Hitler’s mustache

[1889]

Interesting post by Mr. Herring. I found something like it in Vanity Fair of all places, good back story on how the "toothbrush" became so popular in Germany.
http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2007/11/cohen200711

Looks like plenty of good people are already on the case.

 

[Plotinus]

That's a good article. Thanks for the link!

 

[da3dalus]

We have a joke that works in French..

"Cela faisait fureur à l'époque" = "It was very fashionable at the time".

is said the same as

"Cela faisait Fürher à l'époque" = "It makes you look like the Fürher".

Hahaha C'est un bon jeu de mots.

 

[bombshoo]

They make a joke about Hitler "stealing Chaplin's act" in the movie Chaplin with Robert Downey Jr.

 

[vogtmurr]

We have a joke that works in French..

"Cela faisait fureur à l'époque" = "It was very fashionable at the time".

is said the same as

"Cela faisait Fürher à l'époque" = "It makes you look like the Fürher".

They make a joke about Hitler "stealing Chaplin's act" in the movie Chaplin with Robert Downey Jr.

Those are both great lines.

I think our perception of it - let's face it - is permanently tainted. We can't see that moustache without visualizing a villainous tyrant at his worst. though Plotinus mentioned Olly Hardy and somehow it looks natural on him. With Hitler's hairdo it's pretty bad though - confirmed by someone's comments that even his own adorers were a little bit embarassed by it. The difference in eras makes it challenging to see it as anything but bizarre, but maybe the equivalent would be like a biker who gets a scary tattoo, and somehow gets away with it even after being elected to office, making it a symbol in some way - in Hitler's case the radical straight narrow path....

 

[Plotinus]

People always overlook Oliver Hardy when discussing the tache. I think it's because Chaplin (a) made the moustache such an important part of the look of the Little Tramp, and (b) looked rather like Hitler anyway, at least in body shape. And it's true that it really does look right on Ollie and doesn't make you think of Hitler. Perhaps fat men can still get away with it today?

More interesting musings on it by Herring, who is making another attempt at sporting the moustache and now thinks it could be used subversively.

 

[Agent327]

They make a joke about Hitler "stealing Chaplin's act" in the movie Chaplin with Robert Downey Jr.

As said Mr Hitler was an admirer of Chaplin's.

 

[Zack]

If I were to get Hitler a present, it would be a razor.

 

[Gooblah]

I thought Chaplin used the 'stache to..gah, I don't know the words for it; resist the harm Hitler had done to Jewish identity?

 

[Plotinus]

I assume that Chaplin used the tache for the same reason that he and other actors of the early silent period wore white make-up and heavy eye-liner: to give his face more contrast and definition on camera.

 

[1889]

The ability to project an image to an audience that couldn't necessarily hear his voice is certainly a subject Hitler devoted much attention to, but clearly that mustache had very different connotations for American and German audiences.

 

[Rub'Rum]

My great grandfather had a very similar one for most of his life, he died in the 1980s.

 

[1889]

Maybe there is hope for it yet. My wife was watching HGTV and a commercial for their new show came on. One of the hosts has a toothbrush mustache. More trapezoidal than rectangular but I did a double take when I saw it.

http://www.hgtv.com/mike-aubrey/bio/index.html

 

[frekk]

I hope this question isn't too stupid for the world history forum but seriously what’s the deal? I’ve only ever seen that configuration of facial hair on him and Charley Chaplain. I think it looks really silly but I doubt that’s the effect Adolph was after. I can understand why it wouldn’t be popular after 1945 but was it in style in the 30’s?

Yes, it was a popular style. It even had a name; the "toothbrush". Oliver Hardy (of Laurel and Hardy), for instance, wore one (and I believe he continued to do so after the war). So did alot of other people before it became associated with Hitler.

 

[cardgame]

Maybe there is hope for it yet. My wife was watching HGTV and a commercial for their new show came on. One of the hosts has a toothbrush mustache. More trapezoidal than rectangular but I did a double take when I saw it.

http://www.hgtv.com/mike-aubrey/bio/index.html

Not thick enough for a double-take. Nothing like Hitler's 'stache