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The Great Dictator

"Once again - the whole world laughs!"

1940-10-15 Comedy 2hr 5m

Dictator Adenoid Hynkel tries to expand his empire while a poor Jewish barber tries to avoid persecution from Hynkel's regime.

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Storyline

Dictator Adenoid Hynkel tries to expand his empire while a poor Jewish barber tries to avoid persecution from Hynkel's regime.

  • Released
    1940-10-15
  • Revenue
    $11,000,000
  • Budget
    $2,000,000
  • Runtime
    2hr 5m
  • Genre
    Comedy, War
  • Status
    Released
  • Language
    English, Esperanto
  • imdb-logo
    8.4
  • Production
    Charles Chaplin Productions

Crew

Charlie Chaplin
Director
Charlie Chaplin
Writer
Charlie Chaplin
Producer
Keywords:
amnesia nazi hairdresser propaganda world war i dictator jewish ghetto fascism world war ii national socialism national socialist party satire speech black and white barbershop anti war fictitious country

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Cast

Charlie Chaplin

Charlie Chaplin
Adenoid Hynkel, Dictator of Tomania / A Jewish Barber
Paulette Goddard

Paulette Goddard
Hannah
Jack Oakie

Jack Oakie
Benzino Napaloni, Dictator of Bacteria
Reginald Gardiner

Reginald Gardiner
Commander Schultz
Henry Daniell

Henry Daniell
Garbitsch
Billy Gilbert

Billy Gilbert
Field Marshal Herring
Grace Hayle

Grace Hayle
Madame Napaloni
Carter DeHaven

Carter DeHaven
Spook
Maurice Moscovitch

Maurice Moscovitch
Mr. Jaeckel
Emma Dunn

Emma Dunn
Mrs. Jaeckel
Bernard Gorcey

Bernard Gorcey
Mr. Mann
Paul Weigel

Paul Weigel
Mr. Agar
Chester Conklin

Chester Conklin
Barber's Customer
Esther Michelson

Esther Michelson
Jewish Woman
Hank Mann

Hank Mann
Storm Trooper Stealing Fruit
Florence Wright

Florence Wright
Blonde Secretary
Eddie Gribbon

Eddie Gribbon
Tomanian Storm Trooper
Rudolph Anders

Rudolph Anders
Tomanian Commandant at Osterlich / Robert O. Davis
Eddie Dunn

Eddie Dunn
Whitewashed Storm Trooper
Nita Pike

Nita Pike
Secretary
George Lynn

George Lynn
Commander of Storm Troopers
Wheeler Dryden

Wheeler Dryden
Heinrich Schtick / Translator (voice)
Fred Aldrich

Fred Aldrich
Soldier (uncredited)
Richard Alexander

Richard Alexander
Tomainian Prison Guard in 1918 (uncredited)
Sig Arno

Sig Arno
Compact Parachute Inventor (uncredited)
William Arnold

William Arnold
Tomanian Officer (uncredited)
Joe Bordeaux

Joe Bordeaux
Ghetto Extra (uncredited)
Don Brodie

Don Brodie
Reporter from International Press (uncredited)
Gino Corrado

Gino Corrado
Sculptor (uncredited)
John Davidson

John Davidson
Hospital Superintendent (uncredited)
Max Davidson

Max Davidson
Jewish Man (uncredited)
Lew Davis

Lew Davis
Hospital Orderly (uncredited)
Pat Flaherty

Pat Flaherty
Friendly Storm Trooper (uncredited)
Bud Geary

Bud Geary
Storm Trooper (uncredited)
Sam Harris

Sam Harris
Officer (uncredited)
Eddie Hart

Eddie Hart
Policeman (uncredited)
Leyland Hodgson

Leyland Hodgson
Big Bertha Gunnery Officer (uncredited)
William Irving

William Irving
Man Seated on Bed (uncredited)
Charles Irwin

Charles Irwin
Banquet Butler (uncredited)
Ethelreda Leopold

Ethelreda Leopold
Blonde Secretary (uncredited)
Torben Meyer

Torben Meyer
Bald Barbershop Customer (uncredited)
Bert Moorhouse

Bert Moorhouse
Hynkel's Staff Officer (uncredited)
Nellie V. Nichols

Nellie V. Nichols
Jewish Woman (uncredited)
Manuel París

Manuel París
Dance Extra at Ball (uncredited)
Jack Perrin

Jack Perrin
Jewish Man (uncredited)
Lucien Prival

Lucien Prival
Storm Trooper Officer (uncredited)
Cyril Ring

Cyril Ring
Officer Extra (uncredited)
Henry Roquemore

Henry Roquemore
Soldier (uncredited)
Tiny Sandford

Tiny Sandford
