Carole Lombard and Jack Benny in Ernst Lubitsch’s “To Be or Not to Be”

To Be or Not to Be (1942) is a comedy directed by Ernst Lubitsch and starring Carole Lombard and Jack Benny

The film is set in Warsaw, Poland, before the 1939 Nazi invasion. Josef Tura (Jack Benny) and his stunningly beautiful wife Maria Tura (Carole Lombard) head a theater company that at the beginning of the film is rehearsing a play called Gestapo, a production making fun of the Nazis.

Table reading for To Be or Not to Be with director Ernst Lubitsch (top left), Carole Lombard, and Jack Benny. Lombard told her friends that this was the happiest film set she had ever worked on.

While Josef Tura is performing Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Poland is invaded and things change for the acting company which is now being watched closely by the Nazis. Can a troop filled with ham actors help the Polish resistance? Can they help bring down Hitler and the Nazis?

Ernst Lubitsch (1892 – 1947) was a German-born film director who became famous for his sophisticated comedies during the pre-code era. Silent film star Mary Pickford lured Lubitsch to Hollywood in 1922. He directed Pickford in Rosita, which was a huge, hit and cemented his reputation in Hollywood. Lubitsch’s films were so unique that they were described as having the “Lubitsch touch.” Some of Lubitsch’s classic films include Trouble in Paradise (1932), Design for Living (1933), Ninotchka (1939), The Shop Around the Corner (1940), Heaven Can Wait (1943), and Cluny Brown (1946). Lubitsch was awarded an Honorary Academy Award for his work in film.

Carole Lombard and Jack Benny

Carole Lombard (1908 – 1942) was an American actress, well regarded for her many screwball comedy film roles. During the late 1930s, she was the highest-paid star in Hollywood. Lombard got her start in silent films as a child and set her mind on making movie acting her career. She was one of Mack Sennett’s bathing beauties, appearing in 15 of his comedy shorts before moving on to feature films. Her breakout performance came in 1934’s Twentieth Century co-starring John Barrymore. After that film, Lombard’s career soared. She starred in many successful comedies including Hands Across the Table (1935), My Man Godfrey (1936), which brought her a Best Actress Academy Award nomination, Mr. & Mrs. Smith (1941), and To Be or Not to Be (1942), her final film.

Jack Benny (1894 – 1974) was an American comedian who was a star on radio, film, and television. He was known for his comic timing and delivery, often with long pauses and facial expressions. He had the ability to make audiences laugh without uttering a single word. When he did utter his signature “Well,” it almost always brought the house down. Benny’s film career never matched that of his radio success, but he did star in several memorable films including Broadway Melody of 1936, Charley’s Aunt (1941), and George Washington Slept Here (1942). Benny was delighted to have had the opportunity to work under Lubitsch’s direction, someone the comedian greatly admired.

Robert Stack and Carole Lombard

The supporting cast of To Be or Not to Be is very strong. In includes a young Robert Stack, Feliz Bressart, Lionel Atwill, Sig Ruman, Tom Dugan, Charles Halton, Maude Eburne, and Miles Mander.

To Be or Not to Be Trivia:

• It was nominated for Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture, Werner R. Heymann
• Because Carole Lombard died in a plane crash after the film was completed, the line her character utters, “What can happen in a plane?” was cut in post-production.
• Jack Benny’s father left the movie theater when he saw his son wearing a Nazi uniform in the film.
• Miriam Hopkins was the original choice to play Maria Tura. She dropped out when she realized that Benny got all of the laughs.
• Benny told his friends that he considered this to be his best and only great film role.
• In lieu of her usual fee of $125,000, Lombard took a percentage of the film’s profits plus $75,000. Upon her death, widower, Clark Gable, received $57,307, Lombard’s share of the film’s profits.

Watch the film on YouTube by clicking the link below. Be sure to use this link because there are several versions of this film on the channel; this one is of the best quality.



After you’ve watched the film, join us for a discussion on August 18. 2020, at 6:30 p.m Central Time on Zoom. An invitation with links can be found below.

Stephen Reginald is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Discussion of "To Be or Not to Be"
Time: Aug 18, 2020, 06:30 PM Central Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us04web.zoom.us/j/79809533453?pwd=RWNhM2N4RVNyVW8vQ0VKUTc2UlZWUT09

Meeting ID: 798 0953 3453
Passcode: hKy0FK


Questions for discussion:
1. What did you think of the film overall?
2. Did you find the satire of Nazis funny? Offensive?
3. What did you make of the relationship between Lombard and Benny’s characters? Were they believable as husband and wife? Actors?
4. Did anything about the film surprise you?
5. Was this a fitting film to be Lombard’s last?

Screening of "To Be or Not To Be" March 10 at Daystar Center

To Be or Not To Be (1942)
Where: Daystar Center, 1550 S. State Street
When: March 10, 2018
Time: 6:45 p.m.
Hosted by Stephen Reginald

To Be or Not to Be (1942) During the Nazi occupation of Poland, an acting troupe bands together to outwit their occupiers. Carole Lombard and Jack Benny are the Turas, the husband and wife theatrical team and two of Poland's most famous celebrities. Directed by the legendary Ernst Lubitsch who successfully combines zany comedy with poignant dramatic moments. The supporting cast includes, Robert Stack, Felix Bressart, Lionel Atwill, and Sig Ruman. This was Lombard's last film.

Carole Lombard 

Have some Joe and Enjoy the Show!

You can bring food and beverages into the auditorium; we even have small tables set up next to some of the seats. General Admission: $5 Students and Senior Citizens: $3.

