Instead of a fluff piece, this particular movie has incredible. Mel brooks to be or not to be is entertaining, but the best version is ernst lubitsch s 1942 film with jack benny and carole lombard. Even in german, a great laugh the mel brooks remake in 1983 was also good but this is better. To be or not to be, an antinazi comedy for which lubitsch had the very original story idea, was to be his next independent project, but the poor box office of that uncertain feeling led to the company being dissolved. To be or not to be 1942 ernst lubitsch watch online. The screenplay was written by ronny graham and thomas meehan, based on the original story by melchior lengyel, ernst lubitsch and edwin justus mayer. Yearning to watch to be or not to be on your tv or mobile device at home. Movies were still relatively new back then and audiences were unaccustomed to them sorting through the political rubble of peoples lives, especially in ways that fashioned comedy out of seemingly unfathomable. The anarchist film archive presents to be or not to be 1942 ernst lubitsch, watch online now. Eventually, they turn to impersonating nazi officers and even hitler himself in order to outwit the enemy and keep the resistance safe from spies. May 23, 2018 ernst lubitschs long unavailable rosita is a gorgeous valentine to the movie industry, now newly restored by the museum of modern art. To be or not to be 1942 is berlin germanyborn director ernst lubitsch s sophisticated screwball masterpiece, with satirical comedy, romance, and suspense.
Rent to be or not to be 1942 on dvd and bluray dvd. Like ninotchka, lubitschs comedy was developed from an idea by melchior lengyel. Jack benny and ernst lubitsch share a laugh on the set of to be or not to be lubitsch himself was born to a jewish family in berlin. The plot concerns a troupe of actors in nazi occupied warsaw who use their abilities at disguise and acting to fool the occupying troops. Watch to be or not to be 1942 full movies online gogomovies.
To be or not to be 1942 cast and crew acting couple joseph jack benny and maria tura carole lombard are managing a theatrical troupe when the nazis invade poland. His urbane comedies of manners gave him the reputation of being hollywoods most elegant and sophisticated director. Billy wilder talks about the approach of director ernst lubitsch, which became widely known as the lubitsch touch at the afi harold lloyd master seminar in 1976. To be or not to be 1942 is berlin germanyborn director ernst lubitschs sophisticated screwball masterpiece, with satirical comedy, romance, and suspense. Richard brody on ernst lubitschs to be or not to be 1942.
As mild as the hollywood response to the third reich may have been in the days and years before the second world war, two movies. Brooks and bancroft go in the opposite direction, cheerfully allowing farce, slapstick, pratfalls and puns. January 29, 1892 november 30, 1947 was a germanborn film director, producer, writer, and actor. The screenplay was written by ronny graham and thomas meehan, based on the original story by melchior lengyel, ernst lubitsch and. Yet, tellingly, to be or not to be must be roundabout in making that claim, so much so that it would be wrong to even call it a claim. Soon, however, illness began plaguing lubitsch, and the shoots for both 1945s royal scandal and 1946s cluny brown were both hampered by his health problems. He left germany in the early 1920s for hollywood, and found great success crafting a personal brand with a number of hit screwball comedies and musicals. Ernst lubitsch s to be or not to be is a black comedy about a polish theater companyled by joseph and maria tura jack benny and carole lombardthat turns to espionage after being shut down by. In occupied poland during wwii, a troupe of ham stage actors led by joseph tura and his wife maria match wits with the nazis. Aug 27, 20 richard brody on ernst lubitsch s to be or not to be 1942.
To be or not to be is a hollywood film of the boldest black humor, which went into production right before the u. But with the great cast assembled here charles durning is particularly great in his role, its certainly worth a look. Just as shakespeare gave hamlets contemplation of suicide a political context, lubitsch similarly offers the actors in his film an existential challenge. What he shows us is an illusion, but an illusion created from a refined consciousness of what the world is, with the aim of creating delight. Finding a streaming service to buy, rent, download, or watch the ernst lubitschdirected movie via subscription can be. Ernst lubitschs to be or not to be, starring jack benny and carole lombard, is a topnotch world war 2 satire taking place during the holocaust. To be or not to be 1942 ernst lubitsch cast and crew. I love ernst lubitschs classic the shop around the corner, and thought id give this picture a try. With mel brooks, anne bancroft, ronny graham, estelle reiner. Frustrated by their inability to act shortly before the nazis invade warsaw, their antihitler play. I cant say for sure, since i have not seen all comedies. Lubitschs stars were jack benny and carole lombard, both specialists in underplaying.
