"The Magic Face" is a strange film that seems to have debuted a bit late. Had it come out during WWII, it would have worked better....and having a different leading man would have made it a bit more logical.
The film stars Luther Adler, a man from a famous acting family and who made a huge name for himself in Yiddish theater as well as on Broadway. Adler made films and TV appearances as well, but clearly he was more known for his stage work. As I mentioned above, he was an odd choice for the role...and I'll explain this.
The film is a 'what if' film about history. Early in WWII, an angry Austrian actor decides to insinuate himself into Hitler's inner circle as a valet. His plan is to one day kill the fuehrer and take on his identity...which he does early in the war. Then, as the faux Adolf, he deliberately makes decision after decision which ruins the German war effort.
The idea of such a substitution is smart and interesting. After all, up until about 1940-41, Hitler's decisions in running the war were pretty spot on and the Germans were highly successful. Substituting him for a man bent on destroying Germany made some sense, as his decisions in 1941 became completely irrational (such as attacking the USSR and declaring war on the USA). But, there is one HUGE problem. If this had happened, why wouldn't this substitute have stopped the Holocaust or just ended the war?? Having a Jewish actor play a fake Hitler and NOT stopping the persecution of Jews just seemed ultra-bizarro...especially since it got much worse around 1941! The only way this might have made sense was to have the actor be a complete anti-Semite himself...though believing Adler to be such a man was difficult back in 1951. Odd...to say the least.
Overall, a cheaply made and strange film...not always logical but never dull.
The film stars Luther Adler, a man from a famous acting family and who made a huge name for himself in Yiddish theater as well as on Broadway. Adler made films and TV appearances as well, but clearly he was more known for his stage work. As I mentioned above, he was an odd choice for the role...and I'll explain this.
The film is a 'what if' film about history. Early in WWII, an angry Austrian actor decides to insinuate himself into Hitler's inner circle as a valet. His plan is to one day kill the fuehrer and take on his identity...which he does early in the war. Then, as the faux Adolf, he deliberately makes decision after decision which ruins the German war effort.
The idea of such a substitution is smart and interesting. After all, up until about 1940-41, Hitler's decisions in running the war were pretty spot on and the Germans were highly successful. Substituting him for a man bent on destroying Germany made some sense, as his decisions in 1941 became completely irrational (such as attacking the USSR and declaring war on the USA). But, there is one HUGE problem. If this had happened, why wouldn't this substitute have stopped the Holocaust or just ended the war?? Having a Jewish actor play a fake Hitler and NOT stopping the persecution of Jews just seemed ultra-bizarro...especially since it got much worse around 1941! The only way this might have made sense was to have the actor be a complete anti-Semite himself...though believing Adler to be such a man was difficult back in 1951. Odd...to say the least.
Overall, a cheaply made and strange film...not always logical but never dull.