SON OF HITLER

 

As anyone who has read any entries in this blog knows, my favorite actor of all time is Peter Cushing. One great thing about living in the 21st Century is the availability of so many streaming and Internet sites that allows one to watch even the most obscure and rare films and TV shows. These sites have enabled me to view many Peter Cushing films that have fallen into a sort of black hole. 

One of these very under-the-radar Cushing titles is SON OF HITLER, which is, believe it or not, a comedy. (I should rephrase that by stating that it "attempts" to be a comedy.) The premise of SON OF HITLER is exactly what the title says--Adolf Hitler had a son born in 1944, and he was hidden away until unearthed in 1977, to be used as a symbol for a modern-day German political party. (This movie is so obscure, I couldn't even find a decent enough image on the internet to represent it.) 

Indie acting legend Bud Cort (HAROLD & MAUDE) plays Willi, a timid, innocent soul who has been sheltered up in the mountains all of his life by a former SS officer who wanted to make up for the misdeeds of the Nazis. Another former SS officer named Haussner (Peter Cushing), is aware of Willi's existence, and he has been searching for him since the end of WWII. After Willi wanders away from his mountain abode, Haussner tracks him down, and attempts to train the naive young man into a duplicate of his father. Willi is to be the figurehead of a rising German political party known as NEIN, but the guileless fellow is too kind and simple to carry on the Nazi tradition. 

Why anyone would even consider making a comedy about a long-lost son of Adolf Hitler is a mystery, and an even bigger mystery is why Peter Cushing (or his agent) would have considered starring in it. SON OF HITLER was made in late 1977, the same time as STAR WARS was breaking box office records all over the world. One would think that due to the success of STAR WARS, in which Cushing had a major role, the actor would have the advantage of being able to appear in all sorts of worthy productions. For whatever the reasons, it didn't turn out that way--most of the projects Cushing did appear in after SON OF HITLER were, if anything. even more mediocre and obscure. 

Perhaps Cushing was drawn to the idea that in SON OF HITLER he would be playing a comedic role, and he would get lead billing (although having star billing in a movie like this doesn't seem to be a positive). As for the comedic aspects of his part, I have to say that this is one of Cushing's most broadly played characterizations. When it comes to Peter Cushing's acting abilities, I'm one of his most staunchest defenders, but even I must admit he goes somewhat overboard on Haussner's comic villain persona. Haussner is loud, overbearing, and disdainful, and Cushing gets a number of opportunities to rant & rave. This type of performance might have worked for a 5 minute comedy sketch, but it's hard to maintain over a 90 minute film, especially when the script does Cushing no favors. 

If anything SON OF HITLER isn't provocative enough. The comedy is on the level of an American TV sitcom, which shouldn't be a surprise, since the film was directed by Rod Amateau, a veteran of that genre. (Amateau would also later go on to helm THE GARBAGE PAIL KIDS MOVIE.) There are plenty of chances in SON OF HITLER to inject some sharp satire, but the film isn't clever enough to do so. A more aggressive approach might have made the film more offensive, but at least it would have been more memorable.  

Bud Cort amply defines Willi's simpleton personality, perhaps too well, since the character is such a dunce the viewer isn't able to care all that much about his situation. I'm really reaching here, but a comparison can be made between Willi and Peter Sellers' Chance in BEING THERE. Both men are total innocents, blank slates if you will, who are used by political forces to represent ideas they can't possibly comprehend. (The similarity ends at that point--BEING THERE is a million times more an accomplished film.) A subplot involves Willi falling in love with the young daughter (Felicity Dean) of the powerful man (Anton Diffring) who bankrolls the NEIN party, but this isn't developed enough. 

The version of SON OF HITLER I watched on YouTube wasn't in the best condition, but it was in widescreen, and it appeared to be uncut. The movie wasn't cheaply or inadequately made, which makes it even more of a disappointment--the money and effort could have been used for something more important. The film was shot in West Germany, which makes one wonder how onlookers must have felt seeing Bud Cort walk around in a full SS uniform. 

SON OF HITLER got basically no type of release whatsoever, but what did the people behind it expect?? 1970s cinema was known for a "Anything Goes" mentality, but even in 1977 a film with this type of material would be frowned upon. Will SON OF HITLER ever get a proper home video release for English-speaking audiences?? In today's political and social climate?? 

What's really disappointing for Peter Cushing fans is that SON OF HITLER gives him more screen time than just about any other project he was involved with after STAR WARS. He deserved much, much better. The movie isn't cringe-inducing, or out-and-out awful--it's just silly and very tiresome. 

*Many books and articles on Peter Cushing list this film under the title HITLER'S SON. The version I watched on YouTube carries the title SON OF HITLER, so that's what I used for this blog post.