The 1940s: The Birth of Modern Satire

The 1950s

"A day without laughter is a day wasted."

History plays a major role in the relevance of satirical comedy for obvious reasons. Modern satire finds its birth in the 1940s due to the major political upsets of the time, such as World War II and the Great Depression. Charlie Chaplin is the quintessential 1940s comedic actor and the first notable actor to perform in a satire, making the first notable satire The Great Dictator. To make the film even more historic, it was Charlie Chaplin's first non-silent film.