The Great Dictator (1940)

Director:

Charles Chaplin

Writer:

Charles Chaplin (written by)

Release Date:

7 March 1941 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | War

Tagline:

The Comedy Masterpiece!

Plot:

Dictator Adenoid Hynkel has a doppelganger, a poor but kind Jewish barber living in the slums, who one day is mistaken for Hynkel.

Plot Keywords:

Barber | Dictator | Jew | Battle | Jewish Ghetto

Awards:

Nominated for 5 Oscars. Another 5 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Charles Chaplin	...	Hynkel - Dictator of Tomania / A Jewish Barber
Jack Oakie	...	Napaloni - Dictator of Bacteria
Reginald Gardiner	...	Schultz
Henry Daniell	...	Garbitsch
Billy Gilbert	...	Herring
Grace Hayle	...	Madame Napaloni
Carter DeHaven	...	Bacterian Ambassador (as Carter De Haven)
Paulette Goddard	...	Hannah
Maurice Moscovitch	...	Mr. Jaeckel (as Maurice Moscovich)
Emma Dunn	...	Mrs. Jaeckel
Bernard Gorcey	...	Mr. Mann
Paul Weigel	...	Mr. Agar
Chester Conklin	...	Barber's Customer
Esther Michelson	...	Jewish Woman
Hank Mann	...	Storm Trooper Stealing Fruit
Florence Wright	...	Blonde Secretary
Eddie Gribbon	...	Tomanian Storm Trooper
Rudolph Anders	...	Tomanian Commandant at Osterlich (as Robert O. Davis)
Eddie Dunn	...	Whitewashed Storm Trooper
Nita Pike	...	Secretary
George Lynn	...	Commander of Storm Troopers (as Peter Lynn)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Wheeler Dryden	...	Heinrich Schtick - Translator (voice)
Fred Aldrich	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Richard Alexander	...	Tomainian Prison Guard in 1918 (uncredited)
Sig Arno	...	Compact Parachute Inventor (uncredited)
William Arnold	...	Tomanian Officer (uncredited)
Joe Bordeaux	...	Ghetto Extra (uncredited)
Don Brodie	...	Reporter from International Press (uncredited)
Hans Conried	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Gino Corrado	...	Sculptor (uncredited)
John Davidson	...	Hospital Superintendent (uncredited)
Max Davidson	...	Jewish Man (uncredited)
Lew Davis	...	Hospital Orderly (uncredited)
Francis Ernest Drake	...	Storm Trooper (uncredited)
Pat Flaherty	...	Friendly Storm Trooper (uncredited)
Bud Geary	...	Storm Trooper (uncredited)
Sam Harris	...	Officer (uncredited)
Eddie Hart	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Leyland Hodgson	...	Big Bertha Gunnery Officer (uncredited)
William Irving	...	Man Seated on Bed (uncredited)
Charles Irwin	...	Banquet Butler (uncredited)
Ethelreda Leopold	...	Blonde Secretary (uncredited)
Torben Meyer	...	Bald Barbershop Customer (uncredited)
Jules Michelson	...	Man in Ghetto (uncredited)
Bert Moorhouse	...	Hynkel's Staff Officer (uncredited)
Nellie V. Nichols	...	Jewish Woman (uncredited)
Manuel París	...	Dance Extra at Ball (uncredited)
Jack Perrin	...	Jewish Man (uncredited)
Lucien Prival	...	Storm Trooper Officer (uncredited)
Cyril Ring	...	Officer Extra (uncredited)
Henry Roquemore	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Tiny Sandford	...	Soldier in 1918 Tomainia (uncredited)
Hans Schumm	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Harry Semels	...	Jewish Fruit Stand Proprietor (uncredited)
Charles Sullivan	...	Prison Guard (uncredited)
Carl Voss	...	Officer (uncredited)
Leo White	...	Hynkel's Barber (uncredited)
Harry Wilson	...	Soldier in Field (uncredited)

Directed by
Charles Chaplin

Writing credits
Charles Chaplin		(written by)

Produced by
Charles Chaplin	....	producer (uncredited)
Carter DeHaven	....	associate producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Charles Chaplin		(uncredited)
Meredith Willson		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Karl Struss		(director of photography)
Roland Totheroh		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Willard Nico
Harold Rice		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
J. Russell Spencer

Set Decoration by
Edward G. Boyle		(uncredited)

Makeup Department
Ed Voight	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Alfred Reeves	....	production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Wheeler Dryden	....	assistant director
Dan James	....	assistant director
Bob Meltzer	....	assistant director
Alex Finlayson	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
William Bogdanoff	....	construction foreman (uncredited)
Dick Fritsch	....	assistant art director (uncredited)
Frank Veseley	....	painter (uncredited)
Clem Widrig	....	props (uncredited)

Sound Department
Glenn Rominger	....	sound
Percy Townsend	....	sound

Special Effects by
Ralph Hammeras	....	special effects (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Jack Cosgrove	....	special photographic effects (uncredited)

Stunts
Buster Wiles	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Frank Testera	....	chief electrician (uncredited)
William Wallace	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Wyn Ritchie	....	costumer (uncredited)
Ted Tetrick	....	costume supervisor (uncredited)

