To Be Or Not To Be
As nervy as it is hilarious, this screwball masterpiece from Ernst Lubitsch stars Jack Benny and, in her final screen appearance, Carole Lombard as husband-and-wife thespians in Nazi-occupied Warsaw who become caught up in a dangerous spy plot.
TO BE OR NOT TO BE is a Hollywood film of the boldest black humor, which went into production soon after the U.S. entered World War II. Lubitsch manages to brilliantly balance political satire, romance, slapstick, and urgent wartime suspense in a comic high-wire act that has never been equaled.
Running Time
100 mins
Year
1942
Kanopy ID
1113143
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Comments (1)
I watched Jack Benny in his TV comedy show in the 1950s. I couldn't imagine this being the same actor. He was much more subdued and I got the sense almost uncomfortable in this role at times. The sincerity of his performance when he got outraged when the patron left during his Hamlet ...Read more
I watched Jack Benny in his TV comedy show in the 1950s. I couldn't imagine this being the same actor. He was much more subdued and I got the sense almost uncomfortable in this role at times. The sincerity of his performance when he got outraged when the patron left during his Hamlet soliloquy and his questions about "you must know the great polish actor Tura?" was the Benny I remember. Very subtle and underplayed. The production of this movie for the time was fabulous. The hundreds of extras in German uniforms marching into Warsaw and then in the movie theater was amazing. An interesting piece to watch. Great Saturday night flick ...
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