To Be A Bit of Silliness

 To Be Or Not To Be (1942) – As World War II begins, a Polish acting company is drawn into the underground fighting the Nazis.  Led by a conceited and jealous husband (Benny) and his beautiful wife (Lombard) they put a dramatic (and comic) flair to the hunt for a spy.

Directed by Ernst Lubitsch          Starring- Jack Benny, Carole Lombard, Robert Stack, Sig Ruman

Why I Liked It – Some good old fashioned light comedy

Jack Benny was one of the biggest names in entertainment for decades.  His work in radio and television shaped much of the modern sitcom.  In all of that, his movie career was a side note.  In “To Be or Not To Be” he gets the benefit of working with one of the greatest comedic talents of the day, Carole Lombard.  Add in the skilled directorial touch of Ernst Lubitsch, and Benny could not be in better company.  What we get in return is a fun story with just enough adventure, romance, and comedy.

Having said that, I believe that this movie is held in higher esteem than it earns because it was Lombard’s last film.  She died in a plane crash a month before the movie debuted.  She was the height of her career, and married to the biggest star in Hollywood, Clark Gable.  Her death was a shock to her audience.  The movie was not a success at the time.  Two years earlier, Charlie Chaplin has satirized the entire ideology of fascism in “The Great Dictator”.  It was his biggest commercial success.  So why did this movie get such negative reviews two years later?  Hard to say, but the light and frothy comic approach here may be to blame.  Modern critics love the movie, and it carries a 96% on Rotten Tomatoes.  I don’t see it.  It’s a fun little movie, but not much beyond that for me.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s fun.  The role as the vain, insecure Joseph Tura is prime Benny.  The satire takes aim, in a gentler spirit, at the world of actors as well as the Nazis.  Lombard takes center stage with ease, playing on a thin romance with Robert Stack, that gives Benny something to flutter around.  The rest of the cast does a serviceable job with veteran character actor Sig Ruman playing the affably incompetent Nazi colonel.  Polished, smooth and expertly put together, the movie never took off for me.  Lombard doesn’t get to stretch her immense gifts for comedy, Benny was too much in the background, and the whole thing was just…nice.

Looking for some fun for a quiet spot in your schedule?  This movie will fill the bill nicely.

Rating – *** Worth A Look