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Home/ stevenwarran's Library/ Notes/ May 1, 1934, NYT, Hitler's Reign of Terror (1934) The Brown Shirts, by Mordant Hall, [Edwin C. Hill and Cornelius Vanderbilt Jr. ]

May 1, 1934, NYT, Hitler's Reign of Terror (1934) The Brown Shirts, by Mordant Hall, [Edwin C. Hill and Cornelius Vanderbilt Jr. ]

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May 1, 1934, NYT, Hitler's Reign of Terror (1934) The Brown Shirts, by Mordant Hall,

Published: May 1, 1934

"Hitler's Reign of Terror," a pictorial record of Nazi activities in Germany, which has reached the Mayfair screen, scarcely lives up to expectations, particularly after one listens to the florid introductory remarks from Edwin C. Hill and Cornelius Vanderbilt Jr. Much of the news stuff of which this film is composed has been seen here before from different angles, and there hardly seems enough excitement in the fresh scenes to warrant Mr. Vanderbilt's risking the ire of the Nazis and his freedom in smuggling them out of Germany.

In such a compilation it is always disappointing to find that part of the production has been staged, even though those responsible for the offering in this instance frankly admit that some of the scenes "are reproduced from personal interviews and incidents witnessed by Mr. Vanderbilt during his tour of both Austria and Germany."

One sees what purports to be the erstwhile Crown Prince. He is talking to Mr. Vanderbilt, and in the course of the conversation this "Mr. Hohenzollern" says that he would rather not be quoted, evidently being unaware that somewhere a microphone and a camera are busy making a record of the talk. There is also a reproduced interview between the ex-Kaiser and Mr. Vanderbilt, wherein the former declares that if he ever returns to his native land it will be in a wooden box!

Hitler's methods are scourged by Messrs. Vanderbilt and Hill, but their words would be infinitely more effective if they were endowed with a slight degree of subtlety and a sense of humor. Mr. Vanderbilt declares that Hitler rules by "a reign of terror, with spies, skulking figures and threatening voices." In a previous sequence Mr. Hill speaks of the World War as a "red nightmare" and says that "Satan in hell must have laughed as he surveyed the spectacle of wholesale destruction."

Even Hitler comes to the screen at one point personated by some player. In the course of his wanderings Mr. Vanderbilt visited Leonidad, where Hitler spent fourteen years of his youth, and discovered that the present German Chancellor was most unpopular. Mr. Vanderbilt later photographed the graves of Hitler's parents, who died many years ago.

There is a conversation between Mr. Vanderbilt and Helen Keller, who was one of those whose books were tossed to the flames at Hitler's order. Miss Keller declares history has taught nothing to the new rulers of Germany if they think they can kill ideas. Professor Raymond Moley and Representative Samuel Dickstein also denounce Hitler at the end of the film.

HITLER'S REIGN OF TERROR, a film record of Nazi activities in Germany; microphonic talks by Cornelius Vanderbilt Jr. and Edwin C. Hill; presented by Jewel Productions, Inc. At the Mayfair.

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on Mar 19, 14