Summer Film Series: The Great Dictator (1940)

See Karl Struss’s films on the big screen! Join the Carter for their summer film series featuring films shot by cinematographer Karl Struss. In connection with the exhibition Moving Pictures: Karl Struss and the Rise of Hollywood, each month the Carter will show a film from a different decade in Struss’s career that highlights the achievements and advancements he brought to the genre. After each screening, an expert will share commentary and behind-the-scenes stories about the film, followed by audience Q&A.

In July, they’ll show The Great Dictator (1940), Charlie Chaplin’s World War II–era satire condemning fascism and antisemitism. Written, directed, produced, and scored by Chaplin, this controversial masterpiece offers both a cutting caricature of Adolf Hitler and a sly tweaking of Chaplin’s own comic persona. In his first “talkie,” Chaplin brings his sublime physicality to two roles: the cruel yet clownish “Tomainian” dictator, and the kindly Jewish barber who is mistaken for him. The film was nominated for five Academy Awards and was Chaplin’s most commercially successful film.

After screening this dark comedy, Patrick Keating will provide commentary on the film. Keating is a professor in the Department of Communication at Trinity University in San Antonio, where he teaches courses in film history and video production. He is the author of several books about Hollywood cinematography, including The Dynamic Frame: Camera Movement in Classical Hollywood (2019) and Film Noir and the Arts of Lighting (forthcoming). His video essays can be found on Vimeo.

American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation will be provided during this event.

^{The Great Dictator. DIRECTED BY: Charlie Chaplin. WRITTEN BY: Charlie Chaplin. WITH: Charlie Chaplin, Paulette Goddard, Jack Oakie. 1940. 125 min. USA. B&W. English. Not rated; suggested for ages 12 and older.}

Questions? Email or call 817.989.5013.