Selling Hitler

[onager]

Just saw the uncut version of this 1991 British mini-series, based on the book by Robert Harris.

Anyone interested in critical thinking - and its failure - will enjoy this. We get to see the best and brightest in world media, "believing because they wanted to believe." And ending up looking like fools and yokels. Huge amounts of money were lost, jobs and reputations destroyed, etc.

For those who've never heard of it, "Selling Hitler" is the story of the Hitler Diaries hoax of the early 1980's.

This con job eventually dragged in a cast that included Rupert Murdoch, eminent historian Hugh Trevor-Roper, eminent crackpot David Irving, Herman Goering's daughter, a Texas millionaire with a Hitler fetish. And a slew of high-powered journalists and their bosses at Bertelsmann AG, Der Stern magazine, Newsweek and more.

I don't want to give away too much of the plot, but watch carefully for all the neat little jabs and in-jokes. Like the Hitler jigsaw puzzle. And the blonde Valkyrie in a fantasy sequence, belting out a Wagnerian opera while simultaneously chewing her gum.

Amazon has it for a pretty good price. Just make sure you get the Acorn Media DVD release. It's the uncut version, but a shorter version is also available.

And here's the IMDB link:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0124256/

[LeftishBrit]

1. I remember that!

Good series, but the shocking part is that this all ever happened in the first place.. It's amazing how easily duped quite clever people (e.g. Trevor Roper) can be.

[onager]

2. Hey! Thank you! Got any comments on this one?

I recently got the British mini-series "G.B.H." Also from 1991, 7 hours (!!!). Have not seen it yet.

Afraid I might get a little lost, since it deals with local (council) politics in the UK. But it has Michael Palin, who I would gladly watch even if he were reading the phone book. (If phone books still existed...) And from quick searches, it's apparently based on the real-life career of Derek Hatton, who inspired the term "Loony Left."

So it sounds interesting. But I may put up the DU Bat-signal...er, Brit-Signal...for help in understanding some of the events.

On-topic! You're right, the most shocking thing about the Hitler Diaries Hoax is that it happened in the first place. Right from the beginning, it had all the marks of a con job. Especially the part about: "give me large sums of money, in cash, and keep it a secret." Incredible.

Over here we have a TV series, "American Greed," that features different con artists and financial crooks every week. Many of them follow the same model as the Hitler Diaries disaster. I can't believe how many well-educated, seemingly rational people keep falling for the same hoaxes. It's absolutely mind-boggling. I guess it's good to be reminded that anyone can get sucked into these things, given the right circumstances. And the right sales pitch!

[uriel1972]

3. GBH is good

I remember watching it a few years ago. Michael Palin's part is more of a sub-story. But it was very good.

I also read 'Telling Lies for Hitler' about David Irving, which points out he initially said it was a hoax, but changed his mind when the 'Diaries' supported his pet thesis.

[onager]

4. Thanks! About Irving...

I also read 'Telling Lies for Hitler' about David Irving, which points out he initially said it was a hoax, but changed his mind when the 'Diaries' supported his pet thesis.

And because they supported his bank account. In the early 80s Irving was deeply in debt with little income. He'd had an expensive divorce, and was about to be evicted from his flat. Inland Revenue was also going after him for unpaid taxes.

Then the Diaries Hoax blew up. It was in Irving's interest to keep it going as long as he could, and switching sides was a great way to do that.

Just checked, I have that book you mentioned - under its American title, "Lying About Hitler" by Richard J. Evans. I'd like to read it again after watching the mini-series. On to the "must read (again)" stack it goes!

[LeftishBrit]

5. I don't think I saw the series, but I do remember Hatton

He was a borderline-corrupt machine politician in Liverpool who rather bizarrely used hard-left ideology as his vehicle - though such things are not unknown. Got expelled from the Labour Party in the 80s. Ended up as quite a wealthy businessman and property developer, IIRC.