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IMDbPro

To Be or Not to Be

  • 1983
  • Tous publics
  • 1h 47m
IMDb RATING
6.9/10
13K
YOUR RATING
Mel Brooks and Anne Bancroft in To Be or Not to Be (1983)
Official Trailer
Play trailer3:22
1 Video
33 Photos
FarceParodyPeriod DramaSatireComedyDramaWar

At the onset of WW2, a Polish actor's family and the Polish Resistance help the troupe of a theatre escape Poland and the invading Nazis.At the onset of WW2, a Polish actor's family and the Polish Resistance help the troupe of a theatre escape Poland and the invading Nazis.At the onset of WW2, a Polish actor's family and the Polish Resistance help the troupe of a theatre escape Poland and the invading Nazis.

  • Director
    • Alan Johnson
  • Writers
    • Thomas Meehan
    • Ronny Graham
    • Edwin Justus Mayer
  • Stars
    • Mel Brooks
    • Anne Bancroft
    • Ronny Graham
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.9/10
    13K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Alan Johnson
    • Writers
      • Thomas Meehan
      • Ronny Graham
      • Edwin Justus Mayer
    • Stars
      • Mel Brooks
      • Anne Bancroft
      • Ronny Graham
    • 50User reviews
    • 37Critic reviews
    • 61Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 1 Oscar
      • 6 nominations total

    Videos1

    To Be or Not to Be
    Trailer 3:22
    To Be or Not to Be

    Photos33

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    Top cast83

    Edit
    Mel Brooks
    Mel Brooks
    • Dr. Frederick Bronski
    Anne Bancroft
    Anne Bancroft
    • Anna Bronski
    Ronny Graham
    Ronny Graham
    • Sondheim
    Estelle Reiner
    Estelle Reiner
    • Gruba
    Zale Kessler
    • Bieler
    Jack Riley
    Jack Riley
    • Dobish
    Lewis J. Stadlen
    Lewis J. Stadlen
    • Lupinsky
    George Gaynes
    George Gaynes
    • Ravitch
    George Wyner
    George Wyner
    • Ratkowski
    James 'Gypsy' Haake
    • Sasha
    • (as James Haake)
    Scamp
    • Mutki
    Christopher Lloyd
    Christopher Lloyd
    • Capt. Schultz
    José Ferrer
    José Ferrer
    • Prof. Siletski
    • (as Jose Ferrer)
    Charles Durning
    Charles Durning
    • Col. Erhardt
    Tim Matheson
    Tim Matheson
    • Lt. Andre Sobinski
    Earl Boen
    Earl Boen
    • Dr. Boyarski
    Ivor Barry
    Ivor Barry
    • General Hobbs
    William Glover
    William Glover
    • Major Cunningham
    • Director
      • Alan Johnson
    • Writers
      • Thomas Meehan
      • Ronny Graham
      • Edwin Justus Mayer
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews50

    6.912.5K
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    Featured reviews

    8HotToastyRag

    Very similar to the original

    If I heard about a remake of To Be or Not to Be and didn't know the cast, I'd probably shrug it off and stick with the original. One of the reasons I loved the 1942 version is because it was made during wartime and had an extra sense of fear in every scene, since no one knew how the war would turn out. A remake in the 1980s wouldn't have that same effect, no matter how good it was. But, since I knew the cast, I decided to rent it. Who doesn't want to see Mel Brooks and Anne Bancroft together?

    The remake is extremely similar to the original, so if you did love the 1942 film, you'll still love this one. Just in case you don't know the plot, I won't spoil it for you here. It follows a theater troupe in Poland during WWII, and how they get involved in the fight "backstage". Just as in the original, the comic timing in the remake is impeccable, and you'll see some familiar faces joining the cast. Charles Durning plays Erhardt, Christopher Lloyd plays Schultz, and José Ferrer plays Siletski. If you don't know who those characters are, then you obviously haven't seen either version of this story. It's time you started! Pick whichever cast appeals to you and get ready to split your sides laughing.
    9kb2uoe

    Homage to Jack Benny

    Actually, when interviewed about this movie, Mel Brooks said it was an homage to Jack Benny. And if you look, the Bronskis live on Kubelsky Street, Benny Kubelsky is Jack Benny's real name. There are many other touches that also show Brooks' love for the original. Anne Bancroft is a true treat. Her comedic talents shine, she was truly a rare actress, and will be missed.

    It was well done, with Mel Brooksian flair, and respectful of the original. I won't add comments about the acting, there are so many pros and cons at this point, one more won't make a difference. But if you have some free time, see BOTH of the movies. It's not sacrilege to like them both.
    10Captain Ken

    Outstanding War Film that Is Not Anti-Polish

    What a refreshing film about World War II that shows the truth about Poles who fought against the Nazi rule. Brooks and his wife shine in this comedy in Warsaw as they protect Jews and gays in those grim days. What great acting. What a classic film. !!!! It should be in the top 250. Mel Brooks has the magic touch
    10Mister-6

    Definitely meant "to Be"...

    I haven't seen the Ernst Lubitsch original of this gem but if I had, I might have been prejudiced in my decision of this being one of the finer films that Mel Brooks has been in.

