To Be or Not to Be (1983)

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PG
1h 47min
Comedy, Drama
16 Dec 1983 (USA)
Movie

6.8 (12,026)

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At the onset of WW2, a Polish actor's family and the Polish Resistance help the troupe of a theatre escape Poland and the invading Nazis.

Director:

Alan Johnson

Writers:

Stars:

Awards:

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 5 nominations.
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Reviews:

Photos and Videos

Still of Mel Brooks in To Be or Not to Be (1983)

Still of Anne Bancroft and Tim Matheson (I) in To Be or Not to Be (1983)

Still of Mel Brooks and Anne Bancroft in To Be or Not to Be (1983)

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32 photos | 1 video

Cast verified as complete

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	Ronny Graham	...	Sondheim
	Estelle Reiner	...	Gruba
	Zale Kessler	...	Bieler
	Jack Riley	...	Dobish
	Lewis J. Stadlen	...	Lupinsky
	George Gaynes	...	Ravitch
	George Wyner	...	Ratkowski
	James 'Gypsy' Haake	...	Sasha (as James Haake)
	Scamp	...	Mutki
	Christopher Lloyd	...	Capt. Schultz
	José Ferrer	...	Prof. Siletski (as Jose Ferrer)
	Charles Durning	...	Col. Erhardt
	Tim Matheson	...	Lt. Andre Sobinski
	Mel Brooks	...	Dr. Frederick Bronski
	Anne Bancroft	...	Anna Bronski
	Earl Boen	...	Dr. Boyarski
	Ivor Barry	...	General Hobbs
	William Glover	...	Major Cunningham
	John H. Francis	...	British Intelligence Aide (as John Francis)
	Raymond Skipp	...	R.A.F. Flight Sergeant
	Marley Sims	...	Rifka
	Larry Rosenberg	...	Rifka's Husband
	Max Brooks	...	Rifka's Son
	Henry Kaiser	...	Gestapo Officer
	Milton James	...	Gestapo Soldier (as Milt Jamin)
	George Caldwell	...	Gestapo Guard
	Wolf Muser	...	Desk Sergeant
	Henry Brandon	...	Nazi Officer
	Lee E. Stevens	...	2nd Nazi Officer
	Frank Lester	...	Officer in Command Car
	Roy Goldman	...	Hitler
	Robert Goldberg	...	Hitler Adjutant
	John McKinney	...	Elite Guard Officer
	Eda Reiss Merin	...	Frightened Jewish Woman
	Manny Kleinmuntz	...	Frightened Jewish Woman's Husband
	Phil Adams	...	Airport Sentry
	Curt Lowens	...	Airport Officer
	Robin Haynes	...	Polish Flier
	Ron Kuhlman	...	Polish Flier
	John Otrin	...	Polish Flier
	Blane Savage	...	Polish Flier
	Joey Sheck	...	Polish Flier
	Ron Diamond	...	Pub Bartender
	Gillian Eaton	...	Pub Barmaid
	Paddi Edwards	...	Pub Waitress
	Terence Marsh	...	Startled British Officer
	Winnie McCarthy	...	Picadilly Usherette
	Paul Ratliff	...	Naval Officer
	Scott Beach	...	Narrator
	Sandra Gray	...	Lady
	Clare Culhane	...	Lady
	Laurie Manning	...	Lady (as Lainie Manning)
	Leeyan Granger	...	Lady
	Antoinette Yuskis	...	Lady (as Antonette Yuskis)
	Stephanie Wingate	...	Lady
	Ian Bruce	...	Klotski's Klown
	John Frayer	...	Klotski's Klown
	Edward J. Heim	...	Klotski's Klown
	Spencer Henderson	...	Klotski's Klown
	George Jayne	...	Klotski's Klown
	Bill K. Richards	...	Klotski's Klown
	Neil J. Schwartz	...	Klotski's Klown
	Tucker Smith	...	Klotski's Klown
	Ted Sprague	...	Klotski's Klown
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
	Patrice Cole	...	Theater Patron (uncredited)
	Selby Dessner	...	Theater Patron (uncredited)
	Richard Halpern	...	Theater Patron (uncredited)
	Bob Harks	...	Theatre Patron (uncredited)
	David LeBell	...	Nazi soldier (uncredited)
	Danny Nero	...	Theater Goer (uncredited)
	Hunter Roberts	...	Audience Member (uncredited)
	Tom Willett	...	Theatre Audience Member (uncredited)

Directed by

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Alan Johnson

Written by

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Thomas Meehan	...	(screenplay) &
Ronny Graham	...	(screenplay)