Join the Chicago Film club; join the discussion

Twice a month we screen classic films and have a brief discussion afterward. For more information, including how to join (it’s free), click here. The Venue 1550 is easily accessible by the CTA. Please visit Transit Chicago for more information on transportation options.

Stephen Reginald is a freelance writer and editor. He has worked at various positions within the publishing industry for over 25 years. Most recently he was executive editor for McGraw-Hill’s The Learning Group Division. A long-time amateur student of film, Reginald hosts “Chicago Film Club,” a monthly movie event held in the South Loop, for the past two years. Reginald has also taught several adult education film classes at Facets Film School, Chicago.

Ernst Lubitsch, "To Be or Not To Be," and Lombard's last impression

Coming to America

Director Ernst Lubitsch left his native Germany in 1922 at the invitation of silent-screen legend Mary Pickford. He directed Pickford in two popular films, Rosita (1923) and The Marriage Circle (1924). Right from the start, his American films had a quality, polish, and sophistication that seemed fresh and new. Audiences loved the "Lubitsch touch" and his career in Hollywood prospered. When talking pictures took hold, Lubitsch adapted immediately without missing a beat.

Hollywood fights back

In 1935, Lubitsch's German citizenship was erased by the Nazis. Like many Europeans living in America, Lubitsch was horrified by the rise of Adolf Hitler and his ever-increasing stranglehold on his home continent. During the late 1930s the war in Europe was heating up and Lubitsch thought the time was right for a satire about Hitler and the Nazis. After all, The Great Dictator (1940), written and directed by Charles Chaplin was a huge hit. Surely Lubitsch with his talent for comedy would be able to be equally successful with To Be or Not To Be (1942).

Show me the money

At this point in his career, Lubitsch was working independently, without the backing of a major studio. As an independent, he had to obtain funding to make To Be or Not To Be, as well as work out a distribution agreement. From the beginning, the movie was meant to be a star vehicle for Jack Benny. Benny was a superstar on the radio, but his movie career never matched his radio success. To help secure financing, Benny actively courted Lombard to star opposite him. Lubitsch, anxious to work with Lombard didn't think the part was large enough to interest her. Surprisingly, Lombard loved the script. The fact that she would be part of an ensemble cast rather than being the "star" didn't seem to matter. Additionally, Lombard thought that with the rumors of a World War on everyone's mind, a satire like To Be or Not To Be would help in the fight against the Axis powers.

Together again: Lubitsch and Lombard

With Lombard onboard, the financing was guaranteed and production started in October 1941. From all accounts, the filming was a pleasant experience for Lombard and all of the cast. Benny loved working with Lombard and she helped him get past his anxiety about working with a director of Lubitsch's stature. Once again, Lubitsch allowed Lombard to act as uncredited producer, just like he did during the filming of Hands Across the Table, when he was in charge of production at Paramount six years earlier.

Remember Pearl Harbor
During the filming of To Be or Not To Be, Pearl Harbor was attacked and the United States entered World War II. The mood of the country was somber with American casualties mounting on a daily basis. Americans feared invasion from Japan, especially those on the west coast, which included Hollywood. Ever the patriot, Lombard wrote President Roosevelt to ask what she and her husband, Clark Gable, could do? His response: keep making movies to keep people's spirits up.

War bond tour

Not one to sit by the sidelines, Lombard went on a war bond rally on January 12, including a huge drive in her native state, Indiana. The goal was to sell $500,000 worth of bonds, but Lombard's enthusiasm and star power brought that total above $2 million! After a hectic bond-selling schedule (so hectic in fact that a January 14, 1942 stop in Chicago generated an article in the Chicago Tribune entitled "A Whirlwind! It Was Carole on Chicago Visit"), Lombard wanted to fly back to California, instead of taking the train as originally planned. She was anxious to see her husband and didn't want to waste the time on the train. Traveling with her mother, Elizabeth Peters and MGM press agent Otto Winkler, Lombard tried to convince her traveling companions that flying home was their best option. Peters and Winkler were against flying, but Lombard prevailed.

California bound
After a brief refueling stop in Las Vegas, the DC-3 plane that Lombard and 21 others occupied, took off for the west coast on January 16. They never made it home. The plane, flying too low, slammed into a mountain not far from the Las Vegas airport. Everyone on board was killed instantly.

Farewell to the screwball girl

On January 21 at 4 p.m., funeral services were held for Lombard and her mother at the Hilltop Church of the Recessional in Forest Lawn cemetery, Glendale, CA. According to Lombard's wishes, her funeral was simple with mostly family and friends in attendance. As reported in the January 22 edition of the Chicago Tribune, those present included "...Mr.and Mrs. Spencer Tracy, Jack Benny, Mr. and Mrs. Ernst Lubitsch, ... the William Powells, Louis B. Mayer, ...and the Fred MacMurrays."

To Be or Not To Be released

Lombard's last movie was met with generally good reviews, but audiences weren't flocking to see it. It's hard to know why, since today, To Be or Not To Be is considered a classic. More than sixty years after its release, the American Film Institute in it's list of the one hundred funniest films of all time, ranked it at forty-nine. Some people thought the black humor was too much for wartime audiences. New York Times critic, Bosley Crowther wrote in his March 7, 1942 review, "To say it is callous and macabre is understating the case." Other period reviews were positive: "It's an acting triumph for Lombard, who delivers an effortless and highly effective performance..." (Variety).

Lasting legacy
It's sad that a talent like Carole Lombard was taken from us at the height of her career. The plans to make another movie with Lubitsch, Preston Sturges, and Billy Wilder would never be realized. But fortunately for us, she left a body of work that still brings us joy, laughter, and tears.

"A loud cheer for the screwball girl!"