Production was halted on Chaplin’s “Dictator” to conform with the new “Party Line” from Moscow. The film was originally intended as a mocking comic parody of Adolph Hitler, which was consistent with the old party line. Then came the Non-Aggression Pact, and the world’s communists and fellow travelers were given new instructions: “Hitler = Good.” The idea was to prop up Nazi Germany, so that Germany and the western Allies would fight a prolonged war, exhausting themselves again as they had in WW1. Then Stalin’s USSR would clean up and Sovietize a broken and bankrupt Europe.
Moscow’s vision of America’s role was to remain neutral and not throw her support behind Britain and France, thus prolonging the war. Chaplin played his part. The “Great Dictator” ends with Chaplin sternly telling the movie audience that “this war is not our concern.” It wound up being a disjointed piece of garbage because of its mixed message; one of the worst films produced.
Of course, all of that would change on June 22, 1941, and change very quickly. The Party Line then became total support for the USSR. Hollywood even produced a movie about Russian Partisans in 1943; I can’t remember the title, but the script was right out of Moscow. The movie ended with the hero and heroine fighting off a German tank with an anti-tank rifle while they recited the Party oath. Can’t believe it came from Hollywood.
But we can see communism’s tentacles taking hold in Hollywood as early as 1939. With Hollywood dropping anti-Nazi movies in the name of “neutrality,” you can see how it’s playing out.
Oh yes, one of my favorites stories. The film remake was named “The Rains of Ranchipur”. Fred MacMurray played a disillusioned American ex-patriot. In his cups, he says, “We thought we’d made a better world, a bigger world—only the cars are bigger.” That line made the picture for me.
What I love about this era is that the hero can say the unspeakable and we can still have a proper happy ending. MacMurray is rescued by the beautiful young woman. Their love scene is one of the best written (precisely because there’s no sex in it).
Not surprising that it is an adaptation of a novel. The end is probably what killed it at the box office though — she chooses to follow this cad as he globe trots but they do NOT get married.
She was literally willing to be shipped around like his favorite piece of luggage.
Not very romantic for a movie — even if true to the original text.
Please add me to your Golden Era ping list. I have seen almost all this movies at least three or four times!
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