The Great Dictator   1939   1941   next   previous

The Great Dictator Clippings 151/369

Burdette Jay, iNS, Times, Hammond, Indiana, Oct. 15, 1940.

Carthay Circle Theatre, exterior by day, marquee

Charlie Chaplin in „The Great Dictator,“ Los Angeles, 1940,

Los Angeles Theatres

„He rants and raves in perfect dictatorial style“

Editorial content. „Critics View First Run of Chaplin‘s

      ,Great Dictator‘

      By BURDETTE JAY

      (INS Staff Correspondent)

      HOLLYWOOD, Oct. 15. – (INS) – Charlie Chaplin‘s The

Great Dictator, the most widely anticipated motion

picture of the year – and, in some ways, of all time – was

shown to the critics last night.

      The result closely approximated an old-time town hall

debating society.

      The picture, in which Chaplin sank about $2,000,000,

is an undisguised story of Hitler, Mussolini, their

various satellites, and the trials and tribulations of the Jews

in Germany.

      Chaplin being a slow worker, the film was started

before the war. Without doubt, had the war held

off, or continued its early ,phony‘ days, The Great Dictator would

have been universally hailed as another of Chaplin‘s

long list of smash comedy hits.

      But some critics found it difficult to laugh at the sequences

to which Chaplin portrayed Hitler. He did it too well.

The hysterical gutterals somehow brought to mind thundering

guns, crashing bombs, smoking ruins and piles of dead.

Even a Chaplin can‘t make that funny. History simply overtook

Charlie. The dive bombers got his picture, or at least

part of it.

      However, this is not to say that it isn‘t brilliantly done,

and it contains a revelation. Chaplin speaks for the

first time on the screen, and exceedingly well. He plays dual

roles, as ,Adenoids Hynkel,‘ the dictator of ,Tomania,‘

and a pathetic little Jewish barber in the Ghetto. He rants

and raves in perfect dictatorial style, softly tells the

woes of the Ghetto and winds up with a great dramatic plea

for humanity.“ (...)

      INS, International News Service.

     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.

   

Redaktioneller Inhalt

   The Great Dictator   1939   1941   next   previous