The Great Dictator opened on October 15, 1940

The Great Dictator opened in NYC on October 15, 1940

The Great Dictator is a 1940 American political satire comedy-drama film written, directed, produced, scored by, and starring British comedian Charlie Chaplin. Chaplin made this his first true sound film.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_Dictator

https://www.americanrhetoric.com/MovieSpeeches/moviespeechthegreatdictator.html

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/great_dictator

https://www.vulture.com/2014/12/charlie-chaplin-great-dictator-history.html

https://theconversation.com/for-a-primer-on-how-to-make-fun-of-nazis-look-to-charlie-chaplin-82574

https://www.loc.gov/static/programs/national-film-preservation-board/documents/great_dictator.pdf?

Charlie Chaplin's call for peace in the final speech of The Great Dictator is regrettably still relevant today:

https://www.irishcentral.com/culture/charlie-chaplin-the-great-dictator

My comment: It could be that the sign of the double cross was referring to the promise made by the Dictator to have peace and prosperity in his Nation, while the citizens actually got war and oppression.

Added comment: i can't find the URL, but Hollywood delayed the movie one year from the original 1939 release date due to them wanting to avoid embarrassing or upsetting the Germans. After all, the movie makes fun of Fascism, especially the Fuhrer - see the scene where the leader plays with a model of the world - until the big balloon pops in his face.

Added comment: Charlie Chapin was later "deported" to England for being anti fascist - but also sympathetic to Russia.

https://thewire.in/external-affairs/charlie-chaplin-communism