Charlie's 1st Talkie Packs a Wallop | THE GREAT DICTATOR (1940 )

"Gesundheit!"

Written, directed, produced, and scored by Charles Chaplin, THE GREAT DICTATOR is a slapstick-filled take on the tragedy of the WWII master-race bombast.  As his first talkie it not only carries such a prescient message, it's a well-established classic in the history of the cinematic arts.

Though the predictable switcheroo set up in the duo-role of dictator/ barber inhabited by Chaplin himself can be seen from miles off, the two-hour long journey through still presents an enjoyable ride. The ever-present Keystone cop stormtroopers, sequences of Chaplin's Bugs Bunny barber shop antics, and Hynkle's iconic world domination dance with the globe-balloon are part and parcel of the genius' mind at work.

The charming Hannah, played rough and tumble by Paulette Goddard, is the idealized, strong-willed counterpoint in the role of romantic interest. Herr Garbitsch (Henry Daniell) and Herring (Billy Gilbert) are the perfect comic foils to Dictator Hynkel's hi-jinks. When fellow dictator Napoloni (Jack Oakie) is added to the mix, all hell breaks loose.

This over-the-top humor--reading very much like golden-age Looney Tunes--allows one to approach the grotesque reality being evoked. All of it serves as an entry point for a real sense of humanity and serves as a climactic build to one of the most heartfelt, moving speeches in the history of movies.

THE GREAT DICTATOR