''Hitler – Dead or Alive'' is a 1942 American propaganda

war film War film is a film genre concerned with warfare, typically about navy, naval, air force, air, or army, land battles, with combat scenes central to the drama. It has been strongly associated with the 20th century. The fateful nature of battle s ...

directed by

Nick Grinde Nick Grinde (January 12, 1893 – June 19, 1979) was an American film director and screenwriter. He directed 57 films between 1928 and 1945. Biography Born Harry A. Grinde in Madison, Wisconsin but nicknamed "Nick," Grinde graduated from th ...

. The plot of ''Hitler – Dead or Alive'' was inspired by true events but takes a quasi-comic tone.

Plot

In 1939, during the early days of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, Samuel Thornton ( Russell Hicks), a prominent American businessman, offers a reward of one million dollars to bring

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...

to justice, dead or alive. He hires three gangster ex-convicts released from

Alcatraz Alcatraz Island () is a small island in San Francisco Bay, offshore from San Francisco, California, United States. The island was developed in the mid-19th century with facilities for a lighthouse, a military fortification, and a military pris ...

prison, Steve Maschick ( Ward Bond), Hans "Dutch" Havermann (

Warren Hymer Edgar Warren Hymer (February 25, 1906 – March 25, 1948) was an American theatre and film actor. Early life He was born in New York City. His father, John Bard Hymer (1875/1876 – 1953) was a playwright (with nine Broadway plays to ...

) and Joe "The Book" Conway ( Paul Fix). The three join the

Royal Canadian Air Force The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; french: Aviation royale canadienne, ARC) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environm ...

and hijack an aircraft flown by Johnny Stevens (Bruce Edwards) to enter

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

airspace. With Johnny joining them, the group pose as musicians to gain access to Hitler (

Bobby Watson Robert Michael Watson Jr. (born August 23, 1953), known professionally as Bobby Watson, is an American saxophonist, composer, and educator. Music career Watson was born in Lawrence, Kansas, United States, and grew up in Kansas City, Kansas. He ...

). With the help of Else von Brandt (

Dorothy Tree Dorothy Tree (born Dorothy Estelle Triebitz, May 21, 1906 – February 13, 1992) was an American actress, voice teacher and writer. She appeared in a wide range of character roles in at least 49 films between 1927 and 1951. Her roles includ ...

), the gangsters capture Hitler and quickly cut his hair and shave off his moustache as SS soldiers try to break the door in. When the SS manage to enter the room, they fail to recognize their leader and drag all the men, including Hitler, outside to be shot. A desperate Hitler makes a break for it and is shot by the SS officer in charge, who states disdainfully and ironically: "To think that Germany could produce a piece of filth like you." Steve makes a long patriotic speech while facing a firing squad.

Cast

* Ward Bond as Steve Maschick *

as Else von Brandt *

as Hans "Dutch" Havermann * Paul Fix as Joe "The Book" Conway * Russell Hicks as Samuel Thornton * Bruce Edwards as Johnny Stevens * Felix Basch as Col. Hecht *

(credited as Bob Watson) * Frederick Giermann as Meyer *

Kenneth Harlan Kenneth Daniel Harlan (July 26, 1895 – March 6, 1967) was an American actor of the silent film era, playing mostly romantic leads or adventurer types. Early life Harlan was born in Boston, Massachusetts, the son of George W. Harlan and ac ...

as Cutler * Fee Malten as Greta

Production

Principal photography Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production. Personnel Besides the main film personnel, such as a ...

on ''Hitler – Dead or Alive'' began on August 6, 1942 at Fine Arts Studios.

Reception

Film historian Alun Evans in ''Brassey's Guide to War Films'', reviewed ''Hitler – Dead or Alive'', comparing and contrasting it to other contemporary features, ''

The Devil with Hitler ''The Devil with Hitler'' (released in Great Britain as ''The Devil Checks Up'') is a black-and-white 1942 comedy short propaganda film that was one of Hal Roach's Streamliners short film series. When the board of directors of Hell want Adolf Hitl ...

'', (1942), ''That Nazi Nuisance'' (1943) and '' The Hitler Gang'' (1944). He noted the earlier film was "... (a) Satirical farce about three ex-Alcatraz cons plotting to kill Hitler ..."Evans 2000, p. 97. Historian M.B.B. Biskupski, in his overview of the treatment of Poles in American war-time cinema, reviewed the film as possibly containing a rare war-time reference to a Polish-American character (Steve Maschik). He noted that the film "may be the worst film made in the World War II era."

In other media

In November 2012, while being interviewed by ''

Playboy ''Playboy'' is an American men's Lifestyle magazine, lifestyle and entertainment magazine, formerly in print and currently online. It was founded in Chicago in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from H ...

'' magazine, filmmaker

Quentin Tarantino Quentin Jerome Tarantino (; born March 27, 1963) is an American film director, writer, producer, and actor. His films are characterized by stylized violence, extended dialogue, profanity, dark humor, non-linear storylines, cameos, ensembl ...

admitted the inspiration for his film ''

Inglourious Basterds ''Inglourious Basterds'' is a 2009 war film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, starring Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz, Michael Fassbender, Eli Roth, Diane Kruger, Daniel Brühl, Til Schweiger and Mélanie Laurent. The film tells an altern ...

'' came from ''Hitler - Dead or Alive''."Celebrity interview with Django Unchained director Quentin Tarantino'."
''Playboy'', November 16, 2012. Retrieved: April 8, 2017.

References

Notes

Citations

Bibliography

* Evans, Alun. ''Brassey's Guide to War Films''. Dulles, Virginia: Potomac Books, 2000. .

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hitler - Dead Or Alive 1942 films American aviation films American World War II propaganda films American satirical films 1940s English-language films American black-and-white films Cultural depictions of Adolf Hitler War adventure films Alternate Nazi Germany films American alternate history films Films set in the 1940s 1942 comedy-drama films Films directed by Nick Grinde American comedy-drama films 1940s war films American vigilante films American exploitation films