To Be or Not to Be

Name: To Be or Not to Be
Genre: Comedy, War, Romance
Released: 1942-03-06
Duration: 1 h 39 min
Rating: 7.8
Cast: Carole Lombard, Jack Benny, Robert Stack, Felix Bressart, Lionel Atwill

1942·Movie·NR·99 min·★ 7.8(839)

ComedyWarRomance More English titles

“The Picture Everyone Wants to See”

During the Nazi occupation of Poland, an acting troupe becomes embroiled in a Polish soldier's efforts to track down a German spy.

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Where to watch To Be or Not to Be in United States

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Click a service to open To Be or Not to Be there. Availability last verified on July 11, 2026.

Where is To Be or Not to Be streaming around the world?

Country	Streaming on	Rent / Buy
United States	HBO Max Amazon Channel, YouTube TV, Criterion Channel, Philo	Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies
Germany	WOW, Sky Go, Wow Fiction Amazon Channel	Apple TV Store
France	Molotov TV, Cine+ OCS Amazon Channel , SFR Play	Apple TV Store, Canal VOD, Orange VOD
Spain	Filmin	—
Brazil	Belas Artes à La Carte	—
Japan	Amazon Prime Video, FOD Channel Amazon Channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, FOD	Amazon Video

About To Be or Not to Be

To Be or Not to Be is a 1942 English-language comedy, war and romance film directed by Ernst Lubitsch. The cast is led by Carole Lombard, Jack Benny, Robert Stack. It has a runtime of 1h 39m. Viewers rate it 7.8/10 across 800 ratings. In United States, it is currently streaming on HBO Max Amazon Channel, YouTube TV, Criterion Channel.

To Be or Not to Be was produced by Romaine Film Corporation and made in United States of America. It was released on March 6, 1942, and carries a NR certification. Made on a budget of about $1 million, it went on to gross $2 million worldwide.

Director: Ernst Lubitsch
Writers: Melchior Lengyel, Edwin Justus Mayer
Release date: March 6, 1942
Original language: English
Age rating: NR
Status: Released
Country: United States of America
Budget: $1 million
Box office: $2 million
Production: Romaine Film Corporation

#infidelity#london, england#airplane#nazi#love triangle#espionage#warsaw ghetto#jewish ghetto#polish resistance#parachuting#military officer#world war ii#dark comedy#black and white

To Be or Not to Be cast & crew

To Be or Not to Be was directed by Ernst Lubitsch and written by Melchior Lengyel and Edwin Justus Mayer.

The cast features Carole Lombard as Maria Tura, Jack Benny as Joseph Tura, Robert Stack as Lieut. Stanislav Sobinski, Felix Bressart as Greenberg, Lionel Atwill as Rawitch, and Stanley Ridges as Professor Alexander Siletsky.

Behind the camera, the score was composed by Werner R. Heymann, cinematography is by Rudolph Maté, and it was produced by Ernst Lubitsch.

Is To Be or Not to Be worth watching?

To Be or Not to Be holds an audience score of 7.8/10 from 839 ratings, marking it as well-reviewed comedy films.

At 1h 39m, it's an easy, time-light watch.

If you enjoy comedy, war, and romance, To Be or Not to Be is worth a place on your watchlist.

How and where to watch To Be or Not to Be

In United States, you can stream To Be or Not to Be on HBO Max Amazon Channel, YouTube TV, Criterion Channel, Philo, and HBO Max, or rent and buy it on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, and YouTube. Click any service above to open it directly.

Streaming rights change country by country and month by month, so the options above reflect United States today — switch your country at the top of the where-to-watch section to see availability elsewhere.