A thinly veiled condemnation of the hubris and arrogance of Adolf Hitler – produced and released at the height of the German fascist’s global overreach – THE GREAT DICTATOR (1940) tackles the harsh subject matter with the humanity that characterized much of its director’s iconic work, earning a place on the American Film Institute’s list of the greatest comedies of all time. The film was written, produced and directed by star Charles Chaplin, who himself appeared on AFI’s list of the cinema’s greatest screen legends.
Visit the AFI Catalog to learn more about THE GREAT DICTATOR.
