Sawadee Adolf

Mel Brooks 1968 comedy THE PRODUCERS centers its plot of two crooked theater impresarios attempting to bilk investors by staging a musical called SPRINGTIME FOR HITLER: A Gay Romp with Adolf and Eva at Berchtesgaden. The play opens with a dance number complete with goose-stepping Nazis. The audience reacts with jaw-dropping shock, but to their dismay SPRINGTIME FOR HITLER is an overnight hit. The film was a big hit as was the musical. Nazis are good money-makers for Hollywood, but the Hitler franchise went a little too far, when a Thai private school was treated to a student extravaganza with a Nazi theme. Parents and teachers were caught off-guard by the Swastika parade complete with SS uniforms. Few understood the meaning of these symbols and even the teachers were ignorant of the Holocaust. Foreign diplomatic delegations besieged the Chiang Mai school to protest such an appalling spectacle. One British resident was more forgiving. 'It could have been worse. They could have been marching to the 'Horst Wessel Song." Even fewer Thais or young people worldwide could identify Horst Wessel. He was the writer of "Die Fahne hoch" or the Horst Wessel Song. An unknown assassin shot him dead. He became a martyr. His song is also forgotten, except by neo-Nazis, who have a long memory about things like old grudges. As for the Thai school children No problem, because like Thais only really love Thais. It's a tradition.