Saturday Matinee: 'The Great Dictator'

Howard Room. All are welcome in the library's Howard Room on Saturday December 19 at 2:30 p.m. for a screening of Charlie Chaplin's 1940 film The Great Dictator. Rated G. Runtime: 2 hours, 5 minutes. Popcorn, tea, and coffee will be available for movie-viewing accompaniment. "In his controversial masterpiece The Great Dictator, Charlie Chaplin offers both a cutting caricature of Adolf Hitler and a sly tweaking of his own comic persona. Chaplin, in his first pure talkie, brings his sublime physicality to two roles: the cruel yet clownish “Tomainian” dictator and the kindly Jewish barber who is mistaken for him. Featuring Jack Oakie and Paulette Goddard in stellar supporting turns, The Great Dictator, boldly going after the fascist leader before the U.S.’s official entry into World War II, is an audacious amalgam of politics and slapstick that culminates in Chaplin’s famously impassioned speech." - Criterion Collection. This program is generously sponsored by the Friends of the Library, and is free and open to all. If you have any questions, contact Olivia at oliviaz@bhpl.net or call the library at 374-5515.