The Great Dictator/Funny

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.


  • Hynkel's speech, which also serves as his introduction. A passionately random speech - it rambles past praising Tomania, condemning democracy, discussing the relationship between Herring and Garbitsch, praising Aryan maidens, condemning the Jews (with a hateful, insulting passion that causes a microphone to pull away from him. This bit is tactfully translated to "His Excellency has just referred to the Jewish people") and seemingly declaring war on all of Europe. All of this interrupted by random fits of coughing, Herring's failed belt-tightening, and a couple of mannerisms borrowed from Hitler himself. See it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z 4 Uh Jpvi V Yg.
    • The best part is that it is entirely pseudo-Germanic rubbish including random words such as "sauerkraut", "cheese-und-cracker", "lager beer" and "baloney" and the Black Speech is so difficult to pronounce that Hynkel descends into coughing fits twice.
    • Herr Garbitsch looking at his watch as Hynkel talks about him.
  • A second speech, after Herring knocks him down the stairs. Herring, in his fake German, comes up with "der Banana", and they just run with it.
  • The Barber's exploits in the first world war.
    • The Barber and his whole regiment shrugging their shoulders after misfiring an artillery piece.
      • They top this on another shot, but blowing up an outhouse.
    • The Barber getting lost in a fog and ending up marching with an enemy patrol.
  • Hynkel's dance with a balloon globe. Never before was Adolf Hitler's megalomania punctured with such graceful comedy.
  • Hynkel and Benzino constantly trying to one-up each other.
  • The various resistance members all doing their best to avoid being randomly picked for a suicide mission.
  • Jack Oakey with his spot-on impersonation of Il Duce's chin-thrust.
  • Commander Schultz flying upside-down.