Meredith Willson

Con man "Professor" Harold Hill arrives in River City, Iowa, promising that he can teach the small town's children how to play in a magnificent marching band. It's all part of a big swindle, but falling in love with the town librarian wasn't part of the deal.

Con man "Professor" Harold Hill arrives in River City, Iowa, promising that he can teach the small town's children how to play in a magnificent marching band. It's all part of a big swindle, but falling in love with the town librarian wasn't part of the deal.

A con man comes to an Iowa town with a scam using a boy's marching band program, but things don't go according to plan.

A con man comes to an Iowa town with a scam using a boy's marching band program, but things don't go according to plan.

The ruthless, moneyed Hubbard clan lives in, and poisons, their part of the deep South at the turn of the 20th century. Regina Giddons née Hubbard has her daughter under her thumb. Mrs. Giddons is estranged from her husband, who is convalescing in Baltimore and suffers from a terminal illness. But she needs him home, and will manipulate her daughter to help bring him back. She has a sneaky business deal that she's cooking up with her two elder brothers, Oscar and Ben. Oscar has a flighty, unhappy wife and a dishonest worm of a son. Will the daughter have to marry this contemptible cousin? Who will she grow up to be - her mother or her aunt? Or can she escape the fate of both?

チャップリンがアドルフ・ヒトラーの独裁政治を批判した作品で、ヒトラーとナチズムに対して非常に大胆に非難と風刺をしつつ、ヨーロッパにおけるユダヤ人の苦況をコミカルながらも生々しく描き、ニューヨーク映画批評家協会賞で主演男優賞を受賞した。 またこの作品は、チャップリン映画初の完全トーキー作品でもある。 1918年の第一次大戦末期、トメニアのユダヤ人一兵卒チャーリーは飛行機事故で記憶を失い入院する。それから数年後のトメニアは独裁者アデノイド・ヒンケルの天下で、ユダヤ人掃討の真っ最中。そんな折、退院したチャーリーは生まれ育ったユダヤ人街で元の床屋の職に戻る。親衛隊の傍若無人ぶり、特にそれが恋人ハンナに及ぶに至り、彼は勇猛果敢かつ抱腹絶倒のレジスタンスを開始。それがどういうわけかヒンケル総統の替え玉を演じさせられることになり……。