Warning! Contains major spoilers for Netflix’s The Gentlemen.
Netflix’s The Gentlemen has many hilarious gags and bizarre moments, but the one that stays with the viewer revolves around Adolf Hitler because the way the show presents it is both absurd and somewhat realistic. Owing to this, despite being strange and unexpected, the scene leaves one questioning whether it is based on real history. However, before The Gentlemen presents this pseudohistorical narrative, episode 4 follows Eddie and Susie, who help Max Bassington track down a blackmailing journalist in exchange for moving their business to his estate.
Although the two fulfill their side of the deal, the journalist reveals that he was blackmailing Max and not his father. Eddie’s curiosity gets the best of him, and he inquires what he was blackmailing him with. With what follows, Max takes them to his secret room and reveals his obsession with Adolf Hitler. Touting the dictator as the next Da Vinci, Max shows them his collection of Hitler’s paintings and other strange specimens.
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The Gentlemen’s Hitler Story Is Partially Based On An Urban Legend
Max proudly recalls that after an injury during the Battle of Somme, Adolf Hitler was examined by an army doctor. This revealed that his right testicle was missing. He then shows a jar of formaldehyde to Eddie and Susie, claiming that it contains Hitler’s preserved missing right testicle. According to reports, there are many contradicting claims and facts surrounding Adolf Hitler’s medical condition. While some believe that it is merely an urban legend that stems from the British military song “Hitler Has Only Got One Ball,” others are inclined more toward the medical records that suggest he had cryptorchidism.
Cryptorchidism is a condition in which one or both testes fail to descend into the scrotum. As per reports (via The Guardian), Hitler went through a medical examination in 1923, which revealed that he had “right-sided cryptorchidism.” If the reports surrounding Hitler’s condition hold true, Max’s claims and possession of the unsavory item make absolutely no sense because the dictator never lost the organ in the first place. However, there is another contradicting piece of evidence that adds some heft to Max’s assertions about his Hitler possessions.
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There Is Some Truth To The Gentlemen’s Hitler Story
Max claims Hitler lost his testicle after getting injured during the Battle of the Somme. Some historians also argue that Hitler might have lost his right testicle after injuring his groin during the Somme offensive. However, evidence (via Ian Kershaw’s Hitler: A Biography) suggests that Hitler had injured his left thigh during the battle, dismissing the possibility of him losing a testicle in that context. While the facts about Hitler’s health condition remain shrouded, The Gentlemen gets one thing right: Adolf Hitler was a painter, and his work was sold at auctions for tens of thousands of dollars.
Sources: The Guardian, Hitler: A Biography by Ian Kershaw
The Gentlemen
Based on the film of the same name, the Gentlemen is a crime drama series created for Netflix by Guy Ritchie. The series follows Eddie Horniman, who inherits his father’s estate, only to discover he has inherited a vast cannabis empire – and all of the rivals that come with it.
- Cast
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Theo James
, Kaya Scodelario
, Daniel Ings
, Joely Richardson
, Giancarlo Esposito
, Peter Serafinowicz
, Vinnie Jones - Seasons
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1
- Writers
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Guy Ritchie
- Creator(s)
-
Guy Ritchie
, Matthew Read - Where To Watch
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Netflix