To Be or Not to Be (1942)

Carole Lombard: Maria Tura

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Quotes 

• Maria Tura : It's becoming ridiculous the way you grab attention. Whenever I start to tell a story, you finish it. If I go on a diet, you lose the weight. If I have a cold, you cough. And if we should ever have a baby, I'm not so sure I'd be the mother.

  Josef Tura : I'm satisfied to be the father.

• Joseph Tura : Someone walked out on me. Tell me, Maria, am I losing my grip?

  Maria Tura : Oh, of course not, darling. I'm so sorry.

  Joseph Tura : But he walked out on me.

  Maria Tura : Maybe he didn't feel well. Maybe he had to leave. Maybe he had a sudden heart attack.

  Joseph Tura : I hope so.

  Maria Tura : If he stayed he might have died.

  Joseph Tura : Maybe he's dead already! Oh, darling, you're so comforting.

• Joseph Tura : Oh, darling, you were right this morning. I felt so rotten after the rehearsal that I went to Dobash and told him when he advertises the new play to put your name first.

  Maria Tura : Did you, darling? Oh, that's sweet of you; but, I really don't care.

  Joseph Tura : That's what Dobosh said, so we left it as it was.

• Joseph Tura : Wait a minute. I'll decide with whom my wife is going to have dinner and whom she's going to kill.

  Maria Tura : Don't you realize Poland's at stake?

  Lieutenant Stanislav Sobinski : Have you no patriotism?

  Joseph Tura : Now listen, you... first you walk out on my soliloquy and then you walk into my slippers. And now you question my patriotism. I'm a good Pole and I love my country and I love my slippers.

  Maria Tura : Well, I hope your country comes first.

  Lieutenant Stanislav Sobinski : So do I.

  Maria Tura : This is an emergency! War!

  Joseph Tura : Look, look, look, I don't know much about the whole thing... but is this Siletsky a real danger to Poland?

  Lieutenant Stanislav Sobinski : A catastrophe!

  Maria Tura : He must be taken care of!

  Joseph Tura : Then he will be taken care of.

  Maria Tura : Well, who's gonna do it?

  Joseph Tura : I'm gonna do it.

  Lieutenant Stanislav Sobinski : But how?

  Maria Tura : Where?

  Joseph Tura : I'm gonna meet Herr Siletsky at Gestapo headquarters. And after I've killed him I hope you'll be kind enough to tell me what it was all about!

• Professor Alexander Siletsky : Shall we drink to a blitzkrieg?

  Maria Tura : I prefer a slow encirclement.

• Maria Tura : No, no, no. I think we've talked much too much about me. Tell me about yourself.

  Lieutenant Stanislav Sobinski : Well, there isn't much to tell. I just fly a bomber.

  Maria Tura : Oh, how perfectly thrilling!

  Lieutenant Stanislav Sobinski : I don't know about it being thrilling. But it's quite a bomber. You might not believe it, but I can drop three tons of dynamite in two minutes.

  Maria Tura : Really?

  Lieutenant Stanislav Sobinski : Does that interest you?

  Maria Tura : It certainly does.

• Maria Tura : [to Joseph]  You're the greatest actor in the world. Everybody knows that, including you.

• Maria Tura : [Talking about who sent the flowers]  It's true, Anna, I don't know who it is; but, I'm positive who it might be.

  Anna : You mean that young aviator?

  Maria Tura : Yes, he's very young. He's in the second row again. He gets better-looking every night... Don't misunderstand me. I love my husband dearly, and why not? He's wonderful. Only he gets so unreasonable, so upset about little things.

  Anna : Like the little thing in the second row.

• Joseph Tura : It's unbelievable! Unbelievable! I come home to find a man in the same boat with me and my wife says to me, "What does it matter?"

  Lieutenant Stanislav Sobinski : But, Mr. Tura, it's the 'zero hour'.

  Maria Tura : You certainly don't want me to waste a lot of time giving you a long explanation.

  Joseph Tura : No, but I think a husband is entitled to an inkling.

