German Comedy About Nazis Finally Airs

Reuters ^ | 11-21-2002

[Cagey]

BERLIN (Reuters) - The first German-made film comedy about the Nazis has made its long-awaited debut on German television, shattering a half-century taboo on poking fun at the country's nightmare past.

"Goebbels and Geduldig," a farce about the Nazi propaganda minister and a good-humored Jewish lookalike who swap places in 1944, was aired on Wednesday evening, treating the greatest tragedy in German history as a comedy.

The topic was so touchy that its nervous producers spent seven years developing it -- with a script rewritten 18 times -- and sent their finished project on a two-year odyssey to small international film festivals to test the reception.

They finally showed the film at home at a time when younger Germans -- as the last generation with living memories of World War II dies off -- tend to view the Nazi era as distant history rather than a moral burden.

"For young people born after 1970 the Nazi past is as far away from their lives as the period of Napoleon's aggression," said Gabi Schlattmann, from the SWR public television network that produced the film.

But critics of "Goebbels and Geduldig," which aired in prime time on the ARD network, failed to find it funny.

The conservative daily Die Welt said the work may deserve plaudits for effort, but failed for a simple reason.

"A comedy doesn't have to be historically accurate, but it must at least be humorous," it wrote. "Unfortunately 'Goebbels and Geduldig' is a tragic failure on that score."

[Cagey]

German:"Stop taking about the war!"

Basil: "You started it!"

German: "We did not!"

Basil: "Yes you did, you invaded Poland."

[swarthyguy]

It's Springtime for Hitler!

[Cagey]

Hahahahaha Now I'll be hearing that song all night.

I saw Mel Brooks doing an interview recently where he commented that part of his inspiration for the film was to take some digs at the Nazis using humor. He succeeded.

[swarthyguy]

Wouldn't be able to do it today, i don't think. Too much PCness around. Violence, sex, fine but a comedy on Nazis, no way. Wonder when we'll get to see a sitcom about wacky jihadis and their travails training at a camp in Afghanistan....

[uncbuck]

German Comedy

Now that's an oxymoron.

[latrans]

This should not come as a surprise, that the Germans could make a comedy out of the Halocaust. Also not a surprise that it is a rousing success. Gee, where did all the Nazis go?

[perfect stranger]

Got to watch "The Producers" twice last nite. It was on AMC

[Skel]

I was hoping they would renew ALLO 'ALLO!

[Cagey]

Twice? LOL ....I haven't seen it in a while, but it is an all time classic.

The play is doing well on Broadway and I just heard that tickets are just starting to shake loose a bit after a couple of years of having to wait months to see the show.

[Shermy]

Wouldn't be able to do it today, i don't think. Too much PCness around. Violence, sex, fine but a comedy on Nazis, no way. Wonder when we'll get to see a sitcom about wacky jihadis and their travails training at a camp in Afghanistan....

Here's some ideas...

Sit-Coms:

Anti-West Wing

All In The Ummah

Westerns:

Have Bomb, Will Travel

Sports:

Al Jazeera's Wide World of Jihad
Now, Kabul Jackson reports from Ambon

Monday Night Amputations

__________

This would be a good vanity subject. Why not post it?

[Cagey]

Twice? You must be out of laughter tears!

[Cagey]

This would be a good vanity subject. Why not post it?

Because Illbay would have a heart attack!

[VOA]

German Comedy

Now that's an oxymoron.

"Comedy is no laughing matter in Germany."

[VOA]

I saw Mel Brooks doing an interview recently where he commented that part of his
inspiration for the film was to take some digs at the Nazis using humor. He succeeded.

IIRC, the fellow who played "Colonel Klink" on "Hogan's Heroes" said his
portrayal was meant as a harpoon for all the "superior" Prussian/Nazia he'd met
as a youngster.

[Cagey]

I remember hearing that also. Hogan's heroes did a fantastic job of spoofing the Nazis also.

[Cagey]

I can't say I've seen "Allo 'ALLO. Was it a British production? If so, I bet I missed some great humor. PBS series?

[Skel]

Yes, it was a British series and I found it to be hilarious. Follow this link http://www.coldcut.com/video/aa/ if you would like to learn some more about the program.

[Mentos]

Hogaaaaaannnnn!!! No one escapes from Stalag 13!!!!

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

It was either Gene Wilder or Mel Brooks in an interview who talked about the premier of the movie "The Producers" in Germany. It wasn't even allowed to be shown there until the late eighties. He said the reaction of the live theater audience to the song "Springtime for Hitler" was the same as the audience shown in the movie. Their jaws dropped.

[perfect stranger]

I've never been much for Broadway shows, but this one I'd like to see.

"Springtime for Hitler" and anything by "Gene Wilder" bump