IMDb > To Be or Not to Be (1983)
To Be or Not to Be
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotes
Overview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv schedule
Awards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage board
Plot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotes
Fun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQ
Other Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDesk
Promotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo gallery
External Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clips

To Be or Not to Be (1983) More at IMDbPro »

IMDb Holiday Movie Guide

Overview

User Rating:
6.4/10   3,512 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 1% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Alan Johnson
Writers:
Edwin Justus Mayer (1942 screenplays)
Ronny Graham (writer)
(more)
Contact:
View company contact information for To Be or Not to Be on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
1 February 1984 (France) more
Genre:
Drama | War | Comedy more
Tagline:
That is the movie!
Plot:
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... more | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
Nominated for Oscar. Another 3 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(6 articles)
MovieWeb's 2009 DVD Holiday Gift Guide
 (From MovieWeb. 20 November 2009, 12:55 PM, PST)
Walk This Way: Nine-Disc Mel Brooks Blu-ray Set!
 (From Cinematical. 27 October 2009, 4:48 PM, PDT)
User Comments:
A Classic Satire more (26 total)

Cast

  (in credits order) (verified as complete)

Mel Brooks ... Dr. Frederick Bronski

Anne Bancroft ... Anna Bronski

Tim Matheson ... Lt. Andre Sobinski
Charles Durning ... Col. Erhardt

Christopher Lloyd ... Capt. Schultz
José Ferrer ... Prof. Siletski
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)
Earl Boen ... Dr. Boyarski
Ivor Barry ... Gen. Hobbs
William Glover ... Maj. Cunningham
John Francis ... British intelligence agent
Raymond Skipp ... RAF flight sergeant
Marley Sims ... Rifka, Gruba's Niece
Larry Rosenberg ... Rifka's husband
Max Brooks ... Rifka's son
Henry Kaiser ... Gestapo officer
Milt Jamin ... Gestapo soldier
George Caldwell ... Gestapo guard
Wolf Muser ... Desk sergeant
Henry Brandon ... Nazi officer #1
Lee E. Stevens ... Nazi officer #2
Frank Lester ... Officer in command car
Roy Goldman ... Adolf 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
Leeyan Granger ... Lady
Stephanie Wingate ... Lady
Ian Bruce ... Klotskis Klowns
John Frayer ... Klotskis Klowns
Edward J. Heim ... Klotskis Klowns
Spencer Henderson ... Klotskis Klowns
George Jayne ... Klotskis Klowns
Bill K. Richards ... Klotskis Klowns
Neil J. Schwartz ... Klotskis Klowns

Tucker Smith ... Klotskis Klowns
Ted Sprague ... Klotskis Klowns
Create a character page for: ?

Directed by
Alan Johnson 
 
Writing credits
(in alphabetical order)
Ronny Graham  writer
Melchior Lengyel  story
Ernst Lubitsch  story
Edwin Justus Mayer  1942 screenplay
Thomas Meehan  writer

Produced by
Mel Brooks .... producer
Howard Jeffrey .... executive producer
Irene Walzer .... associate producer
 
Original Music by
John Morris 
 
Cinematography by
Gerald Hirschfeld 
 
Film Editing by
Alan Balsam 
 
Casting by
Terry Liebling 
 
Production Design by
Terence Marsh 
 
Art Direction by
J. Dennis Washington 
 
Set Decoration by
John Franco Jr. 
 
Costume Design by
Albert Wolsky 
 
Makeup Department
John M. Elliott Jr. .... makeup department head
Cheri Ruff .... hair stylist
 
Production Management
Jack Frost Sanders .... production manager
Jack Frost Sanders .... production supervisor
 
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ross G. Brown .... assistant director
Pamela M. Eilerson .... second assistant director
Dennis Maguire .... dga trainee
 
Art Department
Craig Edgar .... set designer
Joseph E. Hubbard .... set designer
Steven Kerlagon .... stand-by painter
Guy A. MacLaury .... construction foreman
Mary Mathews .... assistant property master
William S. Maxwell III .... lead man
Dennis J. Parrish .... property master
Hope M. Parrish .... assistant property master
John A. Scott III .... swing gang
Robert Van Dyke .... propmaker gangboss
S. Bruce Wineinger .... construction coordinator
 
Sound Department
Raul A. Bruce .... boom operator
Gene S. Cantamessa .... production sound mixer
Louis L. Edemann .... supervising sound editor
Richard C. Franklin .... sound editor
Gregg Landaker .... sound re-recording mixer
Steve Maslow .... sound re-recording mixer
Bill Varney .... sound re-recording mixer
 
Visual Effects by
Chuck Comisky .... visual effects producer
Phil Abramson .... visual effects designer (uncredited)
Roy Arbogast .... visual effects designer (uncredited)
Robert Blalack .... optical effects (uncredited)
Christopher Dusendschon .... optical compositor (uncredited)
David Emerson .... optical lineup (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
Bernie Godlove .... stunt pilot
Buddy Joe Hooker .... stunts
Harvey Parry .... stunts
Art Scholl .... stunt pilot
Dick Ziker .... stunt coordinator
 
