Schichlegruber - Doing the Lambeth Walk (1941) User Reviews

The Germans Will March to Our Tune

[boblipton · 6/10 · 6 January 2016]

I have no idea who Charles Ridley was, but the crediting of animation to Len Lye makes this one worth seeing -- he had done an abstract animation piece a few years earlier to the hit song from the West End hit, ME AND MY GIRL, in which cockney Lupino Lane shows the House of Lords how to loosen up.

This piece, as it consists, is made of clips from Riefenstahl's TRIUMPH OF THE WILL, edited to match the tune. Storm troopers march forward in step, then the film is reversed to make them march back; Hitler salutes and takes it back at the pleasure of the editor.

I doubt if anyone thought it would be that easy.

Nice idea, but really not that funny

[Horst_In_Translation · 4/10 · 12 March 2016]

"Hoch der Lambeth Valk" is a British 2-minute short film from 1941, days of World War II. I guess it is telling that director Charles Ridley has never made another film before or after that because it really isn't exactly a movie, just a little spoof of Hitler and his Nazi soldiers. They say the best way to hurt your enemy is via humour and not via violence and I guess that was Ridley's idea here too. I can imagine Hitler probably wasn't amused when he saw this one, but I am pretty sure he never did. This film is just too unknown. Also no idea why Riefenstahl is credited here. Sure she made the film that the scenes were taken from, but that's also it pretty much. Not a disastrous watch, but even at 2 minutes already a bit repetitive. I do not recommend checking it out.