Music Department
Meredith Willson	....	musical director
Carmen Dragon	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Al Kaye	....	music librarian (uncredited)
Max Terr	....	assistant musical director (uncredited)
Max Terr	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Meredith Willson	....	conductor (uncredited)

Other crew
Henry Bergman	....	general assistant (uncredited)
Rollin Brown	....	laboratory contact (uncredited)
Kay Clement	....	secretary (uncredited)
Evelyn Earle	....	script clerk (uncredited)
Monroe Greenthal	....	press representative (uncredited)
Moody	....	dailies projectionist (uncredited)
Kathleen Pryor	....	secretary (uncredited)
Gene Testera	....	filing clerk (uncredited)
Carl Voss	....	military advisor (uncredited)
Oscar Wright	....	purchasing (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Charles Chaplin Productions (as Charles Chaplin Film Corporation)

Distributors

• United Artists (1940) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Pictures (1972) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Spectrum (1983) (West Germany) (video) (laserdisc)
• CBS/Fox Home Video (1985) (USA) (VHS)
• Image Entertainment (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Playhouse Home Video (1985) (USA) (VHS)
• CBS/Fox Home Video (1989) (USA) (VHS)
• Key Video (1989) (USA) (VHS)
• CBS/Fox (1993) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• MK2 Diffusion (2001) (worldwide) (all media)
• BFI (Collections) (2003) (UK) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Creative Design (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2003) (Spain) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Asociace Ceských Filmových Klubu (ACFK) (????) (Czech Republic) (theatrical) (re-release)
• BIM Distribuzione (????) (Italy) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Die Lupe (????) (Germany) (theatrical)
• New Star (2012) (Greece) (theatrical) (re-release)
• United Artists (1945) (Argentina) (theatrical) (as Artistas Unidos)
• United Artists (1958) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Continental Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Continental Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Criterion Collection, The (2011) (USA) (DVD)
• Emerald (2008) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Epoca (????) (Argentina) (VHS)
• MK2 Diffusion (France)
• Park Circus (2010) (UK) (DVD)
• Piffl Medien (1999) (Germany) (DVD)
• Soul media (2011) (Denmark) (all media)
• Vivarto (2008) (Poland) (all media)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Western Costume Company  wardrobe (uncredited)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

125 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Esperanto

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

UK:U (original rating) | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG | Chile:TE | Denmark:7 (2003) | Finland:K-12 | Finland:S (re-release) | France:U | Germany:(Banned) (original rating) | Ireland:(Banned) (original rating) | Ireland:PG (re-rating) | Norway:7 | Spain:(Banned) (1940-1976) | Spain:T (re-rating) | Sweden:Btl | UK:PG (re-rating) (2003) | USA:Approved (PCA #6611) (original rating) | USA:G (re-rating) (1972) | West Germany:12 (original rating) | Brazil:Livre | Germany:6 (DVD rating) | South Korea:All | USA:TV-PG (TV rating) | Spain:18 (re-rating) (1976) | Japan:G (2010) | Italy:(Banned) (Original rating) | Italy:T (re-rating) | Peru:PT

Filming Locations:

Agoura Hills, California, USA

Company:

Charles Chaplin Productions

Trivia:

During filming, Charles Chaplin's relationship with Paulette Goddard began to deteriorate, but both tried very hard to save it. In 1942, Chaplin proudly introduced her as "my wife" (a position that was always considered sketchy) at a New York engagement, but within months they were amicably divorced, and the notoriously finicky Chaplin agreed to a generous divorce settlement. In the 1960s, both Chaplin and Goddard were living in Switzerland but having made no contact, they spotted each other at a café and had lunch together. It was their last meeting.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When the Jewish Barber cleans the word "Jew" off his shop window, a dotted line can be seen to mark where the W would be painted again for the next take.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Title Cards:Note, any resemblance between Hynkle the Dictator and the Jewish Barber is purely co-incidental.
Title Cards:This is a story of a period between two World Wars - an interim in which Insanity cut loose. Liberty took a nose dive, and Humanity was kicked around somewhat.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Troldspejlet: Episode #31.1" (2004)

Soundtrack:

Prelude to 'Lohengrin'

The "Pre-Mature" Anti-Fascist

Released in 1940, "The Great Dictator" was the first Hollywood film that denounced Hitler directly (albeit in the guise of Adenoid Hynkel), took a virulent stand against fascism, and directly addressed Anti-Semitism.

Over-long, at times heavy-handed, it still has many wonderful sequences, including the famous dance with the globe, and all the scenes of Chaplin with Jack Oakie, each trying to out-do the other and prove his superiority.

One criticism that seems to occasionally rear its head is the implication that Chaplin's pre-World War II anti-fascism was somehow wrong-headed. The atrocities of the Holocaust weren't fully known to the world yet, so Chaplin's anti-Hitler diatribe is, in the minds of some, misguided. After the war this mindset would result in the debacle of the blacklist, when Chaplin, among others, were branded "pre-mature anti-fascists." In other words, it wasn't politically acceptable to be against Nazism until war broke out with the U.S. Hard to believe anyone could still see things that way now, but some do.

The film industry of the 1930s wanted no part of international politics, no matter how blatant the brutality of a given regime. Profits were at stake. It was little goyisha Charley Chaplin, playing a Jewish barber, who took a public stand.

While "The Great Dictator" may not among Chaplin's finest films, it may, historically, be his finest hour.