The Great Dictator
In his controversial masterpiece The Great Dictator, Charlie Chaplin offers both a cutting caricature of Adolf Hitler and a sly tweaking of his own comic persona. Chaplin, in his first pure talkie, brings his sublime physicality to two roles: the cruel yet clownish “Tomainian” dictator and the kindly Jewish barber who is mistaken for him. Featuring Jack Oakie and Paulette Goddard in stellar supporting turns, The Great Dictator, boldly going after the fascist leader before the U.S.’s official entry into World War II, is an audacious amalgam of politics and slapstick that culminates in Chaplin’s famously impassioned speech.
Special Features
- New high-definition digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition
- New audio commentary by Charlie Chaplin experts Dan Kamin and Hooman Mehran
- The Tramp and the Dictator (2001), Kevin Brownlow and Michael Kloft’s documentary paralleling the lives of Chaplin and Hitler, including interviews with author Ray Bradbury, director Sidney Lumet, screenwriter Budd Schulberg, and others
- Two new visual essays, one by Chaplin archivist Cecilia Cenciarelli and one by Chaplin biographer Jeffrey Vance
- Color production footage shot by Chaplin’s half-brother Sydney
- Barbershop sequence from Sydney Chaplin’s 1921 film King, Queen, Joker
- Deleted barbershop sequence from Chaplin’s 1919 film Sunnyside
- Rerelease trailer
- English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- PLUS: A new essay by film critic Michael Wood, Chaplin’s 1940 New York Times defense of his movie, a reprint from critic Jean Narboni on the film’s final speech, and Al Hirschfeld’s original press book illustrations
Cover design by Olly Moss
Special Features
- New high-definition digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition
- New audio commentary by Charlie Chaplin experts Dan Kamin and Hooman Mehran
- The Tramp and the Dictator (2001), Kevin Brownlow and Michael Kloft’s documentary paralleling the lives of Chaplin and Hitler, including interviews with author Ray Bradbury, director Sidney Lumet, screenwriter Budd Schulberg, and others
- Two new visual essays, one by Chaplin archivist Cecilia Cenciarelli and one by Chaplin biographer Jeffrey Vance
- Color production footage shot by Chaplin’s half-brother Sydney
- Barbershop sequence from Sydney Chaplin’s 1921 film King, Queen, Joker
- Deleted barbershop sequence from Chaplin’s 1919 film Sunnyside
- Rerelease trailer
- English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- PLUS: A new essay by film critic Michael Wood, Chaplin’s 1940 New York Times defense of his movie, a reprint from critic Jean Narboni on the film’s final speech, and Al Hirschfeld’s original press book illustrations
Cover design by Olly Moss
Cast
- Charles Chaplin
- Adenoid Hynkel, dictator of Tomainia & a Jewish barber
- Jack Oakie
- Benzino Napaloni, dictator of Bacteria
- Reginald Gardiner
- Schultz
- Henry Daniell
- Garbitsch
- Billy Gilbert
- Herring
- Grace Hayle
- Madame Napaloni
- Carter De Haven
- Bacterian ambassador
- Wheeler Dryden
- Schtick, Hynkel's ambassador
- Paulette Goddard
- Hannah
- Maurice Moscovich
- Mr. Jaeckel
- Emma Dunn
- Mrs. Jaeckel
- Bernard Gorcey
- Mr. Mann
- Paul Weigel
- Mr. Agar
- Chester Conklin
- Barbershop customer
- Eddie Dunn
- Storm troopers
- Eddie Gribbon
- Hank Mann
- Peter Lynn
- Dick Alexander
- Leo White
- Stanley J. Sandford
- 1918 soldier
- Lucien Prival
- Officer
- Esther Michelson
- Ghetto dwellers
- Nellie V. Nichols
- Nita Pike
- Secretaries
- Florence Wright
- Harry Semels
- Vegetable cart owner
- Leland Hodgson
- Battery commander
- Bob Ryan
- Captain
Credits
- Director
- Charles Chaplin
- Screenplay
- Charles Chaplin
- Music
- Charles Chaplin
- Music
- Meredith Willson
- Musical direction
- Meredith Willson
- Assistant directors
- Dan James
- Assistant directors
- Wheeler Dryden
- Assistant directors
- Bob Meltzer
- Directors of photography
- Karl Struss, A.S.C.
- Directors of photography
- Roland Totheroh
- Art direction
- J. Russell Spencer
- Set decoration
- Ed Boyle
- Props
- Clem Widrig
- Special effects
- Ralph Hammeras
- Special effects
- Jack Cosgrove
- Makeup
- Ed Voight
- Fim editor
- Willard Nico
- Sound
- Percy Towsend
- Sound
- Glenn Rominger
- Production manager
- Alfred Reeves
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