A sharp-witted wartime satire where greasepaint meets the Gestapo, blending high-stakes espionage with screwball vanity to reveal the absurd mask of tyranny through a kaleidoscope of theatrical deceptions and defiant laughter.
To Be or Not to Be
"The Picture Everyone Wants to See"
Director:
Ernst Lubitsch
Cast:
Carole Lombard, Jack Benny, Robert Stack, Felix Bressart, Lionel Atwill
War
Comedy
Romance
Budget:
$1,200,000
Box Office:
$1,500,000
To Be or Not to Be - Easter Eggs & Hidden Details
Easter Eggs
The Merchant of Venice Reference
The character Greenberg's dream of playing Shylock allows Lubitsch to insert a powerful plea for Jewish humanity ("Hath not a Jew eyes?") into a comedy, a direct challenge to the Holocaust occurring in Europe.
Hitler's Entrance
The opening shot of Hitler in Warsaw is a classic 'fake-out' that mirrors the beginning of many documentaries, only to be revealed as a theatrical rehearsal.