What 1940 Charlie Chaplin film satirized Adolf Hitler?

The 1940 Charlie Chaplin film that satirized Adolf Hitler is The Great Dictator.

Chaplin wrote, directed, produced, and starred in this political satire, playing both the ruthless dictator Adenoid Hynkel and a Jewish barber. Hynkel parodies Hitler, while the fictional nation of Tomainia echoes Nazi Germany. The film also mocks Benito Mussolini through Jack Oakie’s character, Benzino Napaloni.

Released on October 15, 1940, The Great Dictator appeared while the United States was still officially neutral and before America entered World War II. Chaplin used comedy, mistaken identity, visual gags, and a famous globe-balloon sequence to condemn fascism, antisemitism, and dictatorship. Its closing speech shifts from parody to a direct appeal for democracy and human solidarity.

A common mix-up is confusing it with Chaplin’s other famous films. City Lights and Modern Times are earlier Chaplin comedies, while Monsieur Verdoux was released in 1947. The Great Dictator was Chaplin’s first true sound film and became his most commercially successful movie.