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Don Ryan, L. A. Times Magazine, L. A., Cal., Sept. 29, 1940.

CHARLIE CHAPLIN, HIS GENIUS FOR SHOWMANSHIP

GUARANTEED JACK OAKIE HIS BIGGEST BREAK

(...) Photo, Los Angeles Times Sunday Magazine, Sept. 29, 1940

„I had it first“

Editorial content. „DOG FOOD TO FILET MIGNON“ (...)

      „It‘s the story of Jack Oakie, who‘s back and by the

      same token it‘s the story of the weirdest city in the world –

      Hollywood!

      BY DON RYAN

      THIS is a story of Hollywood. It may sound a little nutty,

but as we said before, it‘s a story of Hollywood.

      Hollywood is a land of make believe and about this story,

you may believe it or not. Nevertheless it is true.

It concerns an actor named Jack Oakie – a round-headed,

strong-featured personality with a hard-looking pan

uncommonly like that of a certain axis partner said last

summer by a certain President of the United States

to have ,plunged a dagger into the back of his neighbor.‘

      It also concerns another Hollywood personality

known to foreign lands as ,Charlot‘ – the only person in

Hollywood with nerve enough to make the picture

everybody else was too scared to make and now everybody

is crazy to see a picture called The Great Dictator.

      Charles Spencer Chaplin, who will probably be

remembered when Hollywood is long forgotten,

wrote it, directed it and plays two parts in it: Adenoids

Hinkle, dictator risen to world power under the

insignia of the double cross; and a little Jewish victim of

persecution who happens to look like Adenoids –

possibly a relative.

      When it leaked out what Charlie was doing, those

mysterious druids of Hollywood, who are believed

to shelter the fate of the motion-picture industry under their

trailing robes, came whispering and shushing to

the doughty little man in his little old studio on La Brea.

      ,Charlie, you can‘t do it,‘ they said. ,It‘s not

the time. The augurs are unfavorable. We dare not spit in the

face of world power, nor dast we kick it in the pants.

The character you‘re playing – everybody knows you mean

Him. He‘ll definitely resent that mustache, it looks

like His.

      ,I had it first,‘ said Charlie and went on with his work.“ (...)

     The Great Dictator world premiere is in New York Oct. 15, 1940

      at the Capitol and Astor Theatres.

      Capitol Theatre, 1645 Broadway (at 51st Street), New York. 

      Astor Theatre, 1531 Broadway (at 45th Street), New York.

   

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