Main Cast: Mel Brooks, Anne Bancroft, Charles Durning, Tim Matheson, José Ferrer
Release Year: 1983
Country: US
Run Time: 108 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG
Plot
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 Shakespearean portion of his act. When the Germans march into Warsaw, the Bronskis and the rest of their troupe are forced into hiding (notably the homosexual Lupinski, played by Lewis J. Stadlen, who is forced to endure the humiliation of wearing a pink star). Flying for the Polish resistance in England, Sobinski asks kindly Professor Seletzky (Jose Ferrer) to deliver his "To Be or Not to Be" message to Anna. When Seletzky doesn't seem to recognize the name of Anne Bronski, Warsaw's biggest star, Sobinski suspects that something is amiss. Sure enough, Seletzky is a Nazi spy, heading to Warsaw to help Col. "Concentration Camp" Ehrhardt (Oscar-nominated Charles Durning) destroy the underground movement. Parachuting into Poland, Sobinski enlists the aid of the Bronski troupe to foil the Nazis. What follows is an uproarious series of disguises and deceptions, capped by Bronski's impersonation of Der Fuhrer. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
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 Aide; 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 Officer; 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
Credit
Dennis Washington - Art Director, Irene Walzer - Associate Producer, Charlene Painter - Choreography, Albert Wolsky - Costume Designer, Alan Johnson - Director, Alan Balsam - Editor, Howard Jeffrey - Executive Producer, John Morris - Composer (Music Score), Terence Marsh - Production Designer, Dennis Washington - Production Designer, Gerald Hirschfeld - Cinematographer, Mel Brooks - Producer, Irene Walzer - Producer, Craig Edgar - Set Designer, Joe Hubbard - Set Designer, Gene S. Cantamessa - Sound/Sound Designer, Thomas Meehan - Screenwriter, Ronny Graham - Screenwriter
This remake was one of the first major American films to acknowledge that homosexuals were persecuted by the Third Reich, along with other Holocaust victims. Homosexuality aside, this version was extremely faithful to the 1942 version, and in many cases dialogue was taken verbatim from the earlier film. The character of the treacherous Professor Siletsky (here spelled Siletski) was, however, made into more of a comic figure, and even into somewhat of a buffoon, whereas in the original he was the one completely serious character in the film. Siletski, played by Stanley Ridges in the 1942 film, was here played by José Ferrer, his only appearance in a Mel Brooks film.
For his humorous performance as Colonel Erhardt, Charles Durning was nominated for the Best Supporting ActorAcademy Award. Erhardt was played by Sig Ruman in the original film.
A gag starts off the Mel Brooks version with Brooks and Bancroft performing the song "Sweet Georgia Brown" in Polish, and after the performance the two engage in a quarrel backstage—still in Polish—until an announcer calls out: "Ladies and gentlemen, for the interest of clarity and sanity the rest of this movie will not be in Polish."
In an evident tribute to Jack Benny the beleaguered couple moves into the apartment of their friend, Sascha, at Number 52 Kubelsky Street. Benny Kubelsky is the real name of Jack Benny.
On the movie's soundtrack album, but not in the movie, is a noveltyrap song entitled To Be or Not to Be (The Hitler Rap). This song was released as a single, complete with music video, and peaked at #12 on the US charts in February 1984.
Charles Durning previously played a character involved with the Nazis in The Hindenburg.
