To Be or Not to Be (1983 film)

To Be or Not to Be is a 1983 comedy-drama film directed by Alan Johnson, produced by Mel Brooks with Howard Jeffrey as executive producer and Irene Walzer as associate producer. The screenplay was written by Ronny Graham and Thomas Meehan, based on the original story by Melchior Lengyel, Ernst Lubitsch and Edwin Justus Mayer. It is a remake of the 1942 film of the same title.

The film starred Mel Brooks alongside his wife Anne Bancroft; Tim Matheson, Charles Durning, Christopher Lloyd, and José Ferrer also had starring roles. That is the movie! (taglines)

Announcer

 * Ladies and gentlemen: In the interest of clarity and sanity, the rest of this movie will not be in Polish.

Anna Bronski

 * Oh, but that's enough talk about me. Let's talk about you. How'd you like me in the first act?
 * [about Frederick] He's world famous in Poland.

Colonel Earhardt

 * [Of Frederick's performance] What he did to Hamlet we are now doing to Poland.
 * Vat do you mean you haven't got proof? Dat is no excuse! Arrezt zem! Vat? Vere? Vy? VEN? From now on, ven in doubt, arrezt zem! Arrezt zem! Arrezt zem! Arrezt zem! Zen shoot zem and interrogate zem! Oh, you are right, just shoot zem!

Frederick Bronski

 * Without Jews, fags, and gypsies, there is no theater.
 * [to Anna] Listen, sweetheart, if I don't come back, I forgive you for whatever happened between you and Lt. Sobinsky... but if I do come back, you're in a lot of trouble!

Dialogue

 * Anna: All these flowers on a Lieutenant's pay, you shouldn't have.
 * Andre: That's OK. My father is a florist.


 * [Frederick, Andre, and Dobish are disguised as Hitler and two Nazi officers]
 * Andre: Heil Hitler!
 * Dobish: Heil Hitler!
 * Frederick: Heil myself!


 * Andre: I loved that picture of you on the farm. You behind the plow. By the way, where was that?
 * Anna: In the "Chronicle".
 * Andre: No, I mean where's the farm?
 * Anna: Oh, the farm. The farm. Well, that's out of town somewhere... You know, that's where they keep them.


 * Colonel Erhardt: Mrs. Bronski, Mrs. Bronski, Mrs. Bronski.
 * Anna: We're all here.


 * Sasha: Are you all right?
 * Anna: I'm fine.
 * Sasha: Then why are you on the floor?
 * Anna: The floor? I'm on the floor? I'm on the FLOOR. Well get me up.


 * Nazi officer: You are sitting in Col. Erhardt's chair.
 * Anna: Oh, how silly of me. Ten minutes ago it was my chair.


 * Anna: What's that on your coat?
 * Sasha: Oh, it's the newest fashion in occupied Warsaw. Jews wear yellow stars, homosexuals wear pink triangles.
 * Anna: Sasha! How awful for you!
 * Sasha: [quietly] I hate it. [smiles] It clashes with everything.
 * Anna: Now listen, they're rounding up Jews. Are they rounding up...?
 * Sasha: No, no, so far, so good. Now, don't wait up for me. I've got a hot date with another triangle.




 * Frederick: Just don't keep me hanging much longer, I stink without a script!
 * Lupinsky: [under his breath] He stinks with a script.
 * Frederick Bronski: I heard that!


 * Colonel Erhardt: [referring to Capt. Schultz] I've always suspected zumzing wrong vit a man who does not drink or shmoke...
 * Frederick: You mean like our FUHRER?
 * Colonel Erhardt: Yes... NO!

Tagline

 * That is the movie!

Cast

 * Mel Brooks - Frederick Bronski
 * Anne Bancroft - Anna Bronski
 * Ronny Graham - Sondheim, Stage Manager
 * Estelle Reiner - Gruba
 * Jack Riley - Dobish
 * Lewis J. Stadlen - Lupinsky
 * George Gaynes - Ravitch
 * George Wyner - Ratkowski
 * Christopher Lloyd - S.S. Captain Schultz
 * José Ferrer - Professor Siletski
 * Charles Durning - S.S. Colonel Erhardt
 * Tim Matheson - Lieutenant Andrei
 * Earl Boen - Dr. Boyarski
 * Ivor Barry - General Hobbs
 * William Glover - Major Cunningham
 * James Haake - Sasha
 * Max Brooks - Rifka's son
 * Larry Rosenberg - Rifka's husband
 * Milt Jamin - Gestapo soldier
 * Wolf Muser - Desk sergeant
 * Henry Brandon- Nazi officer
 * Tucker Smith - Klotskis Klown
 * Phil Adams - Airport sentry
 * Curt Lowens - Airport officer
 * Terence Marsh - Startled British officer
 * Paul Ratliff - Naval officer
 * Scott Beach - Narrator