To Be or Not to Be (1983)

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 (screenplay), Ronny Graham (screenplay)

Stars:

Mel Brooks, Anne Bancroft, Ronny Graham

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ronny Graham	...	Sondheim
Estelle Reiner	...	Gruba
Zale Kessler	...	Bieler
Jack Riley	...	Dobish
Lewis J. Stadlen	...	Lupinsky
George Gaynes	...	Ravitch
George Wyner	...	Ratkowski
James 'Gypsy' Haake	...	Sasha (as James Haake)
Scamp	...	Mutki
Christopher Lloyd	...	Capt. Schultz
José Ferrer	...	Prof. Siletski (as Jose Ferrer)
Charles Durning	...	Col. Erhardt
Tim Matheson	...	Lt. Andre Sobinski
Mel Brooks	...	Dr. Frederick Bronski
Anne Bancroft	...	Anna Bronski

Storyline

A bad Polish actor is just trying to make a living when what should intrude but World War II in the form of an invasion. His wife has the habit of entertaining young Polish officers while he's on stage which is also a source of depression to him. When one of her officers comes back on a Secret Mission, the actor takes charge and comes up with a plan for them to escape.

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Plot Keywords:

neo screwball comedy | curtain call | six word title | gay | repetition in title | 

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Taglines:

That is the movie!

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Polish

Release Date:

16 December 1983 (USA)

Also Known As:

Soy o no soy

Filming Locations:

Mayfield Senior School - 500 Bellefontaine Street, Pasadena, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$9,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$1,020,958, 18 December 1983

Gross USA:

$13,030,214

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$13,030,214

Company Credits

Production Co:

Brooksfilms, Twentieth Century Fox

Technical Specs

Runtime:

107 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Directorial debut of Alan Johnson, who was best known for working as a choreographer, including on several of Mel Brooks's films, starting with the infamous 'Springrime for Hitler' number in The Producers (1967).

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Goofs

When Mel Brooks character's car is being pulled by the horse you can see a line of some sort that is being used either to pull the horse forward or to help the horse pull the car.

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Quotes

Frederick Bronski: [disguised as Prof. Siletski] Remember, Erhardt, I'm going to see the Fuhrer tonight. Who knows *what* we'll talk about!

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Crazy Credits

At the end of the movie, each cast member comes and takes a bow, as they would for a stage play, while their names are on the screen.

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Connections

Referenced in What's Up Doc?: Episode #1.30 (1993)

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Soundtracks

Ladies
Music & Lyrics by Mel Brooks and Ronny Graham
Performed by Mel Brooks (uncredited)

User Reviews

a maligned minor classic

This remake of Ernst Lubitsch's wartime comedy has often been dismissed as a ham-fisted and unnecessary vanity exercise. This is grossly unfair, as the Brooks' version is in fact a deft and funny comedy that stands up well in comparison to its forebear. Mel Brooks and Anne Bancroft make their own the roles of the Bronskis, a Warsaw theatrical duo ("world famous in Poland")who star in revues at the Bronski theatre. When war breaks out the Bronskis become brood-hens to an ever-growing community of Jewish refugees while staying one step ahead of the Nazis. Brooks and Bancroft are fine in the roles of the battling Bronskis, particularly Mel Brooks who finds a touching level of vulnerability beneath the bombast and bluster of Frederick Bronski. Despite the farcical and improbable plot twists, the narrative is sound and genuine pathos registers throughout the film. Those with fond memories of Jack Benny and Carole Lombard in the lead roles may have boycotted this on first release, but they have denied themselves a rare treat - a sure-footed and genuinely entertaining film.