In his controversial masterpiece THE GREAT DICTATOR, Charlie Chaplin offers both a cutting caricature of Adolf Hitler and a sly tweaking of his own comic persona. Chaplin, in his first pure talkie, brings his sublime physicality to two roles: the cruel yet clownish “Tomainian” dictator and the kindly Jewish barber who is mistaken for him. Featuring Jack Oakie and Paulette Goddard in stellar supporting turns, THE GREAT DICTATOR, boldly mocking the fascist leader before the U.S.’s official entry into World War II, is an audacious amalgam of politics and slapstick that culminates in Chaplin’s famously impassioned speech.

THE GREAT DICTATOR first played at the Avalon in May, 1941, and is our selection representing the 1940s as a part of our year-long, special Centennial program, 100 Years of Cinema Magic.

The screening will be followed by a Q&A with series host and Washington Post Chief Film Critic Ann Hornaday and University of Tennessee professor Emeritus Charles Maland. Chuck has written two books on Chaplin (City Lights: BFI Film Classics, Chaplin and American Culture: The Evolution of a Star Image) and will join us in person on Sunday the 19th to discuss THE GREAT DICTATOR with Ann and the audience!