    Though not written by or directed by Mel, he and wife Anne Bancroft take center stage as Frederick and Anna Bronski, Poland's most famous acting family. When the Nazi war machine overtakes Warsaw, they and their acting troupe use every actor's trick in the book to escape and make their way to England.

    All this, of course, while Anna becomes smitten with an American pilot (Matheson) who helps them both to freedom. In the meantime, there are threats from a devious doctor (Ferrer), a lecherous Nazi colonel (Durning) and a command for the troupe to perform for the Nazi Army with Hitler in the audience.

    There are so many classic moments here that to list them would be a dis-service to the movie. Let me just say that I enjoyed this whole film from opening to closing and even the closing had some doozies.

    The Nazis are seen as complete buffoons and the exchanges between Durning and his head officer (Lloyd) are classic. In fact, I can see why Durning was nominated for an Oscar for his role here; not just anyone could have pulled it off as well as he.

    Everyone here has a good scene or two, including Mel's regulars (Graham, Wyner, Riley) and the dialogue even manages to get the proper sentiment and tension out of the proper scenes. A great effort by all involved.

    Purists of the Jack Benny original may disagree, but this "To Be or Not to Be" is the "to Be" for me!

    Ten stars. Mazeltov!
    8bkoganbing

    The Lubitsch Touch Or The Brooks Touch

    Rather than a satire of a film classic like Frankenstein or a genre of films like the western was done in Blazing Saddles, Mel Brooks chose for the one and only time to do a remake of an already very funny film with the classic To Be Or Not To Be. 40 years later the Brooks remake has lost none of the laughs from the original, in fact Brooks could now talk about things unmentionable when Hollywood was under the Code.

    The 1942 original film that starred Jack Benny, Carole Lombard, and Robert Stack in the roles that Mel Brooks, Anne Bancroft, and Tim Matheson play here, was a sophisticated comedy that was not well received when first out, many thought the Nazis were no subject to joke about during wartime. Over time it gained acceptance as yet another of the masterpieces that Ernest Lubitsch did over his career. It may have been Jack Benny's best big screen performance. It was also Carole Lombard's farewell performance.

    Benny's comedy was droll, Brooks's humor hits you with a sledgehammer. Still the different approach works out in this remake. Anne Bancroft is more than a good substitute for Carole Lombard, in fact she's as funny in this as Lombard ever was on the screen.

    Many years ago one of my supervisors knew Mel Brooks and Anne Bancroft and he told us at work that her image as a great dramatic actress, whose two career roles are in The Graduate and The Miracle Worker was a total fabrication. Mel Brooks he said was as zany a man in private as he was in film. But he also said that Bancroft was even zanier than he was and had few times to display that in public. In that sense the two were a perfectly matched couple. My supervisor said he lived in the same building as they did in Greenwich Village and got to know both of them.

    Mel Brooks got to show the effect of the Holocaust to come on gays in one of the first films to acknowledge that publicly. One of the touching performances in the supporting cast is by James Haake as Sascha the dresser for Bancroft who gets a one way ticket to a concentration camp, but the trip gets put on hold permanently by his friends in the theater. Charles Durning also does well as Gestapo head in Warsaw who gets constantly bamboozled almost like World War II era film Nazis by Brooks's ingenuity and his theater troupe who give the best performances of their lives. And we can't forget Jose Ferrer adding yet another ethnic group to his repertoire as the Polish traitor Siletsky.

    If you're not a fan of Mel Brooks you will become one after you see any of his films. And this review is dedicated to the late Robert Peregoff, one of my supervisors at work who provided me the insights I got into the Brooks-Bancroft screen and life partnership.

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Mel Brooks has said this is his favorite of his Brooksfilms movies.
    • Goofs
      In the Naughty Nazis song, "A Little Piece...", they mention Pakistan as one of the countries. Pakistan was not created until 1947.
    • Quotes

      Frederick Bronski: Let's face it, sweetheart: without jews, fags and gypsies there is no theatre.

    • Crazy credits
      The opening and closing credits show a picture of Bancroft and Brooks drawn side by side in overlapping profile, this is clearly an homage to the similar drawing of Benny and Lombard in the opening and closing credits of the 1942 version.
    • Connections
      Featured in An Audience with Mel Brooks (1983)
    • Soundtracks
      Ladies
      Music & Lyrics by Mel Brooks and Ronny Graham

      Performed by Mel Brooks (uncredited)

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    FAQ21

    • How long is To Be or Not to Be?Powered by Alexa
    • What year does the story take place?
    • Were gay folks like Sascha really rounded up and sent to Nazi concentration camps?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • February 1, 1984 (France)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • Polish
    • Also known as
      • Soy o no soy
    • Filming locations
      • Mayfield Senior School - 500 Bellefontaine Street, Pasadena, California, USA(Hotel Europa; Polish Officers Club)
    • Production companies
      • Brooksfilms
      • Twentieth Century Fox
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $9,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $13,030,214
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $1,020,958
      • Dec 18, 1983
    • Gross worldwide
      • $13,030,214
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 47m(107 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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