Camera and Electrical Department
Billy Beaird .... dolly grip (as Bill Beaird)
Michael W. Blymyer .... best boy
Alfred Budniak .... best boy
Joe Collins .... best boy
Lindsay P. Hill .... video playback operator
Marc Hirschfeld .... assistant camera
Ronald W. McLeish .... gaffer
Chuck Sereci .... best boy
Stephen Vaughan .... still photographer
Robert West Sr. .... key grip
 
Costume and Wardrobe Department
Bruce Ericksen .... wardrobe: men
Ann Somers Major .... costume supervisor
 
Editorial Department
Nancy Forner .... assistant editor
Jack Hooper .... negative cutter
Patrick Magee .... apprentice editor
 
Music Department
Ralph Burns .... orchestrator
Greg Fulginiti .... music engineer
Jack Hayes .... orchestrator
Eugene Marks .... music editor
Tommy Tedesco .... musician: guitar (uncredited)
Dan Wallin .... score mixer (uncredited)
 
Transportation Department
Michael Connolly .... transportation coordinator
 
Other crew
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
Mona Izdebska .... dialogue coach
K. Lenna Katich .... production controller (as K. Lenna Woodward)
David Lunney .... production suggested by
Michele Markino .... assistant: Mr. Brooks
Princess McLean .... production assistant
Charlene Painter .... assistant choreographer: Mr. Johnson
Pattie Pica .... assistant: Mr. Jeffrey
Cynnie Troup .... script supervisor
John R. Woodward .... location manager
Anna Zappia .... production coordinator
Leah Zappy .... assistant: Mr. Brooks (as Leah S. Zappy)
Art Scholl .... pilot (uncredited)
 

Production CompaniesDistributorsOther Companies
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parents
Runtime:
107 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Dolby
Certification:
Australia:PG | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Iceland:L | Brazil:Livre | Finland:S | Spain:7 | Sweden:11 | USA:PG | West Germany:12 | UK:PG | Argentina:Atp | Singapore:PG
Filming Locations:
Mayfield Senior School - 500 Bellefontaine Street, Pasadena, California, USA
Company:
Brooksfilms more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Col. Earhardt's joke is about Hitler becoming a "pickle". In German, "pickel" means "pimple" or "zit". more
Goofs:
Anachronisms: In the Naughty Nazis sketch, a sign reading "The Mark stops here" is standing on Hitler's desk. Since Harry Truman coined the phrase "The buck stops here" for his desk at the Oval Office in the late 1940s, it would have been impossible to make a pun on it in 1939, when the film is set. more
Quotes:
Frederick Bronski: If it wasn't for Jews, fags, and gypsies, there would be no theater. more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Rhinestone (1984) more
Soundtrack:
Sweet Georgia Brown more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.

User Comments

   (Comment on this title)
2 out of 2 people found the following comment useful.
A Classic Satire, 15 December 2005
10/10
Author: Sylvia Marciniak (sylviastel@aol.com) from United States

This remake could not have had a finer cast led the magnificent Mel Brooks and his wife Anne Bancroft. I remembered him saying once that he loved singing and dancing Polish with his wife and now I can see why. They begin the show singing and dancing in Polish. I was surprised by how much they spoke Polish in the beginning. Unlike most Polish depictions, they are not considered to be taken as jokes in this film. They are in Warsaw with their theater troupe. In actuality, Warsaw was destroyed 90% by the war's end so it was probably very unlikely that they could outsmart the Germans but it's not a true story. The Jews wear the yellow Star of Davids and the homosexuals wear the pink triangle. Now the film could have ignored that part of the war but they did not. They wisely incorporated it into the storyline. They remind us of the concentration camps and the certain death that they would have faced. While the stars of the film and the fictional theater troupe, Anne and Frederick Bronski played by Bancroft and Brooks are forced out of their own home to live with their homosexual cast member played memorably by David Haacke in this small one room apartment. The rest of the cast is superb with Charles Durning, Tim Matheson as the young military man in love with Anna, Estelle Reiner, George Gaines, George Wyner, etc. Anne Bancroft is positively beautiful and glowing in her performance. She is truly a star and we know Mel loved her to death and she loved him in life as well. I don't get into the plot because I don't want to spoil it. It's worth watching again and again. Rest in peace, Anne.

Was the above comment useful to you?
more (26 total)

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for To Be or Not to Be (1983)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Mel & Anne AgnesGooch
best brooks khmmo
Best scene of the film and unique to a Mel Brooks picture bigdbc
Why not use Robert Stack in a cameo? Mysteryfan645
The Real Director marshallfoltz
The Polish song livieresm
more

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
To Be or Not to Be Empire of the Sun Stalag 17 The Dirty Dozen Hart's War
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
News articles IMDb Drama section IMDb USA section
Add this title to MyMovies

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.