Ernst lubitschs long unavailable rosita is a gorgeous valentine to the movie industry, now newly restored by the museum of modern art. A masterpiece of satire and one of the more controversial films of its day, to be or not to be is a brilliant example of how comedy can be as effective in raising social and political awareness as a serious propaganda film, while still providing hilarious entertainment. Watch to be or not to be 1942 full movie free online. This ernst lubitsch movie from 1942 must be one of the best comedies ever made period. Ernst lubitsch, born january 29, 1892, berlin, germanydied november 30, 1947, hollywood, california, u. The title of the movie is based on the to be or not to be. As mild as the hollywood response to the third reich may have been in the days and. The films comedic skewering of nazis was particularly controversial at a time when the war was ongoing. While filming 1948s that lady in ermine, lubitsch suffered a heart attack and died on november 30, 1947. The controversial antiwar comedy about espionage and politics from producer alexander korda marked by incisive black humor was a bold. Lubitsch was an anomaly as an active director who also served as the head of production at a major studio, as he did briefly at paramount. Mel brooks to be or not to be is entertaining, but the best version is ernst lubitschs 1942 film with jack benny and carole lombard. Saw it yesterday on the big screen in original 35 mm projection, and somehow it felt like i was seeing the movie for the first time.
Find movie and film cast and crew information for to be or not to be 1942 ernst lubitsch on allmovie. Ernst lubitsch s to be or not to be, starring jack benny and carole lombard, is a topnotch world war 2 satire taking place during the holocaust. It was adapted by lubitsch uncredited and edwin justus. Lo scoiattolo di ernst lubitsch 1921 full movie by ermitage. A movie lampooning adolf hitler may have been acceptable a few years prior see, for example, charlie chaplins the great dictator 1940, though even then chaplin began to regret his. The plot concerns a troupe of actors in nazioccupied warsaw who use their abilities at disguise and acting to fool the occupying troops. In to be or not to be, he achieved this even in the face of the darkest of shadows. To be or not to be is a 1942 american black comedy film directed by ernst lubitsch and starring carole lombard, jack benny, robert stack, felix bressart, lionel atwill, stanley ridges and sig ruman. The title is a reference to the famous to be, or not to be soliloquy in william shakespeares hamlet. To be or not to be is a 1942 american black comedy film directed by ernst lubitsch and starring carole lombard, jack benny, robert stack, felix bressart. His movies included the smiling lieutenant 1931, one hour with you 1932, trouble in paradise 1932, design for living 1933, and the shop around the corner 1940. Lubitsch s stars were jack benny and carole lombard, both specialists in underplaying. During the nazi occupation of poland, an acting troupe becomes. The film was adapted from a story by melchior lengyel and was produced and directed by ernst lubitsch.
Its scenes are crowded with wisecracks and actors playing multiple parts, and lubitsch makes forceful efforts in breaching the hampering restrictions of the. A spy has information which would be very damaging to the polish resistance and they must prevent its being delivered to the germans. Ernst lubitsch carole lombard, jack benny, robert stack. Directed by ernst lubitsch, it is set in germanoccupied warsaw during world war ii. Watch to be or not to be full movie in hd visit movie 198 during the nazi occupation of poland, an acting troupe becomes embro. Surprisingly maybe not so with ernst lubitsch, this may be 1929s most sophisticated american film. To be or not to be, american screwball comedy film, released in 1942, that.
To be or not to be 1942 rotten tomatoes movie trailers. Rent to be or not to be 1942 on dvd and bluray netflix. With carole lombard, jack benny, robert stack, felix bressart. Watch to be or not to be 1942 online free gogomovies. To be or not to be is a 1983 american war comedy film directed by alan johnson, produced by mel brooks, and starring mel brooks, anne bancroft, tim matheson, charles durning, christopher lloyd, and jose ferrer. Carole lombard, jack benny, robert stack, felix bressart plot. Jewishness is simply not something that can be claimed or affirmed in the world of this movie, nor in the world of its making. Notice how the exchange gives at once too much and too little information. The movie, released posthumously, was eventually completed by otto preminger. Melchior lengyel original story, edwin justus mayer screenplay actors. Lubitsch, of course, would never be so strident as to say so out loud.
