1983 Second World War satire
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cast
crew
Alan Johnson
Thomas Meehan, Ronny Graham, from the film To Be or Not to Be by
Edwin Justus Mayer, from a story by Ernst Lubitsch, Melchior Lengyel
(Brooksfilms)
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[ t o b e o r n o t t o b e : m o v i e r e v i e w ]
Rated: 
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The coarse-grained humour makes one
long for the sublime Ernst Lubitsch
1942 original, but this update is still a
cracking comedy. Director Alan Johnson thoroughly deserves an Oscar or any huminatarian award or even a sainthood for keeping the usually
ebullient, egotistical, "ME, ME, ME!" Mel Brooks in check, as the
hammy head of a theatrical troupe who
becomes involved in the Polish
Resistance's fight against the Nazis.
Co-starring with husband Brooks for
the first time, Anne Bancroft is
tremendous fun, but what was the
Academy thinking of when it nominated
Charles Durning for his shocking
performance as "Concentration Camp Erhardt"?