Edwin Justus Mayer	...	() (1942 screenplay)

Melchior Lengyel	...	(story)

Ernst Lubitsch	...	(story) (uncredited)

Produced by

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Mel Brooks	...	producer
Howard Jeffrey	...	executive producer
Irene Walzer	...	associate producer

Music by

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John Morris

Cinematography by

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Gerald Hirschfeld

...

director of photography

Editing by

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Alan Balsam

Editorial Department

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Nancy Forner	...	assistant editor
Jack Hooper	...	negative cutter
Patrick Magee	...	apprentice editor (as Patrick W. Magee)

Casting By

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Terry Liebling

Production Design by

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Terence Marsh

Art Direction by

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J. Dennis Washington

Set Decoration by

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John Franco Jr.

Costume Design by

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Albert Wolsky

Makeup Department

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John M. Elliott Jr.	...	makeup artist (as John M. Elliot Jr.)
Cheri Ruff	...	hair stylist

Production Management

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Jack Frost Sanders

...

production manager / production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

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Ross G. Brown	...	assistant director
Pamela M. Eilerson	...	second assistant director (as Pamela Eilerson)
Dennis Maguire	...	dga trainee (as Dennis P. Maguire)

Art Department

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Craig Edgar	...	set designer
Joseph E. Hubbard	...	set designer
Guy A. MacLaury	...	construction foreman (as Guy Allan MacLaury)
Mary Mathews	...	assistant property master
William S. Maxwell III	...	leadman (as William Maxwell III)
Dennis J. Parrish	...	property master
Hope M. Parrish	...	assistant property master (as Hope Parrish)
John A. Scott III	...	swing gang (as John Scott III)
S. Bruce Wineinger	...	construction coordinator
Steven Kerlagon	...	stand-by painter (uncredited)
Drew Struzan	...	poster artist (uncredited)
Robert Van Dyke	...	propmaker gangboss (uncredited)
Peter Van Zyl	...	greensman (uncredited)

Sound Department

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Raul A. Bruce	...	boom operator
Gene S. Cantamessa	...	production sound mixer
Louis L. Edemann	...	supervising sound editor
Richard C. Franklin	...	sound editor (as Rick Franklin)
Gregg Landaker	...	re-recording mixer
Steve Maslow	...	re-recording mixer
Bill Varney	...	re-recording mixer
Greg Orloff	...	foley recordist (uncredited)

Visual Effects by

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Phil Abramson	...	visual effects designer (uncredited)
Roy Arbogast	...	visual effects designer (uncredited)
Robert Blalack	...	optical effects (uncredited)
Chuck Comisky	...	visual effects producer (uncredited)
Christopher Dusendschon	...	optical compositor (uncredited)
David Emerson	...	optical lineup (uncredited)
Alan G. Markowitz	...	visual effects (uncredited)
Austin McKinney	...	visual effects (uncredited)
Rexford L. Metz	...	visual effects director of photography (uncredited)
Christopher Nibley	...	visual effects director of photography (uncredited)
Mark M. Pompian	...	visual effects camera operator (uncredited)
Chris Regan	...	optical supervisor (uncredited)
Jay Riddle	...	visual effects coordinator (uncredited)
Robert Skotak	...	visual effects (uncredited)

Stunts

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Bernie Godlove	...	stunt pilot
Buddy Joe Hooker	...	stunts
Harvey Parry	...	stunts
Art Scholl	...	stunt pilot
Dick Ziker	...	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department

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Billy Beaird	...	dolly grip (as Bill Beaird)
Mike Benson	...	camera operator (as Michael A. Benson)
Ron Bloch	...	rigging grip
Michael W. Blymyer	...	best boy (as Michael Blymyer)
Alfred Budniak	...	best boy (as Al Budniak)
Joe Collins	...	best boy
Frank Detone Jr.	...	rigging grip
Lindsay P. Hill	...	video playback operator
Marc Hirschfeld	...	assistant camera (as Marc D. Hirschfeld)
Ronald W. McLeish	...	gaffer
Charles L. Sereci	...	best boy (as Chuck Sereci)
Stephen Vaughan	...	still photographer
Robert West Sr.	...	key grip

Costume and Wardrobe Department

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Bruce Ericksen	...	costume supervisor: men
Ann Somers Major	...	costume supervisor: women

Location Management

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John R. Woodward

...

location manager

Music Department

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Ralph Burns	...	orchestrator
Jack Hayes	...	orchestrator
Eugene Marks	...	music editor
Dan Wallin	...	music scoring mixer (as Danny Wallin)
Greg Fulginiti	...	music engineer (uncredited)
Tommy Tedesco	...	musician: guitar (uncredited)