From false moustaches that disappear and reappear to twoword phrases that arise in the most disparate of circumstances, no detail in ernst lubitschs to be or not to be 1942 is without its significance in the larger plot, and almost every detail returns at some point to great effect. The other hollywood 1995 is a documentary series produced by david gill and silent film historian kevin brownlow. To be or not to be 1942 directed by ernst lubitsch. Lubitsch reached great artistic heights with to be or not to be 1942 and heaven can wait 1943 before dying midcareer in 1947, leaving behind a legacy virtually unmatched by a. From ernst lubitsch s experiences in sophien gymnasium high school theater, he decided to leave school at the age of 16 and pursue a career on the stage. So the financing of to be or not to be was taken up by british film executive alexander korda, a coowner of united artists. The controversial antiwar comedy about espionage and politics from producer alexander korda marked by incisive black humor was a bold cinematic work during the world war ii years that skewered and lampooned the tyrannical leader. To be or not to be is a 1942 american comedy film about a troupe of actors in nazioccupied warsaw who use their abilities at disguise and acting to fool the occupying troops. Rent to be or not to be 1942 starring carole lombard and jack benny on dvd and bluray.
New to this familiar cinematic world is a life or death tension that takes the typically playful lubitsch touch and makes the whole approach quite touchy indeed. In 2002, the american film institute selected to be or not to be as one of the 50 funniest american movies of all time. Popular videos ernst lubitsch ernst lubitsch topic. To be or not to be, american screwball comedy film, released in 1942, that was carole lombards last film. To be or not to be film by lubitsch 1942 britannica.
In march of 1942, when the film was initially released, most critics werent laughing. He had to compromise with his father and keep the account books for the family tailor business while he acted in cabarets and music halls at night. Ernst lubitschs rosita is back, reconstructed and looking. Ernst lubitsch biography, movie highlights and photos. When to be or not to be was originally made, by ernst lubitsch in 1942, the nazis were in poland, which gave a certain poignancy to every funny line. To be or not to be is full of spontaneous interactions and hardly subdued insinuations, and is perhaps one of the sharpest metacomedies to materialise from the hollywood studio system. Its a dark comedy with a dramatic ww ii story underlying it. To be or not to be, costarring carole lombard and jack benny, under expert guidance of ernst lubitsch, is absorbing drama with farcical trimmings. Ernst lubitsch jack benny carole lombard robert stack to be or not to be 1942 the great dictator charlie chaplin paulette goddard many national socialists felt that these two films made during ww2 gave false information to americans about adolf hitler and national socialist germany. To be or not to be is an american comedy drama about an acting troupe in world war ii poland that uses their skills to fool the nazis. Of all those to make the transition from silent to talking pictures, none did it with more elegance and erudition than ernst lubitsch. To be or not to be 1942 stream and watch online moviefone. At the onset of ww2, a polish actors family and the polish resistance help the troupe of a theatre escape poland and the invading nazis. I imagine that its impossible to fully understand the critical and public lambasting ernst lubitschs to be or not to be received after its release unless you lived through wwii.
Lubitsch reached great artistic heights with to be or not to be 1942 and heaven can wait 1943 before dying midcareer in 1947, leaving behind a legacy virtually unmatched by a filmmaker before or since. Among his best known works are trouble in paradise, design. It may just be the primitive aesthetics of 192829 silent moviesbut lubitsch always frames maurice chevalier and jeanette macdonald in tight mediumcloseups, so that they sing on the same axis. As nervy as it is hilarious, this screwball masterpiece from ernst lubitsch stars jack benny and, in her final screen appearance, carole lombard as husbandandwife thespians in nazioccupied warsaw who become caught up in a dangerous spy plot. In warsaw at the beginning of wwii, maria tura and her husband joseph perform antinazi plays with their theater troupe until they are forced to switch to shakespeares hamlet. But that touch will not be repressed, and working with writer edwin justus mayer, lubitsch maintains the comedy for which he is so justly renowned. Indeed, you would need top 10s covering the periods 191428 and 192948 to do full justice to his achievement and include such items as the mockingly satirical anna boleyn 1920, the deceptively incisive lady windermeres fan 1926, the scandalously. Ernst lubitsch, germanborn american motionpicture director who was best known for sophisticated comedies of manners and romantic comedies. To be or not to be 1942, directed by ernst lubitsch film.
Lubitsch and his screenwriter edwin justus meyer understood the political and emotional resonance of the famous soliloquy from hamlet. Ernst lubitschs to be or not to be is a black comedy about a polish theater companyled by joseph and maria tura jack benny and carole lombardthat turns to espionage after being shut down by. Enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing ernst lubitsch. Ernst lubitsch hilarious movie made in 1942 opening scene.