To Be or Not to Be
Seen it?1983 | 107 min | Comedy, War, Romance
Weeknight WatchWhy it’s a Weeknight Watch
With soft box office, it's a mixed bag. Fine if it's on; don't plan your night around it.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for romantics, anyone who wants a laugh and history buffs. If you loved The Great Dictator or To Be or Not to Be, start here.
- The mood
- Provocative satire that goes after everyone, intense.
- The pace
- Breezy, at 1 hr 47 min.
- What might put you off
- Rated PG: peril. Worth a look first if you have very young kids.
A bad Polish actor is just trying to make a living when Poland is invaded by the Germans in World War II. 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.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsSolid
55% on Rotten Tomatoes, 61 on Metacritic
- AudiencesSolid
6.7 out of 10
- AwardsSolid
Nominated for 1 Oscar, 4 Golden Globes and 1 WGA Award.
- Box office & staying powerBelow par
$13 million worldwide on a $9 million budget
- Buzz & cultural impactSolid
About 72K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
More like this
The Great Dictator
Friday Night FlickAnother critically acclaimed war comedy.
To Be or Not to Be Friday Night FlickAnother critically acclaimed war romantic comedy that fewer people know today.
Operation Petticoat
Saturday SpecialAnother war romantic comedy that's easy to miss.
The General Friday Night FlickAnother critically acclaimed war romantic comedy.
Shoulder Arms Weeknight WatchAnother war comedy, though it's more of a weeknight watch.
Want more like this, picked just for you? Get my picks
Cast & crew
Directed by Alan Johnson
- Mel BrooksDr. Frederick Bronski
- Anne BancroftAnna Bronski
- Tim MathesonLt. Andre Sobinski
- Charles DurningCol. Erhardt
- José FerrerProf. Siletski
- George GaynesRavitch
- Christopher LloydCapt. Schultz
- George WynerRatkowski
- Lewis J. StadlenLupinsky
- Jack RileyDobish