The Great dictator- Charlie Chaplin

English producer Ser Alexander Korda proposed to Charlie Chaplin to make a movie about Adolph Hitler, the move named “The great dictator” which became one of the best known Charlie’s movies. It was two years before the World War II began 1937 when the movie was made. Charlie and Adolph carried the same mustache, and that was the inspiration for the film, two guys who physically look alike, but two totally different characters. Did you get to know that Chaplin and Hitler were born in few days’ difference? Maybe you did…Charlie was born 16th April, 1889 in London and Hitler was born on 20th April, 1889 in Austria. Korda knew that his people (he was Jewish) were not going to go well in this story. How big the tragedy was to be neither did Charlie or Korda knew.

After the World War II ended, Charlie Chaplin said that he would never make that movie “The great dictator” if he was to know what kind of tragedy had happened. Anyway Korda and Chaplin got to same idea that the movie could be a comedy made out from a mistake in changing the identities. After some time it became well known that Hitler’s power is getting bigger and more powerful. There is no doubt the Charlie Chaplin was interested in politics. He realized that the world is on the edge. There is a question, did Charlie thought that this movie is going to sobering? The movie just wasn’t strong enough for that amount of evil. Neither did Mussolini have any response. The final speech at the end of the picture, where the switched dictator is saying about world peace sounds childish and utopist after all those terrible things which had happened in real life. “The great dictator” had 5 nominations for Oscar, but didn’t get any.

In his first sound picture Charlie Chaplin is playing double character: an unknown Jewish barber and a dictator from made up country Tomania- Adenoid Hinkle (same initials as Adolph Hitler), Hinkle’s assistants were two ministers- Garbich (they were thinking of Gables) and Herring (alluding on Gering). Benazio Napolini (actually Benito Mussolini) was the dictator of another country. Even being warned- from USA and UK that he shouldn’t do this movie, Charlie didn’t gave up. At that time USA and UK were neutral countries.

As the days went by Charlie was more and more convinced that Hitler is the person which should be humiliated. One of the acting parts was given to Charlie’s big love an actress Paulette Goddard, whose real name was Paulina Levi, she was a Jewish too.

Chaplin used as symbols in this movie some facts from Hitler’s life and Nazi history. Signs on houses in movie were written on Esperanto, which Hitler tough to be Jewish conspiracy language; the famous ballet scene where the dictator plays with a balloon- globe, has Wagner’s music, which certainly has been appreciated by Hitler. “The great dictator” was presented for the first time on 15th October, 1940, when the war has already started.

Except they both were born in April, 1889 and had same mustaches, there are more resemblances between two of them. While Charlie was playing a hobo in the movie, Hitler was that in real life. Hitler was really superstitious. He was pondering plumb into water, and he was telling the future by looking into pictures made in water. He thought that 7 is his lucky number. The great offensives were taken the 7th day in the month.

That superstition villain saw “The great dictator” in 1940, not once but twice. Even if Charlie’s expectations were big, nothing happened. This movie didn’t touch Hitler and was sure that he will rule the world.