The fact is in the 1930s, the Nazis had considerable sway in Hollywood (a familiar theme in Hollywood that goes on today), they heavily influenced Hollywood’s portrayal of the Nazis up until WWII...and their tone towards Hitler only changed when he invaded their beloved Soviet Union.
I recall reading about that very subject...nice catch.
Yep. I’ve seen some books that went into detail as to which films (that predated Charlie Chaplin’s film) were shunned by the studios.
Part of the belief (besides political) was that they didn’t want to p!ss of Nazi Germany and see a potential film market eliminated (especially if America stayed out of the war).
You Nazty Spy by the Three Stooges released in January 1940.
Alfred Hitchock's Foreign Correspondent was released in summer 1940, and included a specific appeal to Americans read by Joel McCrea. (It was a U.S. production, but mostly took place in England and Holland)
A few months later The Great Dictator by Charlie Chaplin was released.
Hitchcock made The Lady Vanishes in 1938 in England, in which the bad guys are clearly Nazis, although it's never made explicit.
There is a scene near the end, which is clearly meant to be a warning, and possibly a rebuke of Neville Chamberlain. A typical, stiff-upper-lip Brit tries to surrender to the bad guys and is shot.
“39 Steps”, 1935, Hitchcock film. German spy ring in England
The fact is in the 1930s, the Nazis had considerable sway in Hollywood (a familiar theme in Hollywood that goes on today), they heavily influenced Hollywood’s portrayal of the Nazis up until WWII...and their tone towards Hitler only changed when he invaded their beloved Soviet Union.
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you’re conflating the nazis with the communists. The nazis and the communists were bitter enemies. They fought street battles in germany during the 20’s. Hollywood was 100% communist. No nazis. They only turned rabidly against the nazis when hitler betrayed his non aggression pact with stalin and invaded Russia in 1941-42.