• Maria Tura : Think of me being flogged in the darkness, scream, suddenly the lights go on and the audience discovers me on the floor in this gorgeous dress!

• Maria Tura : Well, naturally, it's all very attractive and tempting. But, what are we going to do about my conscience?

• Lieutenant Stanislav Sobinski : I hope you'll forgive me if I acted a little clumsy, but this is the first time I ever met an actress.

  Maria Tura : Lieutenant, this is the first time I've ever met a man who could drop three tons of dynamite in two minutes.

• Professor Alexander Siletsky : I wonder if you really know what Nazism really stands for?

  Maria Tura : I have a slight idea.

  Professor Alexander Siletsky : In the final analysis, all we're trying to do is create a happy world.

  Maria Tura : And people who don't want to be happy have no place in this happy world. Well, that makes sense.

• Professor Alexander Siletsky : Why don't you stay here for dinner? I can imagine nothing more charming. And before the evening is over, I'm sure you'll say, "Heil Hitler!"

  Maria Tura : I would like to accept your invitation; but, just as you want to represent the Nazi case in the very best light, I would like to represent the Polish case in a more suitable dress.

• Maria Tura : Captain, you never can tell about those things. For instance, I think you're rather attractive, yourself. Perhaps, my taste is a little peculiar.

• Joseph Tura : [after Maria has received flowers...]  Three nights in a row! Even Shakespeare couldn't stand seeing Hamlet three nights in succession.

  Maria Tura : Did you forget you're playing Hamlet?

  Joseph Tura : Oh, that's right.

• Maria Tura : [writing a note]  If you insist on seeing me, come back to my dressing room, when Hamlet goes into his soliloquy, "To be or not to be." - How does is sound Anna?

  Anna : Safe.

• Lieutenant Stanislav Sobinski : I have so much to tell you. When we're in the plane we can't talk, when we're in the tea room can't do anything but talk.

  [reaches out for a hug] 

  Lieutenant Stanislav Sobinski : Maria...

  Maria Tura : [walks away]  And when we're in the dressing room we must be very careful of my make-up.

• Dobosh, Theatrical Producer : There'll be soldiers in the corridor guarding Hitler's box. If we can get them away for just one second - that means we need a confusion, a commotion, among the Gestapo.

  Maria Tura : Well, I've started a commotion in every Gestapo man I've met!

• Maria Tura : No, Colonel, you really mustn't!

  Colonel Ehrhardt : Mrs. Tura, I will give you a bracelet. I confiscated a beautiful one today.

  Maria Tura : I don't want a bracelet.

  Colonel Ehrhardt : I - I can make life worth living for you. I - I can give you extra butter rations. I can give you three eggs a week!

  Maria Tura : I don't want any eggs!

• Joseph Tura : The audience is a little cool tonight.

  Maria Tura : Not to me.

  Joseph Tura : Oh, I know I'm giving a rotten performance. I always do when we quarrel. Say something nice.

  Maria Tura : Oh, you faker. I watched your scene with Polonius from the wings and you were never better. I'd give you a kiss right now; but, I'm afraid I might ruin my make-up.

• Maria Tura : He's just a mere boy. Oh, no, no, no...

  Anna : What's he want you to do? Adopt him?

  Maria Tura : Oh, he's dying to see me, even if it's just for a minute. Of course, I won't. Definitely not. And yet, I don't like to be rude to him. I think its a mistake to ignore the people who admire one and who, after all, buy the tickets, at the same time...

  Anna : Done. Don't waste any more time with excuses. If you want to see him, see him while he's still young.

  Maria Tura : Yes, I think I owe it to my public.

• Lieutenant Stanislav Sobinski : I've seen you in everything you've ever played. I'll never forget how I laughed when I saw you in "Kiki".

  Maria Tura : Yes, some people thought I was funny.

  Lieutenant Stanislav Sobinski : But, you certainly weren't funny when you played Lady MacBeth.

  Maria Tura : Thank you.

