase for Muni. Most of his scenes show him in closeup. Remember, Cagney had Public Enemy and Muni had Scarface, both intensely focused on their personas. I think Muni, because of his stage background, overdraws his character in movie closeups. (He may have won the Oscar for Louis Pasteur because he wore a beard that restrained his over-expressiveness.) But hey, it's Muni, and it's fun to see him do his stuff.This is a comedy-crime flick, fast-paced, with rapid-fire dialog between great Warner players, so you have to pay attention. There's a scene where a dim young reporter tells Muni that the children's picnic he was assigned to cover didn't occur because the boat taking the kids to the venue ran aground on a sandbar and broke up, so he only had one paragraph to report. This is great stuff!

MartinHafer HI, NELLIE! is a fun film to watch but in no way could it be mistaken for a deep or high quality product. Instead, it's just simple fun--plot holes and all.Paul Muni plays a managing editor at a newspaper. However, his decision to underplay a big story is second-guessed by the owner and as a result, he is demoted to writing a "lonely hearts" column. His co-workers ridicule him unmercifully, but after initially refusing this indignity, he actually makes a success of it. However, he always is thinking about how to get his old job back, as he misses the excitement of crime and other lurid stories.The film has some very good support for Muni, with Glenda Farrell, Donald Meek, Douglass Dumbrille, Ned Sparks, Robert Barrat and others. So, while it's a relatively cheap and silly production, the supporting characters make it a lot more interesting and worth watching. However, just be prepared for an amazingly easy resolution to the mystery in this film and some jumps in logic. Good as a time-passer but far from Warner's or Muni's best.

Servo-11 Having seen Paul Muni in so many dramas, I wondered if he could pull off comedy as well. I needn't have worried. Since he's teamed with Glenda Farrell, a master of the wisecrack, he gets solid support and the looks they exchange throughout the movie are priceless. One scene that I loved was when Glenda is pretending to be Nellie Nelson so that a woman will confide in her and she's bossing Muni around like he's her office boy.The plot isn't that original. In fact, there are several versions on the same theme (star reporter demoted), but this one has the star material to give it an extra life. Ned Sparkes also adds to the fun.