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To Be or Not to Be (1983)

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Average Rating: 6.1/10
Reviews Counted: 16
Fresh: 10 | Rotten: 6

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Average Rating: N/A
Critic Reviews: 4
Fresh: 2 | Rotten: 2

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Average Rating: 3.6/5
User Ratings: 2,713

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Movie Info

Mel Brooks and his real-life wife Anne Bancroft play Frederick and Anna Bronski, musical comedy stars in 1939 Poland. The highlight of the Bronskis' act is Frederick's imitation of Adolf Hitler, but he is forced to eliminate this turn for fear of offending the Nazis. Meanwhile, Anna enters into a harmless flirtation with Polish bomber pilot Andre Sobinski (Tim Matheson). The pilot's nightly signal to visit Anna in her dressing room is "To Be or Not to Be," spoken by Bronski during the

PG, 1 hr. 48 min.

Drama, Comedy

Directed By: Alan Johnson

In Theaters: Dec 16, 1983 Wide

On DVD: Jan 25, 2005

Cast

Mel Brooks
Frederick Bronski
Anne Bancroft
Anna Bronski
Charles Durning
Col. Erhardt
Tim Matheson
Lt. Andre Sobinski
Jos� Ferrer
Prof. Siletski
Christopher Lloyd
Capt. Schultz
George Gaynes
Ravitch
George Wyner
Ratkowski
Jack Riley
Dobish
Lewis J. Stadlen
Lupinski
RONNY GRAHAM
Sondheim
Ivor Barry
Gen. Hobbs
Scott Beach
Narrator
Earl Boen
Dr. Boyarski
Henry Brandon
Nazi Officer
Max Brooks
Her Son
George Caldwell
Gestapo Guard
Paddi Edwards
Pub Waitress
John Francis
British Intelligence Ai...
James Haake and Scamp
Sasha and Mutki
Henry Kaiser
Gestapo Officer
Zale Kessler
Bieler
Ron Kuhlman
Polish Flier
Curt Lowens
Airport Officer
Eda Reiss Merin
Frightened Jewish Woman
Wolf Muser
Desk Sergeant
John Otrin
Polish Flier
Estelle Reiner
Gruba
Tucker Smith
Klotskis Klown
Ron Diamond
Pub Bartender
Spencer Henderson
Klotskis Klown
Terence Marsh
Startled British Office...
Leeyan Granger
Lady
Phil Adams
Airport Sentry
Ian Bruce
Klotskis Klown
William Glover
Maj. Cunningham
Blane Savage
Polish Flier
Robin Haynes
John McKinney
Elite Guard Officer
Raymond Skipp
RAF Flight Sergeant
James 'Gypsy' Haake

Critic Reviews for To Be or Not to Be

All Critics (16) | Top Critics (4) | Fresh (10) | Rotten (6) | DVD (6)

Bancroft's sustained delights are not matched by Brooks, who seems to be trying too hard.

March 26, 2009 Full Review Source: Variety

| Comment

Variety Staff

Variety

Top Critic

Brooks combines a backstage musical with a wartime romance and comes up with an eclectic comedy that races off into several directions, usually successfully.

October 23, 2004 Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times

| Comment

Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

Top Critic

Ssmashingly funny.

August 30, 2004 Full Review Source: New York Times

| Comment

Vincent Canby

New York Times

Top Critic

I can't remember another film that took so little care with the details of ambience: the cruddy sets and flat, underworked sound track drain any sense of life from the project.

February 1, 2004 Full Review Source: Chicago Reader

| Comment

Dave Kehr

Chicago Reader

Top Critic

The plot is much the same as in the Ernst Lubitsch original, with everything played for laughs and Brooks at his funniest in impersonations of Nazis. What's missing is the relevance of the 1942 film, released while Germany occupied Poland.

May 23, 2011 Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide

| Comment

TV Guide's Movie Guide

Johnson may not quite have Lubitsch's lightness of touch, but he puts an excellent cast through their paces with great verve, and the charm is as potent as ever.

June 24, 2006 Full Review Source: Time Out

| Comment

Time Out

A very well-executed farce, and Brooks' most underrated movie.

October 9, 2005 Full Review Source: FulvueDrive-in.com

| Comment

Chuck O'Leary

FulvueDrive-in.com

Superfluous remake of the Lubitsch classic is OK on its own merits, but no more.

May 26, 2004 Comment

Ken Hanke

Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

Kind of a dud.

May 20, 2004 Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com

| Comment

Christopher Null

Filmcritic.com

This movie has its moments; but it is not as funny as the Jack Benny original; Brooks for all his wit, is no Ernst Lubitsch.

May 1, 2004 Comment

Bob Bloom

Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN)

Brooks and his comedic cohorts bring their brand of high-strung mockery to Alan Johnson's flavorable farce...relentlessly riotous!

May 30, 2003 Comment

Frank Ochieng

TheWorldJournal.com

More Critic Reviews

Audience Reviews for To Be or Not to Be

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Excellent and long forgotten spoof from funny man Brooks, his version of a classic satire. Some excellent casting with his regular bunch of misfits and character actors...Chris Lloyd, Charles Durning, George Wyner, George Gaynes etc..Its quite a touching little plot too, but ultimately very funny and quite witty,

October 15, 2008

Phil Hubbard

Super Reviewer

The Nazis march into Poland and that spells big trouble for the greatest musical comedy star there (and his wife) --- the premise itself is a joke in this mostly-for-the-fun-of-it remake. Its not the original, true, but its fun watching the cast have fun funning the idea of a master race, all who are portrayed as

September 2, 2011

moon rivers

Super Reviewer

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