To Be or Not to Be Page #2

Synopsis: In occupied Poland during WWII, a troupe of ham stage actors (led by Joseph Tura and his wife Maria) match wits with the Nazis. A spy has information which would be very damaging to the Polish resistance and they must prevent it's being delivered to the Germans.
Genre: Comedy, War
Director(s): Ernst Lubitsch
Production: United Artists
  Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 2 wins & 1 nomination.
 
IMDB:
8.2
Rotten Tomatoes:
98%
NOT RATED
Year:
1942
99 min
2,283 Views


No card again? That's three nights

in succession. Who is he?

I'm sure this has nothing to do

with me personally.

This man probably loves theater,

an art fanatic.

Someone sitting in the gallery

night after night...

Just one of those poor boys

who can't afford a ticket...

but inherited a lot of flowers

and is trying to get rid of them.

Three nights in a row.

Even Shakespeare couldn't see Hamlet

three nights in succession.

You forget you're playing Hamlet.

- That's right.

Mr. Tura on stage!

Maria, darling,

I'm going into my big scene.

Joseph, sweetheart,

I swear I don't know who it is.

Thanks, darling.

It's true, Anna, I don't know who it is.

But I'm positive who it might be.

You mean that young aviator?

- Yes, he's very young.

He's in the second row again.

He gets better-looking every night.

Don't misunderstand me.

I love my husband dearly, and why not?

He's wonderful.

Only he gets so unreasonable,

so upset about little things.

Like the little thing in the second row.

Waiting for an answer.

"Lt. Stanislav Sobinski."

I was right, it is a young aviator.

Is he suffering very much?

- Yes, he had to break his silence.

He couldn't bear it any longer?

- No, he couldn't.

Poor little thing.

- He's just a mere boy.

Oh, no. - What's he want

you to do, adopt him?

He's dying to see me,

even if it's just for a minute.

Of course I won't. Definitely not.

Yet, I don't like to be rude to him.

I think it's a mistake to ignore people

who admire one and buy the tickets...

Darling, don't waste any more time

with excuses.

If you want to see him,

see him while he's still young.

Yes, I think I owe it to my public.

Dear Lieutenant...

Wait till you see him, Anna.

Unfortunately my time

is completely taken up.

But if you insist on seeing me,

come back to my dressing room...

when Hamlet goes into his soliloquy,

"To be or not to be."

How does it sound?

- Safe.

"O heavy burden!"

"I hear him coming.!

"Let's withdraw, my lord."

"To be, or not to be.."

"That is..."

"That is the question."

"Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer"

"The slings and arrows

of outrageous fortune...

"Or to take arms..."

Thank you, Mrs. Tura, for receiving me.

If you knew how I was looking forward

to this moment...

And now you're probably disappointed.

- Mrs. Tura.

Please sit down.

- Thank you.

So you are the gentleman that sent me

those lovely flowers. Thank you.

Somehow, I pictured you quite differently

as a dignified old gentleman.

And now I see you...

I wonder if it was the right thing

to ask you back here.

You see, I never see strangers

in my dressing room.

But you are no stranger to me.

I've seen you in everything you've played.

I'll never forget how I laughed

when I saw you as Kiki.

Some people thought I was funny.

But you certainly weren't funny

when you played Lady Macbeth.

Thank you.

- I was really scared of you that night.

Of poor little me? I wouldn't hurt a fly.

Or a goldfish. By the way, how is he?

Who? - The goldfish.

What goldfish?

- The one you're so attached to.

You see, I read all your interviews.

Oh, yes, of course.

When I saw that picture of you

at the farm, behind the plough...

By the way, where was that?

- In The Chronicle.

No, I mean, where is the farm?

No, I think we've talked

much too much about me.

Tell me about yourself.

There isn't much to tell.

I just fly a bomber.

How perfectly thrilling.

I don't know about its being thrilling,

but it's quite a bomber.

You may not believe it, but I can drop

three tons of dynamite in two minutes.

