Holocaust denial Critical Essay | Brian Siano

Brian Siano

SOURCE: "Dancing with the Fuhrer," in The Humanist, Vol. 53, No. 5, September-October, 1993, pp. 42-4.

In the following essay, Siano focuses on the writings of David Irving and Willis Carto, two major figures in the Holocaust denial movement.

There's a scene in the Mel Brooks movie The Producers where Gene Wilder and Zero Mostel visit a writer whose stage play could be the guaranteed flop they need to make a million dollars. (Rent the film if you need an explanation.) The writer is a deranged Nazi and his play, Springtime for Hitler, is subtitled "A Gay Romp with Adolf and Eva at Berchtesgarten." He invites Wilder and Mostel to celebrate and, while singing old German drinking songs over schnapps, says wistfully: "Not many people knew this, but the fuhrer was a terrific dancer."

"Really?" Mostel replies tentatively. "I never dreamed.."

"Zat is becauss you were taken in!" shouts the...
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