Here's what we have to work with on the controversy over whether Hitler watched the execution film of the hanging deaths by meathook of the 20 Jul 1944 conspirators von Hase, von Helldorf, Hoepner, Stieff, von Witzleben, and Yorck von Wartenburg:
(1) We know that Hitler had a strong personal interest in the trial of 7-8 Aug 1944 and the subsequent executions on 8 Aug 1944.
a. Before the trial, Hitler announced:
"This time I'm making short work of it. These criminals are not to be brought before a court-martial, where their accomplices are sitting and where the trials are dragged out interminably. They're going to be expelled from the armed forces and face the People's Court. And they're not going to receive the honorable bullet, but are to hang like common traitors! We'll have a court of honor expel them from the service; then they can be tried as civilians and they won't be soiling the prestige of the services. They must be tried at lightning speed, not be given a chance to make any grand speeches. And within two hours after the announcement of the verdict it has to be carried out! They must hang at once without the slightest mercy. And the most important thing is that they're given no time for any long speeches. But Freisler will take care of things all right. He is our Vyshinsky." (Joachim Fest, Hitler, Verlag Ullstein, Berlin: 1973, trans. 1974, p. 711, citing to W. Scheidt, Gespraeche mit Hitler, quoted in Zeller, Eberhard, Geist der Freiheit, Hermann Rinn Verlag, Munich: 1954, p. 538, and ed. Heiber, Helmut, Hitlers Lagebesprechungen, Stuttgart: 1962, p. 588.)
b. Hitler personally specified the manner of execution -- that the defendants were to be hanged on meathooks:
"I want them to be hanged, strung up like butchered cattle." (W. Scheidt, Gespraeche mit Hitler, quoted in D. Ehlers, Technik und Moral einer Verschwoerung, Kassel, Bonn: 1964, p. 113; see also Zeller, Eberhard, Geist der Freiheit, Hermann Rinn Verlag, Munich: 1954, p. 461)
c. Hitler personally specified that the condemned were not to receive religious services nor consolations of any sort. (D. Ehlers, Technik und Moral einer Verschwoerung, Kassel, Bonn: 1964, p. 113; Zeller, Eberhard, Geist der Freiheit, Hermann Rinn Verlag, Munich: 1954, p. 461)
d. Hitler personally specified that Wolf Graf von Helldorf was to be executed last, and was to be forced to watch the executions of the others before he himself was hanged. (David Irving, Hitler's War p. 712-13, no specification of source).
e. Hitler personally spoke with the executioner to pass on these instructions. (Ploetzensee prison warden, quoted in ed. Erich Zimmermann and Hans-Adolf Jacobsen, Germans Against Hitler: 20 July 1944, Berto-Verlag, Bonn: 1960, p. 190; see also Zeller, Eberhard, Geist der Freiheit, Hermann Rinn Verlag, Munich: 1954, p. 461).
(2) We know that the executions were filmed, and that the warden and cameramen were told it was on Hitler's orders.
a. The Reich cultural administrator and director of the film department in the Reich Ministry of Propaganda and Public Enlightenment, Hans Hinkel, admitted in a wartime letter that he supervised the filming of the executions. (Reuth, Ralf Georg, Goebbels, Harcourt, Brace & Co., New York: 1993, p. 334, citing to letter from Hinkel to undersecretary (Staatssekretaer) Naumann dated 31 Aug 1944 at BAK R 55/664)
b. A warden at Ploetzensee prison witnessed the executions and described them as follows, in the quote provided by walterkaschner:
"The hangman wore a permanent leer, and made jokes unceasingly. The camera worked uninterruptedly, for Hitler wanted to see and hear how his enemies had died. He was able to watch the proceedings that same evening in the Reich Chancellery. That was his own idea. He had the executioner come to him, and had personally arranged the details of the procedure. 'I want them to be hanged, hung up like carcasses of meat." Those were his words." (ed. Erich Zimmermann and Hans-Adolf Jacobsen, Germans Against Hitler: 20 July 1944, Berto-Verlag, Bonn: 1960, p. 190).
As walterkaschner has already mentioned, the two cameramen Stoll and Sasse also gave accounts of the filming of the execution.
(3) The film was developed and delivered to Hitler's HQ (Wolfsschanze) the same day of the executions -- 8/9 Aug 1944 [Frentz, previously mentioned by walterkaschner; and Ploetzensee prison warden, quoted in ed. Erich Zimmermann and Hans-Adolf Jacobsen, Germans Against Hitler: 20 July 1944, Berto-Verlag, Bonn: 1960, p. 190), suggesting that someone was in a rush to see it.
(4) We know the film was then shown at Hitler's HQ.
a. to various persons (Speer, Inside the Third Reich, Avon Books, New York: 1971, p. 504)
b. to Goebbels, who covered his eyes to keep from fainting (von Oven, Wilfred, Mit Goebbels bis zum Ende, Buenos Aires: 1949, vol. II, p. 118)
c. to Fegelein only (von Below and Frentz, cited to by walterkaschner).
(5) Finally, we know that photographs of the execution were on Hitler's table (Speer, Inside the Third Reich, Avon Books, New York: 1971, p. 504)
Against these facts, we have quotes from two persons -- Speer and von Below -- who did not think that Hitler would want to have seen the executions. Neither of these quotations give any hint as to whether the speakers were aware of the detailed instructions Hitler had given regarding the trial and executions, or his orders to have the film processed and rushed to the Wolfsschanze the same day the executions took place. Neither quote says Hitler refused to look at the film, and neither quote explains what the execution pictures were doing on Hitler's table.
I think the inference is pretty clear that Hitler did, in fact, watch the execution film, and I agree with walterkaschner that such an act was well within Hitler's character. Furthermore, the claim that Hitler wasn't (or wouldn't be) interested in such a thing is in direct conflict with all of the other evidence.
Under these circumstances, it seems more likely that the claim Hitler didn't watch the film is the real nonsense in this controversy.