Soldier in 1918 Tomainia (uncredited)
Hans Schumm

Hans Schumm
Soldier (uncredited)
Harry Semels

Harry Semels
Jewish Fruit Stand Proprietor (uncredited)
Charles Sullivan

Charles Sullivan
Prison Guard (uncredited)
Carl Voss

Carl Voss
Officer (uncredited)
Leo White

Leo White
Hynkel's Barber (uncredited)
Harry Wilson

Harry Wilson
Soldier in Field (uncredited)
Hans Conried

Hans Conried
Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Francis Ernest Drake

Francis Ernest Drake
Storm Trooper (uncredited)
Francesca Santoro

Francesca Santoro
Aggie (uncredited)
Leonard Walker

Leonard Walker
Conductor (uncredited)
Finn Zirzow

Finn Zirzow
Soldier (uncredited)
Wyn Ritchie Evans

Wyn Ritchie Evans
Woman in Crowd (uncredited)
James Carlisle

James Carlisle
Ball Guest (uncredited)
Oliver Cross

Oliver Cross
Ball Guest (uncredited)
Herschel Graham

Herschel Graham
Soldier (uncredited)

Videos and Photos

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Movie Reviews

Reviews for The Great Dictator
reviewer avatar

A Review by wizzardss 8

Written by wizzardss on 2021-02-18

In September 1939, six days after Britain declared war on Nazi Germany, Charlie Chaplin began filming his next feature. Drawing on the publi... read more

In September 1939, six days after Britain declared war on Nazi Germany, Charlie Chaplin began filming his next feature. Drawing on the public perception of the similarities between himself and Adolf Hitler - not just his toothbrush moustache but also their upbringings - Chaplin sought to directly parody and attack the German führer and fascism. In _The Great Dictator_, Adenoid Hynkel (Chaplin) rules Tomania and sets about his conquest of the world. In doing so, he persecutes Jewish people, including a former veteran of World War I who is now a barber (also Chaplin). Unsurprisingly, the film was a hit on release, resonating well with the anti-Nazi sentiment in both American and British public. Chaplin understood that delivering his political message was so important that he forewent his usual desire for a silent film in order to get his message across. Sound is used to great effect in _The Great Dictator_. By studying many of Hitler's speeches, Chaplin was able to create a ludicrous, yet believable, gibberish parody of the Nazi leader's oratory style. Of course, the physical comedy remains, typically reserved for the barber (who may or may not be Chaplin's silent hero, The Tramp). This combination of physical comedy and irreverent one liners together makes the film feel like a very early Carry On. While _The Great Dictator_ remains arguably Chaplin's best "talkie", it often feels like it is the end of Chaplin's era of classical pantomime. People being hit on the head with a saucepan comes across as a cheap laugh and it is often the verbal jokes that are the cleverest. Overall the comedy has not aged well. But _The Great Dictator_ was never designed for longevity. It was perfect propaganda for the Allies, released at a perfect point in the War. For that reason, The Great Dictator can only be judged in the context of its release.

Read Full Review (The thoughts and opinions expressed here are solely those of the reviewer.)
A Review by wizzardss

In September 1939, six days after Britain declared war on Nazi Germany, Charlie Chaplin began filming his next feature. Drawing on the public perception of the similarities between himself and Adolf Hitler - not just his toothbrush moustach...

reviewer avatar

A Review by wizzardss 8

Written by wizzardss on 2021-02-18

In September 1939, six days after Britain declared war on Nazi Germany, Charlie Chaplin began filming his next feature. Drawing on the public perception of the similarities between himself and Adolf H...

read more