The Devil with Hitler (1942)

Adolf Hitler, Benito and Suki Yaki are placed in a series of Three-Stooges routines, with the premise that the Board of Directors of Hell has put the Devil on notice they intend to replace ... See full summary »

Director:

Gordon Douglas

Writers:

Cortland Fitzsimmons (story), Al Martin

Stars:

Alan Mowbray, Bobby Watson, George E. Stone

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Alan Mowbray	...	Gesatan
Bobby Watson	...	Adolf Hitler
George E. Stone	...	Suki Yaki
Joe Devlin	...	Benito Mussolini
Marjorie Woodworth	...	Linda Kraus
Douglas Fowley	...	Walter Beeter
Herman Bing	...	Louis
Sig Arno	...	Julius
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Johnny Arthur	...	Suki Yaki (scenes deleted)
Kit Guard	...	Doorman in Hell (scenes deleted)

Storyline

Adolf Hitler, Benito and Suki Yaki are placed in a series of Three-Stooges routines, with the premise that the Board of Directors of Hell has put the Devil on notice they intend to replace him with Adolf Hitler unless he can get Hitler to commit a good deed. The devil has his work cut out for him, and doesn't appear likely to escape being replaced by the German leader.

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Plot Keywords:

nazi | character name in title

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Taglines:

Ouch! Stop Please! Help!

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Genres:

Comedy | Short

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 October 1942 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Devil Checks Up

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hal Roach Studios

Technical Specs

Runtime:

44 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This film represents one of a small handful of American films which featured the word Hitler or Hitler's, and both referencing Adolf Hitler, in their titles and were ones made around the time of the Second World War. These World War II movies include Hitler's Children; Hitler's Madman aka Hitler's Hangman; Hitler--Dead or Alive; The Hitler Gang aka Hitler & co.; the documentary short, Hitler Lives; The Strange Death of Adolf Hitler; Hitler's Women aka Women in Bondage; the comic short, The Devil with Hitler and Hitler - Beast of Berlin.

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Quotes

Adolf Hitler: [to Gesatan] Dummkopf! Don't stand there! Look, I am naked! Get me my nightie!

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Connections

Featured in The Cinema Snob: The Devil with Hitler (2012)

User Reviews

Amusing, but slightly eerie in retrospect comedy about the devil trying make Hitler perform a good deed.

The board of directors of Hell want Satan to resign and replace him with Hitler. The Devil refuses to go and insists that Hitler isn't all bad and that he will prove it by having him perform a good deed. Heading up to Germany Satan gets himself in with Hitler and then sets about getting him to do good, while at the same time having to deal with Mussolini and the Japanese General Suki Yaki.

Odd running time aside, it's a streamline feature running about 43 minutes, this is an odd film. Its a very odd feeling watching the Devil run around trying to prove Hitler isn't all bad, especially when he uses examples of Hitler's cruelties that are actually much worse in retrospect than what was known when this film was made. In its way the film is almost an exercise in bad taste as a result of the revelations that followed.

But lets not dwell on the bad, lets talk about the good, this is an amusing little comedy. For the most part this is a series of set pieces and running gags concerning Satan masquerading as Hitler, the backstabbing and double dealing of the Axis "allies" and the insanity of Hitler. While many of the jokes will not be new to anyone who's seen comedies of the period, especially the Three Stooges classic rips at Hitler, they are funny and will produce smiles if not chuckles and giggles. The performances are right on target and engender a great deal of good will simply because they are so silly. And while some of the gags do go on much too long with out a really big pay off (they were stretching even to fill 43 minutes) it never wears out its welcome.

Worth a look if you run across it.