Released – March, 1942 

Directed By - Ernst Lubitsch

Starring – Carole Lombard (Maria Tura), Jack Benny (Joseph Tura), Robert Stack (Lt. Stanislav Sobinski), Felix Bressart (Greenberg), Lionel Atwill (Rawitch).

Description – The efforts of a Polish soldier to track down a Nazi spy are aided (sort of) by a troupe of ham stage actors who use their skill at disguise to fool the occupying troops in Poland.

The Nazi spy has information that would hurt the Polish resistance and this information must not make it into German hands.

Enjoy this comedic exercise in espionage which caused considerable controversy when released.

NOTABLE: In 1996 this film was chosen for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.

This motion picture received one Oscar nomination for Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or comedy picture.

Director Lubitsch never considered another actor for the role of Joseph Tura beside Jack Benny and had developed the character with Benny in mind.

Although Director Lubitsch was heavily critisized, and his career hurt  for this satire about Nazi’s, this film is now regarded as one of his best.

Sadly, actress Carole Lombard was killed in a plane crash during post-production of the film. She had been returning from a tour selling war bonds.

In 2006 Premiere voted this film as one of “The 50 Greatest Comedies of All Time.” 

To Be or Not to Be

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January, 1942 – Actress Carole Lombard, beautiful, talented, and far too young to die, was killed in a Sierra, Nevada mountain plane crash last evening. She was 34. All 19 passengers on board were killed. They included the stars mother and press agent. Lombard was returning from a very successful tour promoting the sale of War Bonds. 

In 1937 Carole Lombard was nominated for an Academy Award in the category Best Actress in a Leading Role for her performance in the screwbal comedy My Man Godfrey opposite her ex-husband William Powell who received the Best Actor nomination.

At that time, Lombard was the highest paid actress in Hollywood. Her final role was in the now famous Ernst Lubitsch production of To Be or Not To Be, the strong anti-Nazi film completed just after the bombing at Pearl Harbor.

In 1939, after a long courtship, Carole Lombard married fellow Hollywood superstar Clark Gable.