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From the Director:

Sometime in 1996, I paid a visit to the Jewish War Veterans Museum in Washington, DC where I knew the curators. I was told "hey, come over here, we've got Hitler's Hat on display." When I saw the crushed hat, and the outrageous picture of Rich clowning, my curiousity was piqued. But when Mort Horvitz told me "Rich is such a funny guy, and a magician too" I was instantly hooked. It was then and there that I knew I wanted to make a documentary about this story.
............................................................
Jeff Krulik
Director, Hitler's Hat

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July 2000
Cincinnatti, Ohio
Our team converges at the annual Rainbow Division Reunion, this year in Cincinnatti. Producer Ann Petrone and I are there first, and we take Rich to visit the remarkable Klosterman Collection of magic in Loveland, Ohio. The shoot takes place over Friday and Saturday, Producers Ann Petrone and Diane Bernard, and cameraman Robert Valette all lock ourselves in a hotel room and we interview all the guys from the I&R until we run out of tape. Rich performs close-up magic on camera like his hero Slydini but we are only able to use his "paper balls in a hat" for the final documentary.

August 2000 — July 2001
Washington,DC
Bedrock Productions becomes HQ for post-production. Ann and Diane put out the call for footage "ridiculing Hitler." The Fox Newsreel collection uncovers "Der Fuhrer's Face" newsreel by Spike Jones. I almost faint; it's exactly the kind of material we were looking for. Other images begin to fall into place, including The Stooges and volumes of material from the National Archives.

July 2001
Wichita, KS
One year later, I travel to Wichita for the next reunion, and host a private screening for the guys and their spouses. To a man, they all love it. Word travels throughout the convention and we have two more packed screenings with other veterans. Everyone seems to like it, including a Dachau survivor who was the guest speaker at the luncheon. To this day, that Rainbow crowd is the most important and significant audience for me.

October 2001
Independent Feature Film Market
New York City
Any filmmaker will find themselves here at some point in their careers. It's a necessary step, even though it frequenty yields modest results. In our case, we got on the radar screen of some important regional film festivals. Designer Jeanne Keskinen creates a fantastic postcard and poster.

But Ann, Diane and I are convinced that we need to do more editing, and we continue post production at Globe Department Store in Boston.

April 2002
Kansas City Filmmakers Jubilee
I was generously flown to this swell Kansas fest, and invited to screen Hitler's Hat. I mistakenly brought the old rough cut, and sat in horror as it unspooled. No one seemed to mind, and response was favorable.

June 2002
Dahlonega International Film Festival
Dahlonega, Georgia
I was also brought to this swell fest in the mountains outside of Atlanta, where HH was also met with favorable response and I recieved a Lifetime Achievement Award which was very kind.

June 2002
Robert Flaherty Film Seminar
Vassar College, NY
There's a short list of profound experiences in everyone's life, and this screening and weeklong trip ranks near the top. To say that the enthusiastic response and critical acclaim altered the course of this project would be an understatement. I wouldl like to quote T.S. Eliot by way of Robert McNamara by way of Errol Morris:

"We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time."


A huge thanks to Ed Halter for inviting me to be a part of this very special experience.

December 2002
Documentary Fortnight
Museum of Modern Art, NYC
Survey says: we're done. Final rough cut screening. Alex Winter's mother is in the audience and she connects me with her son to which I'm very grateful.

January 14, 2003
HITLER'S HAT WORLD PREMIERE
New York Jewish Film Festival
Lincoln Center, NYC
Long awaited debut takes place with Richard Marowitz and his son Larry in attendance. Also there are Brig. Gen. Josheph Taluto, the current commander of the 42nd Infantry Division, and Maj. Richard Goldenberg HQ, 42nd ID. At end of the screening General Taluto presented unit coins from the 42nd DIvision to all three filmmakers. Here's Major Goldenbergs account of the screening.

Eli Wallach was there as a guest of the film that played first, Sid at 90. The whole time Hitler's Hat was on screen, I kept wondering what Eli Wallach was thinking?

January 2004 and Beyond
Hitler's Hat has proven to be one of the most rewarding and challenging endeavors of my career. Clearly, I could never have done it without several individuals I'd like to greatly thank:

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Credits:

Mort Horvitz who had the insight to bring Hitler's Hat to DC and in turn, made me aware of its existence.

Robert Valette, who so generously turned on a dime at the last moment and saved me with his camerawork and professional gear.

Editors Mark Ruppert and Mark Zuckerman, long time collaborators and friends. They've always got my back.

Diane Bernard who fell in love with the story just like I did and helped resurrect it and keep it together when all seemed lost.

Ann Petronewho's special dedication, support and friendship can't be expressed in a mere sentence. She made this journey a lot more fun and interesting than I could have ever imagined.

Richard Marowitz and his own family, as well as the "guys" in the Rainbow. What more can I say? Rich continues to log countless hours sharing his WWII experiences with school and community groups in New York state (he's also featured in a new book Into the Dragon's Teeth). I can't say enough about these efforts. And I'm so glad to have played a role in keeping alive this vital part of world history.

There are many more anecdotes and details I'd like to provide, and I just may add to this page, but at the moment I'll close with the following:

During college I read Abbie Hoffman's
Revolution for the Hell of It written in 1968
and I fell in love with the following passage. I wanted very much to have the last sentence close Hitler's Hat, but ultimately, I was convinced not to. I think that was a wise decision, but I still love the sentiment so here it is.

Accept contradictions, that's what life is all about. Have a good time. Scrawled on the wall of the American pavilion at Expo '67 is our slogan in bright Day-glo: "It is the duty of all revolutionists to make love."
Do weird things. Silly-putty sabotage and monkey warfare. John Roche, who is now intellectual-in-residence fink at the White House, once said that if Hitler had been captured in 1937, brought to Trafalgar Square, and had his pants pulled down, he could have never risen to power. Every time he tried one of those spectacular speeches the people would have just laughed at him because the image of 'Mein Fuhrer' with his pants down around his ankles would have been too much.

Think about it.

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Animation for original website by Kurt Stradzins
Screening DC Jewish Community Center April 2003
(left to right) Jeff Krulik, Mort Horvitz, Major Rich
Goldenberg, Dave "Ding Dong" Bell and Rich Marowitz

I&R Unit Rainbow Division Cincinatti, Ohio 2000

Jeff Krulik interviewing Frtiz Krenkler

Hat Stomping sequence Rainbow Reunion

Hitler' Hat team: Ann Petrone and Diane
Bernard photo by Rich Marowitz at
premiere screening New York Jewish
Film Festival January 2003

Independent Feature Film Market 2001
Postcard design by JKeskinen

Jeff with Kurt Hort a gentleman who
survived the Holocaust photo taken
at the Get Real Doc Fest
Minneapolis, MN 2003

Rainbow Division unit coins awarded to
Jeff, Ann and Diane by Brig. Gen. Joseph Taluto
at NY Jewish Film Fest 2003

Tony Slydini

Brig. Gen. Joseph Taluto, the current commander of
the 42nd Infantry Division, Jeff Krulik, Maj. Richard
GoldenbergHQ, 42nd ID (Mech) at World Premiere
New York City January 2003

Meet Rich's relatives and wife, Ruth at New Haven,
JCC, Connecticut screening March 2003.

Rich shows Jeff how it's done.

Rich recreates his classic pose.

Rainbow Reunion

Rainbow Division
History

Klosterman
Collection

Spike Jones
Der Fuhrer's Face
Kansas City
Filmakers Jubilee
Errol Morris
Alex Winter

Eli Wallach

Sid at 90
Museum of American Jewish Military History
Slydini

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