Episode 399: To Be or Not To Be (1942)

The Projection Booth Podcast

The Projection Booth

Film Reviews, Film Interviews, Film History, Tv & Film

4.8 • 686 Ratings

🗓️ 15 January 2019

⏱️ 131 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

We conclude our discussion about Ernst Lubitsch with a discussion of his 1942 film To Be or Not To Be, the story of Joseph and Maria Tura (Jack Benny and Carole Lombard), two actors in Poland who are in a current run of Shakespeare’s Hamlet though working on a new play called Gestapo. The new play never happens on stage but they’re able to act it out in real life after Poland falls to the Nazis. The film is one of the first films to openly lampoon Nazis, made in a time before Pearl Harbor -- though released afterward -- in a time when mocking Nazis wasn’t as acceptable as it should have been.

Recorded at the studios of Podcast Detroit, Paula Guthat, Ken Stanley, and Lutz Bacher join Mike to talk about this stellar comedy of manners. In the first of a two-part interview, Joseph McBride talks about his latest book, How Did Lubitsch Do It?
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-projection-booth-podcast--5513239/support.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	You're listening to an Airwave Media podcast.
0:04.5	Christopher Media. Let's make some noise.
0:28.1	To be a lot. To Be or Not To Be is truly an outstanding motion picture,
0:32.7	an exciting romantic comedy key to an ever-mounting tempo of suspense.
0:37.4	To Be or Not To Be brings you the screen's beloved star, Carol Lombard, in the kind of role that won her the applause of million.
0:41.3	And, that mirth maker of the movies, that Casanova of the radio, your favorite comedian, Jack Benny, in something entirely new, something surprisingly different, and it's hilarious all the way.
0:54.6	To Be or Not To Be is a swift-moving comedy melodrama,
0:58.0	enriched by the magic that sparkles in every Ernst Blubitz production.
1:02.3	It's the picture everyone will want to see.
1:04.6	The picture everyone will want to see. Welcome to the projection booth.
1:28.9	I'm your host, Mike White.
1:29.9	Join me once again is Ms. Paula Gutthett.
1:32.4	Hi, Mike.
1:32.9	Thanks for having me back.
1:34.1	Also back with us is Mr. Ken Stanley.
1:36.6	Hi there.
1:37.5	And joining us as Mr. Lutzbacker.
1:40.2	Good to be here for all this Lubbich stuff.
1:43.2	It's a Lubits Palooza.
1:45.4	This week on the projection booth, we are concluding our discussion of Ernst Lubitsch
1:49.6	with a talk about his 1942 film, To Be or Not to Be.
1:53.9	It's the story of Joseph and Maria Tura, two actors in Poland who are in a current run of Shakespeare's Hamlet,
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from The Projection Booth, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of The Projection Booth and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.