The Devil with Hitler

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Movie
Original title The Devil with Hitler
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1942
length 44 minutes
Rod
Director Gordon Douglas
script Al Martin
production Hal Roach junior
Glenn Tryon
music Edward Ward
camera Robert Pittack
cut Bert Jordan
occupation

The Devil with Hitler is a medium-length cinema production made in 1942 by the production company of comedy specialist Hal Roach , a mixture of satirical comedy and propaganda film. Bobby Watson embodied Adolf Hitler for the first time , and eight more appearances as the “Führer” were to follow in the next two decades.

action

Hell is fermenting: The board of directors decides to release Satan from the position of chief, while someone is raging on earth who is much more demonic than the prince of hell: Adolf Hitler. It is believed that the German dictator should take over Satan's post. But the devil doesn't just want to be pushed away and therefore offers his comrades-in-arms to give him 48 hours. Should he fail in these two days to get Hitler to do at least one good deed, then he will be ready to vacate his post.

In order to get as close as possible to the "Führer", the devil ensures that Hitler's valet Julius screwed things up several times in his area of ​​responsibility and that the Prince of Hell can now take over Julius' position. He is now called Gesatan and deliberately created a lot of confusion from the start when Hitler's allies from Italy (Mussolini) and Japan (Suki Yaki) appear. Hitler is so annoyed that he orders his personal astrologer to be executed because he predicted a quiet day for him. Now the devil alias Gesatan rises to Hitler's new chief advisor. He immediately whispers to him, of course, not entirely unselfishly, to do at least one good deed every day. But the dictator has other things in mind. He prefers executions and wants to start right away with the windy insurance agent Walter Beeter and Linda Kraus, a spy who doesn't want to spy. Gesatan now gives the Hitler whisperer and tries to persuade his worst competitor on earth to buy at least one policy from Beeter, the money of which can be used to finance hospitals and old people's homes. The Fiihrer does in fact acquire a policy for his Japanese ally, but it quickly becomes apparent that the allies Germany, Italy and Japan do not trust each other and each has a bomb (which, however, are all discovered before they can cause damage) under their pillows ready.

Satan disguises himself as Hitler and frees the insurance agent Walter and Linda, the unwilling spy. Hitler rages and orders that the liberated be shot dead. Satan succeeds in convincing everyone else that Hitler is the deceiver and that he is the real Hitler. The “Führer” is then placed in front of a firing squad. Suki Yaki and Mussolini turn out to be lousy allies and pretend that Hitler is unknown to them until he makes great promises and concessions to them in the face of death. All three are now chasing after the fake Hitler and real Satan, who escapes into a room with plenty of explosives. The rescued Linda and Walter are also located here. Satan locks the door, sets off a bomb and hands it over to the real Hitler. But Satan also gives Hitler the room key on the premise that he will release Linda and Walter. Hitler agrees, the only good deed is done. Then it does "boom". Now the devil can return to his ancestral place in hell with a clear conscience. When Hitler arrives there, Satan himself takes care of his diabolical punishment.

Production notes

The Devil with Hitler premiered on October 22, 1942. Even after 1945, the film was not shown in cinemas in German-speaking countries. The story was continued in 1943 with the almost equally long film That Nazty Nuisance . Watson could also be seen there as Hitler.

The film structures were designed by Charles D. Hall , with equipment by William Stevens.

criticism

Halliwell's Film Guide saw the film as a "kind of infantile war farce".

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Halliwell's Film Guide, p. 271

Web links