Script and Continuity Department

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Cynnie Troup

...

script supervisor

Transportation Department

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Michael Connolly	...	transportation coordinator
Steve Bonner	...	picture car coordinator (uncredited)

Additional Crew

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William Allyn	...	production suggested by
Bruce Bahrenburg	...	unit publicist
Penny Brocato	...	craft service
Bart Doe	...	title illustrator
Wayne Fitzgerald	...	title designer
Stanley Gibbs	...	production assistant
Tom Gillman	...	assistant: Mr. Johnson
Iwona Izdebska	...	dialogue coach: Polish
K. Lenna Katich	...	production controller (as K. Lenna Woodward)
David Lunney	...	production suggested by
Michele Markus	...	assistant: Mr. Brooks
Princess O'Mahoney	...	production assistant (as Princess McLean)
Charlene Painter	...	assistant choreographer: Mr. Johnson
Pattie Pica	...	assistant: Mr. Jeffrey
Anna Zappia	...	production coordinator
Leah Zappy	...	assistant: Mr. Brooks (as Leah S. Zappy)
Art Scholl	...	pilot (uncredited)

Production Companies

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Distributors

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Twentieth Century Fox (1983) (United States) (theatrical)
Twentieth Century Fox Film Company (1984) (United Kingdom) (theatrical)
20th Century Fox Argentina (1984) (Argentina) (theatrical)
Fox Columbia Film Distributors (1984) (Australia) (theatrical)
Hachette-Fox Distribution (1984) (France) (theatrical)
Twentieth Century Fox (1984) (Japan) (theatrical)
CBS/Fox Home Video (1985) (Australia) (video)
CBS/Fox Video (1985) (Belgium) (video)
CBS/Fox (Argentina) (VHS)
CBS/Fox (West Germany) (VHS)
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2003) (Germany) (DVD)
Umbrella Entertainment (2011) (Australia) (DVD) (Blu ray)
Divisa Home Video (2018) (Spain) (DVD) ([BD])
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (United States) (laserdisc)
Abril Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
Fox Video (United States) (VHS)

Special Effects

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Other Companies

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DeLuxe Laboratories (color by)
Island Records (soundtrack available on)
Lightflex America Inc. (Lightflex system)
Modern Film Effects (title design)
Pacific Title (opticals)
Panavision (lenses and Panaflex cameras)
Weatherwax Trained Dog (trainer: Mutki)

Storyline

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Plot Summary	A bad Polish actor is just trying to make a living when what should intrude but World War II in the form of an invasion. 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. Written by John Vogel Plot Summary Plot Synopsis
Plot Keywords	neo-screwball-comedy gun-violence nazi parody-comedy metafiction See All (28) »
Taglines	That is the movie! See more »
Genres	Comedy Drama War
Parents Guide	View content advisory »
Certification	Argentina:Atp Australia:NRC Brazil:Livre Canada:PG (Ontario) Finland:S France:Tous publics Iceland:L India:U Italy:T (DVD rating) Japan:G Netherlands:AL Norway:12 Peru:Apt Portugal:M/12 Singapore:PG Spain:7 Sweden:11 United Kingdom:PG United Kingdom:U (DVD) United States:PG West Germany:12

Additional Details

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Also Known As	Soy o no soy (Spain) Soy o no soy (Mexico) Na zei kaneis i na mi zei (Greece) Lenni vagy nem lenni (Hungary) Ser ou Não Ser (Portugal) See more »
Runtime	107 min
Country	United States
Language	English Polish
Color	Color
Aspect Ratio	1.85 : 1 See more »
Sound Mix	Dolby
Filming Locations	Mayfield Senior School - 500 Bellefontaine Street, Pasadena, California, USA See more »

Box Office

Budget	$9,000,000 (estimated)
Opening Weekend United States	$1,020,958, 18 Dec 1983
Cumulative Worldwide Gross	$15,428,181

Did You Know?

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Trivia	Mel Brooks has said this is his favorite of his Brooksfilms movies. See more »
Goofs	In the Naughty Nazis song, "A Little Piece...", they mention Pakistan as one of the countries. Pakistan was not created until 1947. See more »
Movie Connections	Featured in An Audience with Mel Brooks (1983). See more »
Soundtracks	Ladies See more »
Crazy Credits	At the end of the movie, each cast member comes and takes a bow, as they would for a stage play, while their names are on the screen. See more »
Quotes	Frederick Bronski: Let's face it, sweetheart: without jews, fags and gypsies there is no theatre. See more »

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