Really?

- Does that interest you?

It certainly does.

I don't want to overstep myself,

but I'll take a chance.

Would you permit me

to show you my plane?

Maybe.

- When shall I call for you?

Tomorrow at 2:
00 at my home.

No, I'd better meet you

right at the airport.

Goodbye.

I hope you forgive me

if I acted a little clumsy...

but this is the first time

I ever met an actress.

Lieutenant, this is the first time

I've ever met a man...

who could drop three tons of dynamite

in two minutes. Bye.

Bye.

Tomorrow at 2:
00,

I'm gonna look down on Warsaw.

He's gonna take me up

10,000 feet in the air.

There's nothing wrong in that, is there?

No, not at all.

As long as Tura doesn't find out.

After all, what a husband doesn't know

won't hurt his wife.

It happened.

What every actor dreads.

What, darling? What?

Someone walked out on me.

Tell me, Maria, am I losing my grip?

Of course not, darling. I'm so sorry.

But he walked out on me.

Maybe he didn't feel well.

Maybe he had to leave.

Maybe he had a sudden heart attack.

I hope so.

- lf he stayed, he might have died.

Maybe he's dead already.

Darling, you're so comforting.

What's going on?

- Hitler's speaking to the Reichstag.

How do you do, Mr. Dobosh?

- How do you do, Doctor?

This is Dr. Voyawski

from the Foreign Office.

How do you do, gentlemen?

I'm afraid I have some bad news for you.

The government feels it would be unwise

to go on with this play.

What?

You mean, we cannot open tonight?

I'm afraid that's what it comes down to.

- But why?

We all have a right to know.

- I know the play has artistic value.

It has much more than that.

That's exactly what the government

is afraid of.

It might offend Hitler.

Well, wouldn't that be too bad.

Have you ever read what he says

about us? Do you ever listen to him?

I'm sorry, gentlemen,

but the order is final.

Joseph Tura and Maria Tura

GESTAPO:

CHANGE OF PROGRAM

Tonight "HAMLET"

"To be, or not to be."

"That is..."

"That is the question!"

"Whether 'tis nobler in the mind"

"To suffer the slings and arrows

of outrageous fortune..."

Anna, I'd like to speak to

Mrs. Tura alone.

Now look, Stanislav, I usually

tell my maid when to leave the room.

I have so much to tell you.

When we're in the plane, we can't talk.

When we're in the tearoom,

we can't do anything but talk.

When we're in the dressing room,

we must be very careful of my makeup.

You know, Maria,

the other day in the plane...

you didn't think I was watching

but I saw you looking at me.

It was a very sympathetic look, I thought.

I had the feeling you like me.

Was I wrong?

No, not at all, Stanislav.

Tell me, Maria. Be

frank. You still like me?

Well, of course.

You still like me, huh?

You think you'll always like me?

I don't see any reason why not.

That's wonderful.

What are we going to do

with your husband?

What?

- We must tell him, of course.

Tell him what?

That we love each other,

that we're mad about each other.

He has no right to stand in our way.

I'm sure he'll realize the situation.

So will Mr. Dobosh.

Dobosh? Where does he come in?

- You don't want to stay on the stage?

I wouldn't let you.

You're tired of it, anyway.

You want to live a quiet life.

You said so in The Chronicle.

Darling, you're really

going to enjoy that farm now.

You won't have to use that plough.

I'll buy you a tractor.

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Edwin Justus Mayer

Edwin Justus Mayer (November 8, 1896 – September 11, 1960) was an American screenwriter. He wrote or co-wrote the screenplays for 47 films between 1927 and 1958. Edwin Justus Mayer worked on many screenplays but he is remembered now for his work with Ernst Lubitsch. He worked with Lubitsch on the scripts for To Be or Not to Be (1942) and A Royal Scandal (1945). A Royal Scandal (1945) did poorly at the box office, but is considered by many as one of Lubitsch's finest films. more…

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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