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

documentary film A documentary film (often described simply as a documentary) is a nonfiction Film, motion picture intended to "document reality, primarily for instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". The American author and ...

directed by

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

, who was uncredited. The film won an

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People and fictional and mythical characters * Oscar (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters named Oscar, Óscar or Oskar * Oscar (footballer, born 1954), Brazilian footballer ...

at the 18th Academy Awards in 1946 for Documentary Short Subject. The film's copyright was renewed. Earlier the same year, Siegel made his directorial debut on another short film '' Star in the Night'' (1945), which also won an Academy Award.

Production

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

end of World War II in Europe The end of World War II in Europe occurred in May 1945. Following the Death of Adolf Hitler, suicide of Adolf Hitler on 30 April, leadership of Nazi Germany passed to Grand Admiral Karl Dönitz and the Flensburg Government. Soviet Union, Soviet t ...

and written by Theodor Geisel (better known as Dr. Seuss). While retaining some of the original film footage, ''Hitler Lives'' was written by Saul Elkins. The film warns that the defeated German population still contains

Nazi Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...

supporters and that the world must stay ever vigilant against the prospect that a new

Hitler Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...

will arise within Germany. The film combines dramatized content mixed with archive footage. The crematoriums of a

concentration camp A concentration camp is a prison or other facility used for the internment of political prisoners or politically targeted demographics, such as members of national or ethnic minority groups, on the grounds of national security, or for exploitati ...

are shown, only using "victims" to describe those murdered (without mentioning that they were

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

). Finally, the film warns against

fascism in the United States Fascism in the United States is an expression of fascist political ideology that dates back over a century in the United States, with roots in white supremacy, Nativism_(politics), nativism, and violent political extremism. Although it has had l ...

Cast

* Knox Manning as narrator (voice) *

Joseph Goebbels Paul Joseph Goebbels (; 29 October 1897 – 1 May 1945) was a German Nazism, Nazi politician and philologist who was the ''Gauleiter'' (district leader) of Berlin, chief Propaganda in Nazi Germany, propagandist for the Nazi Party, and ...

as himself (archive footage) (uncredited) *

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...

as himself (archive footage) (uncredited) *

Joseph Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Dzhugashvili; 5 March 1953) was a Soviet politician and revolutionary who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until Death and state funeral of Joseph Stalin, his death in 1953. He held power as General Secret ...

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. As the 34th vice president in 1945, he assumed the presidency upon the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt that year. Subsequen ...

as himself (archive footage) (uncredited)

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hitler Lives 1945 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 short documentary films 1940s English-language films 1940s American films English-language short documentary films