Warner Bros. Releasing To Be Or Not To Be on dvd 3/1/05

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Postby shimp scrampi » Thu Dec 01, 2005 12:20 pm

Had Carole Lombard not died, I like to think she would have guested at least once or twice on the Benny show to promote the movie, that would have been great! She was so talented and equally adept at comedy and drama - I would have loved to have heard her interacting with Phil and Dennis and the gang. Sad even now to think about her being killed, so much unrealized potential.
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Postby Roman » Thu Dec 01, 2005 12:45 pm

LLeff, I'm sure you're right about Carole Lombard's death being the reason after the movie's release. But did the movie open just after or just before her death? In any case, it was right around that time.

But I do think there was a difference in how Jack promoted this movie in the weeks and months before its release and the way he promoted his other movies. For one thing, Jack wasn't up-front at all about the content or theme of To Be or Not to Be. The few references he made to it made it sound like it was a light love story between him and Carole (with his usual jokes about what a great screen lover he was). In all of his other movies, he discussed the plot in far greater detail. I may be wrong but I do think that there was far greater sensitivity/nervousness about the plot of To Be or Not to Be in pre-Pearl Harbor America than any of his other movies before or after.

The cast didn't joke so much about the poor quality of Jack's movies as make fun of Jack's pretensions about being a serious actor or a great screen lover, and especially his efforts to drag his dates to see his movies. But they made it sound like the movies were actually a lot of fun - which, after all, was exactly Jack's and the studios' intention.
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Postby shimp scrampi » Thu Dec 01, 2005 1:36 pm

TBONTB was released in March of 1942 - well after Pearl Harbor, and Carole Lombard died Jan 16th of 1942.
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TBONTB

Postby Alan » Thu Dec 01, 2005 6:36 pm

My perception of radio show references and later written comments is that it was very much out of feelings and respect for Lombard that TBONTB was never treated the same way as other JB films.

Personnally, one of my appreciations for JB+crew is that irreverant as they could were, they still were demonstrably empathetic for bigger than show biz issues.

I vaguely recall an anecdote i read about JB's post-Lombard tragedy comment; he said that even though they say the show must go on, sometimes you just can't.

Coincidentally, I'm not particularly into "classic" movies (i've never seen any JB features, and TBONTB will be the 1st that i will actively seek out), but Lombard would be my pick for fave pre-60's actor.

I have read a couple of speculations about Lombard had her life not been been short in the war effort(basically, agreeing that she was THE best of her generation and more...)........

But "WHAT IF" for JB had Lombard lived, and TBONTB was fully promoted in the short and longer terms?........one of my guesses is that he would have had at least one or a few more "quality" opps...

Alan
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Re: TBONTB

Postby Gerry O. » Fri Dec 02, 2005 3:37 am

Alan wrote:My perception of radio show references and later written comments is that it was very much out of feelings and respect for Lombard that TBONTB was never treated the same way as other JB films.

Personnally, one of my appreciations for JB+crew is that irreverant as they could were, they still were demonstrably empathetic for bigger than show biz issues.

I vaguely recall an anecdote i read about JB's post-Lombard tragedy comment; he said that even though they say the show must go on, sometimes you just can't.

Coincidentally, I'm not particularly into "classic" movies (i've never seen any JB features, and TBONTB will be the 1st that i will actively seek out), but Lombard would be my pick for fave pre-60's actor.

I have read a couple of speculations about Lombard had her life not been been short in the war effort(basically, agreeing that she was THE best of her generation and more...)........

But "WHAT IF" for JB had Lombard lived, and TBONTB was fully promoted in the short and longer terms?........one of my guesses is that he would have had at least one or a few more "quality" opps...

Alan


Carole Lombard was a very versatile actress, and she HATED being referred to as a "comedienne". Whenever she noticed that she was making too many comedies in succession, she would pressure the studio to let her star in a dramatic film like "Made For Each Other" or "In Name Only".

Carole had a terrific (if somewhat raunchy) sense of humor, and she was the idol of a young starlet named Lucille Ball. Carole and Lucy became great friends, and the two actresses shared many a raucous laugh together. Lucy was one of those people who were deeply crushed when Carole passed away.
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Postby Alan » Fri Jun 09, 2006 7:14 pm

Well, i finally saw TBONTB a month ago;

IMO; while not 5-star, certainly an awesome 9-out-of-ten, (and must see for any JB fan ).

For Lombard (and classic movie) "essentials", i would still first nominate "Twentieth Century" and "My Man Godfrey"...and to a slightly lesser extent, "Nothing sacred."

I was VERY pleasantly surprised by the TBONTB DVD's extra of the JB short (IIRC) "The Rounder"....i am holding off on re-watching it for a while longer; i felt it was a gem and an incredible example of earlier-JB's drier/sardonic delivery/persona.
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