• Lieutenant Stanislav Sobinski : I don't want to over-step myself, but, I'll take a chance. Would you permit me to show my plane?

  Maria Tura : Maybe.

• Professor Alexander Siletsky : As a matter of fact, I'm not responsible for your being brought here at all. There's a charming young man in England - gave me a message for you. A rather strange message: "To be or not to be." You, no doubt, know it's deeper meaning?

  Maria Tura : Yes, I have a vague idea.

• Professor Alexander Siletsky : Mrs. Tura, you're an actress aren't you?

  Maria Tura : Yes.

  Professor Alexander Siletsky : And naturally in the theater it's important that you chose the right part.

  Maria Tura : Very.

  Professor Alexander Siletsky : But, in real life it's even more important that you chose the right side.

  Maria Tura : The right side? Well, what is the right side?

  Professor Alexander Siletsky : The winning side.

• Professor Alexander Siletsky : Here in Warsaw there are a lot of people that we know very well and there are a lot of people that we don't know quite so well and would like to know them a great deal better. And that's were you could help us, Mrs. Tura.

  Maria Tura : Oh, you want me to be a spy!

  Professor Alexander Siletsky : Oh, now, come, come, come. That's rather a crude word.

  Maria Tura : You know, I once played a spy. It was a great success. I had wonderful notices. It was really an exciting part.

  Professor Alexander Siletsky : Well, wouldn't it be exciting to play it in real life?

  Maria Tura : Well, I got shot in the last act. I suppose that happens to most spies.

• Professor Alexander Siletsky : This is a very difficult place to get in. But, it's much more difficult to get out.

  Maria Tura : Oh, I'm terribly frightened and terribly thrilled.

• Maria Tura : Siletsky wants me to have dinner with him and if we don't get any other idea, I hate to think of it, but, maybe I'll have to kill him myself, because I'm the only one who can get to him. You see, this all wouldn't have happened if the Lieutenant had arrived before Siletsky. But, they sent a plane for Siletsky, so Siletsky arrived before the Lieutenant! Now, is that clear?

  Joseph Tura : No.

• Maria Tura : It took a bit longer than I thought. I wonder if the effect was worth it?

  Professor Alexander Siletsky : I'm willing to die for our Führer, at any moment; except, for the next few hours.

  Maria Tura : Oh, thank you, Professor.

• Joseph Tura : [disguised as Professor Siletsky]  Here the whole Gestapo has been working for a long time, day and night, trying to find out every little thing about everybody. And I arrive and in a few hours I find the most attractive lady in town.

  Capt. Schultz : Oh, you didn't know Madame before?

  Joseph Tura : Oh, well, no, not exactly. But, the explanation is very simple. You see, I just asked Mrs. Tura, here, to deliver a message to her. Isn't that right?

  Maria Tura : Yes. Yes!

  Joseph Tura : You see, there's a young flyer, a very good friend of the Turas and, particularly, of Mrs. Tura. Isn't that right?

  Maria Tura : Well, yes, but, he's no particular friend of mine.

  Joseph Tura : Nevertheless, a friend. It was a sort of a code message.

  Capt. Schultz : Code message?

  Joseph Tura : Oh, Mrs. Tura has nothing to hide from the Gestapo. But, she has one tiny little secret. If her husband ever found out he would murder her. By the way, he is that great, great Polish actor, Joseph Tura! You've probably heard of him.

  Capt. Schultz : Ah, no, I haven't.

• Maria Tura : Colonel, whatever you decide. If you want me...

  Colonel Ehrhardt : Naturally, I would have to know you a little better. That is my duty and, if I may say, my pleasure.

• Capt. Schultz : There are several things we want to find out, Mrs. Tura.

  Maria Tura : Of course, but, couldn't I see you tomorrow at your office?

  Capt. Schultz : No! I'm sorry. It is very urgent! The Colonel and I, we were talking things over. Mrs. Tura, we consider you a woman of enormous appeal.

  Maria Tura : Well, thank you. But, what's so very urgent about that?