This is a wartime b-film from Universal that represents a time capsule for today's audience. Donati plays a clerk in 1942 Vienna who has a gift for mimicry. Unfortunately, his impression of Adolf Hitler doesn't go down well with the Gestapo: they arrest him. But then they think twice and decide that his gift is of use to the Reich. They give him plastic surgery and transform him into the spitting image of Hitler and force him to do their bidding, otherwise they'll arrest his family. Meanwhile, his wife (Sondergaard) is told that he's been executed as a traitor. And his two sons? They're brain-washed little Nazi-kids who are quick to distance themselves from the memory of their "traitorous" father, and quick to inform on their own mother when she tries to escape Austria. The wife having seen her life ruined decides to get revenge for herself, and others who have suffered, by killing Hitler. And therein lies the tragic irony that ends the film. As for topicality, there's talk of Stalingrad being the downfall of the Nazi war machine, which is interesting since this battle was going on during the film's production. There's also the curious aspect that Hitler's name is only mentioned in the title of the film, yet his name is never mentioned in the film itself. In fact, the film strains at times to avoid speaking his name, as if he's a kind of Lord Voldemort from 'Harry Potter' ("He who must not be named"). Hitler is described as "him" "that fiend" "the Fuehrer" and even "Corporal Shicklgruber" but never "Hitler." It's odd, as if they were afraid he might actually sue them. The film itself is a solid, straightforward story with the requisite propaganda included. The actors are fine, although Donati is not quite a close enough copy of Hitler to be that believable. Multi-talented German émigré Fritz Kortner not only co-wrote the story, but wrote the script and played the part of the head of the underground. One last note: actor Goerge Dolenz is the father of Mickey Dolenz of 'The Monkees' fame.
Review of The Strange Death of Adolf Hitler
