The year is 1972. Jerry Lewis, entertainer and comedian, receives an unconventional screenplay titled 'The Day The Clown Cried'. The premise: a washed-up clown ends up in a Nazi camp and redeems himself through comedy. Lewis accepted the role and took on the first-ever attempt at a Holocaust slapstick. The film is still, to this day, unreleased.

Join us in this Reel Short episode to hear all about the delusions, the good intentions and the questions raised by this misguided film. Is laughter still possible in a grim world?

Find us on Twitter and Instagram as @reelreich for extra content and behind the scenes! And don't forget to subscribe for more wild stories about the Third Reich, movie Nazis and the history behind the fiction. Until next time!

Of all the podcasts in all the world, you had to listen to this one. This week, we're discussing the real history behind the timeless classic that is Casablanca. We'll reveal how many of the actors were victims of the very circumstances they were portraying and how the actual city of Casablanca played host to characters even more outrageous than those frequenting Rick's Café.  There are tales of refugees, saviors, scandalous performers, romance, and that not just the film. 

So who inspired Casablanca's iconic characters? Was Rick's a real place? You'll just have to listen to this episode of the Reel Reich to find out. I think this may be the beginning of a beautiful Podcast, er, friendship.

Don't forget to follow us on Instagram and Twitter (@reelreich), where we post extra content about each topic we cover. 

Imagine you are given the ability to time travel. What do you do with this awesome power? Obviously you go back in time to 1889 to kill Hitler, thus preventing WWII and saving millions of lives. OR WOULD YOU? And even if you did, would the outcome of history change for the better? On today's episode of the Reel Reich, we are attempting to answer one of the oldest questions in time travel history (or present?): Would you kill baby Hitler? 

Join us as we delve into the ethical dilemmas around the big question, and discuss the basic inaccuracies of Tom Cruise, the prevalence of Forest Whitaker in time and space, and the alternative histories you didn't know you feared. Learn why Hitler was an obnoxious incel and why Drag is the answer to all our questions. 

On Part 1 of this episode, we talk about the real trial of a Nazi spy ring discovered in New York that inspired the film Confessions of a Nazi Spy (1939). The Rumrich spy trial shocked Americans by proving that suspicions of a Fifth Column, sent from Germany to subvert American democracy, were not as farfetched as people had believed. 

So, were there Nazis living next door in America in the 1930s? What was Operation Sex? Why did they need extreme security when this movie came out? If you want some answers (and ramblings about spy craft), listen to this episode of the Reel Reich!

On part 2 of this episode, we try to answer a simple question: In the 1930s, was fascism a foreign threat for the United States, or was it a national phenomenon? Were fascist ideas an import or were they homegrown? 

In a narrative that links The Birth of a Nation, the Ku Klux Klan and the isolationist movement 'America First', we trace the history of star-spangled fascism to answer a question that many were asking at the time: Could it happen here?

Today's episode is truly a foray into the unknown. An obscure Mexican wrestling film, back in 1969 -it was a weird year, wasn't it?- decided to cast John Carradine as a Nazi war criminal that plans to take over the world. And here is the catch: he is the head clown at a circus.

Through a twisted landscape of both swastikas and ferris wheels, we set to answer a question: What was that clown make-up like in real life? What ever happened to the many Nazi war criminals that escaped Europe and found new lives abroad, often leading a quiet, undisturbed existence, running from deeds that the world seemed willing to forget?

 

Did you know a bunch of Norwegians on skis saved the world? It might sound like an overstatement, but the Norwegian resistance thwarted the Nazi plans to develop an atomic bomb. That relatively unknown episode of World War II, as well as the first English-language film to portray it, "The Heroes of Telemark", are the subject of today's episode.

Do you know what heavy water is and why the Nazis needed it? Do you know the connection between nuclear power and Kirk Douglas’s spectacular chin dimple? If you don’t know about either or how they can possibly be related, this is the episode for you! 

In Part 2 we walk, climb and ski side by side with the nine men that were part of Operation Gunnerside, in their final attempt at sabotage of the Vemork heavy water facility. The stakes have never been higher. 

Did you know a bunch of Norwegians on skis saved the world? It might sound like an overstatement, but the Norwegian resistance thwarted the Nazi plans to develop an atomic bomb. That relatively unknown episode of World War II, as well as the first English-language film to portray it, "The Heroes of Telemark", are the subject of today's episode.

Do you know what heavy water is and why the Nazis needed it? Do you know the connection between nuclear power and Kirk Douglas’s spectacular chin dimple? If you don’t know about either or how they can possibly be related, this is the episode for you! 

In Part 1 we discuss the race for the atomic bomb, the life of scientist and resistance fighter Leif Tronstad, and the two operations that would prepare the ground for the final sabotage.

This is Part 2 of our Hitler Youth episode. Join us in this journey to explore the experiences of millions of children in Nazi Germany, from the early enthusiasm to the tragedy of the war years. 

Given the current events in the United States, we wanted to lend our support to the Black Lives Matter movement and all anti-racist movements across the globe. As historians, we think it is crucial to understand the dangers of fascism and white supremacy, both their historical roots and their present forms.

Here are some resources that we found helpful to educate ourselves:

A #BlackLivesMatter comprehensive document with all sorts of resources

Anti-racism resources for white people

1619, a podcast that examines the long shadow of American slavery

Codeswitch, fearless conversations about race by journalists of color

If you like the Reel Reich, make sure to subscribe and follow us in Instagram and Twitter for more content, book and movie recommendations, and to give us your feedback! 

Stay safe, 

Hannah and Dani

Ever wonder about how the Nazi boy scouts got their start? Join us as we explore some of the themes raised by the movie Jojo Rabbit and examine the history of the Hitler Youth. We discuss the intentions and driving forces behind a machine whose gears transformed innocent children into "political soldiers".

Given the current events in the United States, we wanted to lend our support to the Black Lives Matter movement and all anti-racist movements across the globe. As historians, we think it is crucial to understand the dangers of fascism and white supremacy, both their historical roots and their present forms.

Here are some resources that we found helpful to educate ourselves:

A #BlackLivesMatter comprehensive document with all sorts of resources

Anti-racism resources for white people

1619, a podcast that examines the long shadow of American slavery

Codeswitch, fearless conversations about race by journalists of color

If you like the Reel Reich, make sure to subscribe and follow us in Instagram and Twitter for more content, book and movie recommendations, and to give us your feedback! 

Stay safe, 

Hannah and Dani