THE GREAT DICTATOR
FILM WAS REALESED IN THEATERS IN 1940.
CHARLIE CHAPLIN (1889-1977) WROTE, DIRECTED, PRODUCED, AND STARRED IN THE FILM.
CHAPLIN WAS A COMIC FILM ACTOR AND DIRECTOR FROM THE SILENT MOVIE ERA OF
HOLLYWOOD.
HIS MOST FAMOUS ROLE WAS THAT OF THE LITTLE TRAMP. THE GREAT DICTATOR WAS THE
LAST TIME HE PERFORMED AS THE LITTLE TRAMP IN A FILM.
CHAPLIN’S FIRST TALKING ROLE ON FILM WAS IN THE GREAT DICTATOR.
TALKING PICTURES HAD BEEN FILMED IN HOLLYWOOD SINCE THE PRODUCTION OF THE JAZZ
SINGER IN 1927. THE SPEAKER OF THE FIRST WORDS ON FILM WAS AL JOLSEN.
THE GREAT DICTATOR WAS CHAPLIN’S ACT OF DEFIANCE AGAINST ADOLPH HITLER AND
NAZISM.
CHAPLIN HAD VERY LIBERAL VIEWS ON GOVERNENT AND SOCIETY. SOME CALLED HIM A
COMMUNIST.
DURING THE 1950’S AND THE JOSEPH MCCARTHY (A UNITED STATES SENATOR FROM
WISCONSIN WHO CONDUCTED HEARINGS ON COMMUNISTS IN AMERICA) ERA, HE WAS
ACCUSED OF BEING A COMMUNIST AND BLACK LISTED BY HOLLYWOOD.
FBI DIRECTOR J. EDGAR HOOVER DENIED CHAPLIN RE-ENTRY INTO THE COUNTRY IN 1953
AFTER CHAPLIN HAD TAKEN A TRIP TO HIS HOME COUNTRY OF ENGLAND.
HE MOVED TO SWITZERLAND.
HE MADE A VISIT BACK TO THE UNITED STATES IN 1972 TO ACCEPT AN HONORARY OSCAR
AWARD.
THE GREAT DICTATOR IS A SATIRE.
CHAPLIN IS MAKING FUN OF HITLER AND NAZI GERMANY.
THERE ARE LOADS OF SYMBOLISM AND ALLUSIONS IN THE FILM.
THE FILM BEGINS IN WORLD WAR I AND ENDS AT THE BEGINNING OF WORLD WAR II.
THE COUNTRY OF TOMAINIA (AN ALLUSION TO PTOMAINE POISONING) IS THE SETTING OF
THE FILM.
CHAPLIN PLAYS TWO ROLES IN THE FILM.
HE PLAYS A JEWISH BARBER WHO IS INJURED DURING WORLD WAR I (THE GREAT WAR). HE
SPENDS MANY YEARS IN A HOSPITAL SUFFERING FROM AMNESIA.
THE BARBER IS INJURED TRYING TO HELP COMMANDER SCHULTZ.
CHAPLIN’S OTHER ROLE IS THAT OF ADENOID HYNKEL, THE DICTATOR OF TOMAINIA.
HYNKEL IS AN ALLUSION TO ADOLPH HITLER.
HITLER WAS CALLED THE FUHRER.
HYNKEL IS CALLED THE PHOOEY.
CHAPLIN AND HITLER DID FAVOR IN THEIR LOOKS. THEY WERE BORN FOUR DAYS APART IN
1889, CHAPLIN APRIL 16 AND HITLER APRIL 20.
BOTH GREW UP IN POVERTY WITH ALCOHOLIC FATHERS AND AILING MOTHERS.
HYNKEL’S TOP ASSISTANTS ARE MINISTER OF THE INTERIOR GARBITSCH (PRONOUNCED
GARBAGE) WHO IS AN ALLUSION TO HITLER’S MINISTER OF PROPAGANDA JOSEPH GOEBBELS
AND MINISTER OF WAR FIELD MARSHALL HERRING WHO IS AN ALLUSION TO HERMANN
GORING, THE COMMANDER OF THE LUFTAFFE (GERMAN AIR FORCE).
THE SYMBOL FOR NAZI GERMANY WAS THE SWASTIKA.
HYNKEL’S REGIME’S SYMBOL IS THE DOUBLE CROSS.
HYNKEL WANTS TO INVADE THE COUNTRY OF OSTERLICH (AUSTRIA).
THE DICTATOR OF BACTERIA (ITALY) ALSO WANTS TO INVADE OSTERLICH.
JACK OAKIE PLAYS BENZINO NAPALONI (AN ALLUSION TO WORLD WAR II ITALIAN LEADER
BENITO MUSSOLINI AND FRENCH EMPEROR NAPOLEON BONAPARTE).
MUSSOLINI WAS CALLED LL DUCE (THE LEADER).
NAPALONI IS CALLED DIG-A-DITCHY.
CAPITAL OF ITALY IS ROME.
CAPIOTAL OF BACTERIA IS AROMA.
THE JEWISH BARBER RETURNED TO HIS SHOP AFTER TWENTY YEARS TO FIND THE JEWISH
PEOPLE BEING PERSECUTED BY HYNKEL.
STORMTROOPERS ARE ATTACKING THE JEWISH GHETTO.
THE BARBER IS HELPED BY A YOUNG LADY NAMED HANNAH.
HANNAH IS PLAYED BY PAULETTE GODDARD WHO WAS MARRIED TO CHARLIE CHAPLIN
WHEN THE MOVIE WAS FILMED.
CHAPLIN WANTED TO BEGIN FILMING ABOUT TWO YEARS BEFORE HE ACTUALLY STARTED.
HE WAS TALKED INTO DELAYING HIS PRODUCTION BY JOSPEPH P. KENNEDY (JOHN
KENNEDY’S FATHER).
GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AND HOLLYWOOD STUDIO OFFICIALS DID NOT WANT A FILM
MAKING FUN OF HITLER.
THEY STILL BELIEVED IN A POLICY CALLED APPEASMENT AND GERMANY WAS A HUGE FILM
MARKET.
APPEASEMENT IS A DIPLOMATIC POLICY AIMED AT AVOIDING WAR BY MAKING
CONCESSIONS TO ANOTHER COUNTRY. BRITISH PRIME MINISTER NEVILLE CHAMBERLAIN
USED THIS POLICY WHEN DEALING WITH HITLER IN THE 1930’S.
CHAPLIN AGREED TO POSTPONE PRODUCTION.
HE STARTED IN SEPTEMBER OF 1939 ABOUT A WEEK BEFORE GERMANY INVADED POLAND
TO START WORLD WAR II.
WHILE CHAPLIN KNEW HITLER WAS A RUTHLESS MAN, HE HAD NO IDEA OF THE
PERSECUTION JEWS WERE ENDURING IN GERMANY.
HE IS BELIEVED THAT HE WOULD HAVE ALTERED HIS FILM IF HE HAD KNOWN WHAT HITLER
WAS ACTUALLY DOING.
IT IS SAID THAT HITLER VIEWED THE FILM TWICE.