''Hitler Lives'' (also known as ''Hitler Lives?'') is a 1945 American

short Short may refer to: Places * Short (crater), a lunar impact crater on the near side of the Moon * Short, Mississippi, an unincorporated community * Short, Oklahoma, a census-designated place People * Short (surname) * List of people known as ...

documentary film A documentary film or documentary is a non-fictional film, motion-picture intended to "document reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". Bill Nichols (film critic), Bil ...

directed by

Don Siegel Donald Siegel ( ; October 26, 1912 – April 20, 1991) was an American film and television director and producer. Siegel was described by ''The New York Times'' as "a director of tough, cynical and forthright action-adventure films whose taut ...

, who was uncredited. The film won an

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People * Oscar (given name), an Irish- and English-language name also used in other languages; the article includes the names Oskar, Oskari, Oszkár, Óscar, and other forms. * Oscar (Irish mythology), ...

at the

18th Academy Awards The 18th Academy Awards were held on March 7, 1946 at Grauman's Chinese Theatre to honor the films of 1945. Being the first Oscars after the end of World War II, the ceremony returned to the glamour of the prewar years; notably, the plaster sta ...

in 1946 for Documentary Short Subject. Earlier the same year, Siegel made his directorial debut on another short film '' Star in the Night'' (1945), which also won an Academy Award. The film's copyright was renewed.

Production

''Hitler Lives'' is based on the film '' Your Job in Germany'', which was produced shortly before the end 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 opposin ...

. ''Your Job in Germany'' was written by Theodor Geisel (better known as

Dr. Seuss Theodor Seuss Geisel (;"Seuss"
'' Saul Elkins Saul Elkins (June 29, 1907 in New York, New York – May 9, 2001 in Henderson, Nevada) was an American writer, producer and director in the film industry The film industry or motion picture industry comprises the technological and commerc ...

. The film warns that the defeated German population still contains

Nazi Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...

supporters and that the world must stay ever vigilant against the prospect that a new Hitler will arise within Germany. The film combines dramatized content mixed with archive footage. However, there is no mention of Jews as victims of persecution. The crematoriums of a concentration camp are shown, only using "victims" to describe those murdered. The end of the film warns against

fascism in the United States Fascism in North America refers to political movements in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean that are variants of fascism. Fascist movements in North America never gained power, unlike their counterparts in Eur ...

Cast

Knox Manning Charles Knox Manning (January 17, 1904 – August 26, 1980) was an American film actor. He was born in Worcester, Massachusetts and died in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California. He and Annette North Manning are interred at Ivy Lawn Cemete ...

as Narrator (voice) *

Joseph Goebbels Paul Joseph Goebbels (; 29 October 1897 – 1 May 1945) was a German Nazi politician who was the ''Gauleiter'' (district leader) of Berlin, chief propagandist for the Nazi Party, and then Reich Minister of Propaganda from 1933 to 19 ...

as Himself (archive footage) (uncredited) *

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 ...

as Himself (archive footage) (uncredited) *

Joseph Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili; – 5 March 1953) was a Georgian revolutionary and Soviet political leader who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until his death in 1953. He held power as General Secreta ...

as Himself (archive footage) (uncredited) *

Harry S. Truman Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. A leader of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 34th vice president from January to April 1945 under Franklin ...

as Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hitler Lives 1945 films 1945 short films American black-and-white films American documentary films Films directed by Don Siegel Best Documentary Short Subject Academy Award winners Warner Bros. short films Films about Nazis Films about Nazism 1945 documentary films 1940s English-language films 1940s American films