(I'm finding real comments in my spam folder every day.
If you don't usually check there, you might want to.
No telling what you're not seeing.)
If you don't usually check there, you might want to.
No telling what you're not seeing.)
To Be or Not To Be is a 1942 black comedy. It's directed by Ernst Lubitsch and stars Carole Lombard, Jack Benny, Robert Stack, Felix Bressart, and Lionel Atwill. The plot concerns a troupe of actors in Nazi-occupied Warsaw who use their abilities at disguise and acting to fool the occupying troops. It was Lombard's last film, released just a month after her death in an airplane crash when she was only 33 years old. She was returning to Los Angeles from a war bond rally. It's considered a comedy classic. I have the DVD but watched it on HBO Max.
trailer:
FilmSite opens its glowing review with this:
Berlin Germany-born director Ernst Lubitsch's sophisticated screwball masterpiece, with satirical comedy, romance, and suspense. The controversial anti-war comedy about espionage and politics from producer Alexander Korda - marked by incisive black humor - was a bold cinematic work during the World War II years that skewered and lampooned the tyrannical leader Adolf Hitler, the Nazis and the Third Reich, while still being completely entertaining in its story of marital conflict.Deep Focus Review has historical context. Rotten Tomatoes has a concensus score of 96%.
Posts
...and this has always been the question.
ReplyDeleteAlways
DeleteSounds like a fun film.
ReplyDeleteHilarious lol
DeleteIt's got a great cast, so I am sorry to say I haven't seen it.
ReplyDeleteIt's worth watching :)
DeleteSounds like a great cast and well worth watching! Thanks for the recommendation 😁. Happy Friday and weekend! Hugs Jo x
ReplyDeleteDefinitely! I'm glad I came across it.
DeleteI remember really enjoying this film!
ReplyDeleteIt was new to me.
DeleteThis sounds good, must try to get it here. Valerie
ReplyDeleteI don't know how readily available it is.
DeleteOMGosh! I think I saw this long, long ago on TV--matinee movie or something. Unexpected role for Jack Benny if I recall. But he was pretty good in it, too, right? They were tricking or fooling the Nazis somehow. I can't remember it all. I didn't realize she died so young!
ReplyDeleteYes, he was _very_ good. And the cast worked well together. from Wikipedia: "Her party had initially been scheduled to return to Los Angeles by train, but Lombard was eager to reach home more quickly and wanted to travel by air. Her mother and Winkler were afraid of flying and insisted that the group follow their original travel plans. Lombard suggested that they flip a coin; they agreed, and Lombard won the toss." Sad :(
DeleteTHANK YOU for letting us know about spam. I had 73 spam comments and only 11 were actual spam.
ReplyDeleteAs for the film, it reminds me of Argo. The mission was real, the sci-fi film was fake. Of course, other films like Inglourious Bastards come to mind, too.
This is really funny! I also find lots of comments in my spam folder! Valerie
ReplyDelete