

In Germany Adolf Hitler in the early 1920s his appearance was so defined by the style that it had become unfashionable by the end of World War II. Martin, the 11th governor of Washington state (1933–1941), donned a toothbrush during his tenure. notched) moustache limited to the width of the nose.Ĭlarence D. American film producer Walt Disney is sometimes claimed to have worn the style (1920s–1930s), but his facial hair was a more traditional (i.e. Although Groucho Marx donned a larger moustache, novelty Groucho glasses (marketed as early as the 1940s) often elicit the toothbrush. Comedian Oliver Hardy also adopted the moustache style-using it at least as early as the 1921 film The Lucky Dog. Prominent American animation producer Max Fleischer wore a toothbrush moustache c.

Chaplin took advantage of the noted similarity between his onscreen appearance and that of Hitler in his 1940 film The Great Dictator, where he wore the moustache in a dual role, one of which parodied Hitler. Nazi leader Adolf Hitler was a fan of Chaplin films, but according to cultural historian Ron Rosenbaum, "there is no evidence (though some speculation) that Hitler modeled his 'stache on ". Chaplin said he chose the toothbrush style because it had a comical appearance and was small enough not to hide his expression.
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After wearing a full moustache for his 1914 film debut ( Making a Living for Keystone Studios), he sported a prop toothbrush moustache for his next film, Kid Auto Races at Venice (1914)-the debut of his Tramp character. Įnglish comic actor Charlie Chaplin was one of the most famous wearers of the toothbrush style. It was a neat, uniform, low-maintenance style that echoed the standardization and uniformity brought on by industrialization, in contrast to the more flamboyant moustaches typical of the 19th century such as the imperial, walrus, handlebar, horseshoe, and pencil moustaches.

The toothbrush originally became popular in the late 19th century, in the United States. It has also appeared in works of popular culture including motion pictures, as well as political imagery-usually explicitly eliciting the association with Hitler.ġ9th century to World War II In the United States The style became unfashionable after World War II due to its strong association with Nazi leader Adolf Hitler, leading to its sometimes being called the ' Hitler moustache '.Īfter World War II, the style was worn by some notable individuals, including several Israeli politicians and American real-estate developer Fred Trump. It was made famous by comedians such as Charlie Chaplin and Oliver Hardy before reaching its height of popularity in the interwar years. First becoming popular in the United States in the late 19th century, the style spread to Germany and elsewhere. The toothbrush moustache is a style of moustache in which the sides are vertical (or nearly vertical) rather than tapered, visually resembling the bristles on a toothbrush. Charlie Chaplin (pictured in 1921 as The Tramp) thought the moustache gave him a comical appearance.
