The Great Dictator DVD 1940 Der Große Diktator / Directed by Charles Chaplin / Starring: Charlie Chaplin, Paulette Goddard, Jack Oakie, Reginald Gardiner / B&W political satire film

UPC 4006680052496

REGION 2 PAL DVD  

BLACK & WHITE

MADE IN GERMANY

AUDIO: English mono, German mono

SUBTITLES: German

RUN TIME: 120 minutes

English Summary:

The Great Dictator is a 1940 American political satire comedy-drama film written, directed, produced, scored by, and starring British comedian Charlie Chaplin, following the tradition of many of his other films. Having been the only Hollywood filmmaker to continue to make silent films well into the period of sound films, this was Chaplin's first true sound film.

Chaplin's film advanced a stirring condemnation of Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, fascism, antisemitism, and the Nazis. At the time of its first release, the United States was still formally at peace with Nazi Germany. Chaplin plays both leading roles: a ruthless fascist dictator and a persecuted Jewish barber.

German Summary:

In der Endphase des Ersten Weltkriegs kämpft ein kleiner jüdischer Friseur auf tomanischer Seite sowohl gegen den Feind als auch gegen die Tücken der Technik. Er rettet dem Piloten Schultz das Leben, wird aber bei einem Flugzeugabsturz so schwer verletzt, dass er sein Gedächtnis verliert und jahrelang im Krankenhaus bleiben muss.

Zwanzig Jahre später: Der Diktator Anton Hynkel (orig. Adenoid Hynkel) herrscht im Staat Tomanien (orig. Tomainia) und bereitet hinter dem Rücken des Herrschers von Bakteria (orig. Bacteria) namens Benzino Napoloni (orig. Benzini Napaloni) die Invasion des Nachbarlandes Osterlitsch (orig. Osterlich) vor. Sein eigentlicher Traum ist es, die Welt zu beherrschen.

Cast / Besetzung:

• Charlie Chaplin as a Jewish barber in the ghetto, the protagonist. The Barber was a soldier during World War I and loses his memory for about 20 years. After having rescued Schultz during the war, he meets his friend again under radically changed circumstances.

• Paulette Goddard as Hannah, the Barber's neighbour. She lives in the ghetto next to the barber shop. She supports the Barber against the Tomainian Storm troopers.

• Maurice Moscovich as Mr. Jaeckel, an elderly Jew who befriends Hannah. Mr. Jaeckel is the renter of the barber salon.

• Emma Dunn as Mrs. Jaeckel

• Bernard Gorcey as Mr. Mann

• Paul Weigel as Mr. Agar

• Chester Conklin as Barber's customer

• Charlie Chaplin as Adenoid Hynkel, the main antagonist. Hynkel is the Dictator of Tomainia (a parody of Germany and Adolf Hitler) and attacks the Jews with his storm troopers. He has Schultz arrested and has his storm troopers hunt down the Jewish Barber. Hynkel is later arrested by his own soldiers, who mistake him for the Jewish Barber.

• Jack Oakie as Benzino Napaloni, Dictator of Bacteria, a parody of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini.

• Reginald Gardiner as Commander Schultz, a Tomainian who fought in World War I, who commands soldiers in the 1930s. He has his troops abstain from attacking Jews, but is arrested by Hynkel, after which he becomes a loyal ally to the Barber. He later leads the invasion of Osterlich and helps the Barber to become Phooey (Tomainia's "Führer").

• Henry Daniell as Garbitsch, a parody of Joseph Goebbels, and Hynkel's loyal Secretary of the Interior and Minister of Propaganda.

• Billy Gilbert as Herring, a parody of Hermann Göring,and Hynkel's Minister of War. He supervises demonstrations of newly developed weapons, which tend to fail and annoy Hynkel.

• Grace Hayle as Madame Napaloni, the wife of Benzino who later dances with Hynkel.

• Carter DeHaven as Bacterian ambassador

• Stanley "Tiny" Sandford as a comrade soldier in 1918

• Joe Bordeaux as ghetto extra

• Hank Mann as storm trooper stealing fruit