Interesting facts about The Great Dictator
1. He got the idea when a friend, Alexander Korda, noted that his screen persona and Adolf Hitler looked somewhat similar. Chaplin later learned they were both born within a week of each other, were roughly the same height and weight and both struggled in poverty until they reached great success in their respective fields. When Chaplin learned of Hitler's policies of racial oppression and nationalist aggression, he used their similarities as an inspiration to attack Hitler on film.
2. Said that after know about the true extent of Nazi atrocities, he "could not have made fun of their homicidal insanity".
3. This movie was financed entirely by Charles Chaplin himself, and his biggest box-office hit.
4. The Great Dictator was the first movie in wich Charles Chaplin spoke on screen.
Memorable quotes from The Great Dictator
1. “Today, democracy, liberty and equality are words to fool the people. No nation can progress with such ideas. They stand in the way of action. Therefore, we frankly abolish them. In the future, each man will serve the interest of the State with absolute obedience. Let him who refuses beware!” - Henry Daniell, as Garbitsch, introducing Chaplin, disguised as Hynkel.
2. “We’ve just discovered the most wonderful, the most marvelous poisonous gas. It will kill everybody.” - Billy Gilbert as Field Marshall Herring.