The movie was released in 1957 and was directed by and starred legendary comic actor Charlie Chaplin. It was the first film he made after being banned from the United States for his political views and his supposed sympathy for communism.
In the film, the exiled King Shahdov (played by Chaplin) is stranded in New York City and cannot access his frozen assets back home. To make ends meet, he decides to appear on television to make some money. The advertisements he makes are for illusory products such as a nonsensical breakfast food with a catchy jingle - “Peace in plenty, and good digestion!”
During one of his commercial shoots, Shahdov meets a boy named Rupert Macabee, the son of communist parents who have been blacklisted and unable to find work. Shahdov takes the boy under his wing and eventually becomes embroiled in a political scandal. This is when he is accused of being a communist and is called to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee, led by Senator Joseph McCarthy.
The film is a biting satire of the anti-communist hysteria of the time and Chaplin’s own experiences with McCarthyism. It is also a critique of the superficiality of American consumer culture and marketing. Although the film was not a commercial success, it has since been recognized as a prescient commentary on the dangers of political censorship and fear-mongering.