bkoganbing Rather than a satire of a film classic like Frankenstein or a genre of films like the western was done in Blazing Saddles, Mel Brooks chose for the one and only time to do a remake of an already very funny film with the classic To Be Or Not To Be. 40 years later the Brooks remake has lost none of the laughs from the original, in fact Brooks could now talk about things unmentionable when Hollywood was under the Code.The 1942 original film that starred Jack Benny, Carole Lombard, and Robert Stack in the roles that Mel Brooks, Anne Bancroft, and Tim Matheson play here, was a sophisticated comedy that was not well received when first out, many thought the Nazis were no subject to joke about during wartime. Over time it gained acceptance as yet another of the masterpieces that Ernest Lubitsch did over his career. It may have been Jack Benny's best big screen performance. It was also Carole Lombard's farewell performance.Benny's comedy was droll, Brooks's humor hits you with a sledgehammer. Still the different approach works out in this remake. Anne Bancroft is more than a good substitute for Carole Lombard, in fact she's as funny in this as Lombard ever was on the screen.Many years ago one of my supervisors knew Mel Brooks and Anne Bancroft and he told us at work that her image as a great dramatic actress, whose two career roles are in The Graduate and The Miracle Worker was a total fabrication. Mel Brooks he said was as zany a man in private as he was in film. But he also said that Bancroft was even zanier than he was and had few times to display that in public. In that sense the two were a perfectly matched couple. My supervisor said he lived in the same building as they did in Greenwich Village and got to know both of them.Mel Brooks got to show the effect of the Holocaust to come on gays in one of the first films to acknowledge that publicly. One of the touching performances in the supporting cast is by James Haake as Sascha the dresser for Bancroft who gets a one way ticket to a concentration camp, but the trip gets put on hold permanently by his friends in the theater. Charles Durning also does well as Gestapo head in Warsaw who gets constantly bamboozled almost like World War II era film Nazis by Brooks's ingenuity and his theater troupe who give the best performances of their lives. And we can't forget Jose Ferrer adding yet another ethnic group to his repertoire as the Polish traitor Siletsky.If you're not a fan of Mel Brooks you will become one after you see any of his films. And this review is dedicated to the late Robert Peregoff, one of my supervisors at work who provided me the insights I got into the Brooks-Bancroft screen and life partnership.

MARIO GAUCI This is an unnecessary but not displeasing remake of Ernst Lubitsch's 1942 film, which is an undisputed classic (and one of my own all-time favorites). It turned out very faithful to the original: wisely, Brooks opted not to spoof what was already a black comedy – this may have had something to do with his decision not to write and direct the film himself.The fast-moving plot still works beautifully, though the jokes tend to fall flat – since they don't have the same immediacy of the wartime years, while the level of acting is far below that of the 1942 version. The remake adds sentimentality and the unfortunate inevitability of a gay stereotype; all in all, however, Brooks' earlier lampoon of Nazism in the form of the "Springtime For Hitler" set-piece in THE PRODUCERS (1968) was much more effective. There are, nonetheless, a couple of good songs here – while the original's gem of a final gag involving Hitler has been replaced by an equally priceless one.As I said, the leads are no match for Jack Benny and Carole Lombard from the 1942 version (and are overage to boot) – though it was certainly nice to watch real-life couple Brooks (who, unsurprisingly, gets to double as both Professor Siletsky and Hitler) and Anne Bancroft playing alongside each other for once. Still, Jose' Ferrer fills the old Stanley Ridges role more than adequately…but, then, Charles Durning makes for a poor substitute to Sig Rumann in the all-important role of Colonel "Concentration Camp" Erhardt (amazingly, Durning's rather forced performance here was nominated for an Oscar!).

jotix100 "To be, or not to be", in this version, while taking the basic idea from the classic by Ernst Lubitsch, is not a copy, but a variation on an idea. Under the direction of Alan Johnson, the film is worth a look because of all the people that were gathered to make a contribution.Who knows what Mel Brooks might have been able to do with this movie, but since he's only acting in it, his hands appear to be tied. The idea of Mr. Brooks as a popular theater actor offers possibilities. His wife, Anna, brilliantly played by (Anne Bancroft) gives us a chance to observe this wonderful couple at the top of their form.Some familiar faces are also seen. Tim Matheson, makes a great ace pilot, secretly in love with Anna. Charles Durning does an excellent portrayal of the Nazi Colonel Ehrhardt. Jose Ferrer is seen in the pivotal role of a traitor.Probably the best scenes involve Mr. Brooks and Ms. Bancroft singing and dancing. Also, Mr. Brooks makes an incredible take off on Hamlet and as Hitler.While the film is not all what one expects, it's gives us an excuse for watching it and still have a good time while at it.

Petri Pelkonen Mel Brooks plays a bad Polish actor Dr. Frederick Bronski and Anne Bancroft plays his wife Anna.She does that also in real life.When the Nazis take over Warsaw they try to find a way to escape to England.To Be or Not to Be (1983) is a real comedy gem that hasn't got a lack of funny moments.If I mentioned them all I would be charged of overdoing.Of course you find some drama also because of the topic.I mean, there's the II Worldwar, the Nazis and the Jews.You can't make that all comedy.But I have to tell you this; if you got a Jewish master of comedy making fun of the Nazis you can't fail.It is noticed that the Jews are the best of comedians.If there was an average gentile comedian there in the lead instead of Mel this movie just wouldn't work so good.When he disguises himself as Hitler, that's just hilarious.The Führer himself was very hilarious.If only he had been only joking.That would have been a bad joke, but still.He and his fellow Nazi clowns are an easy target to make comedy of.The actors playing Nazi parts are superb here.Christopher Lloyd does an excellent job as Capt.Schultz and Charles Durning as Col Erhardt.The casting in this movie is something you have to give credit for.Mr Brooks and Mrs Bancroft make a marvelous couple in the lead.Tim Matheson is brilliant as Lt.Andre Sobinski and José Ferrer is great as Prof. Siletski.To Be or Not to Be is an eternal question that Hamlet kept asking and also the title of this film.But don't expect another version of Shakespeare's play because that's just something you're not gonna get.What you are gonna get is something much funnier.Watch this movie if you wanna die laughing.