To Be or Not to Be

Set in Warsaw during the German occupation in World War II, this comedy focuses on a theater director and his troupe who become involved in the resistance. The plot follows Frederick Bronski, a mediocre actor whose life is disrupted when the Nazis seize his home. When a Polish pilot arrives on a secret mission to stop a collaborator from betraying the underground movement, Bronski and his fellow actors use their theatrical skills and disguises to deceive the German forces and help their allies escape.

Directed by Alan Johnson, this was the first of two films he directed before making Solarbabies in 1986. The movie stars Mel Brooks as Dr. Frederick Bronski, alongside Anne Bancroft as Anna Bronski, Tim Matheson as Lt. Andre Sobinski, Charles Durning, José Ferrer, and George Gaynes. Produced by 20th Century Fox and Brooksfilms, the production had a budget of 9 million USD and earned 13 million USD at the worldwide box office.

Audience reception is generally positive, with a rating of 6.9/10 on IMDb from 13,000 votes and 6.7/10 on TMDB from 241 votes. These scores are higher than the rating given by film critics, which stands at 6.1/10 based on 22 reviews.