I was genuinely shocked when the movie began to see Jack Benny in a Nazi uniform and thought how inappropriate that casting decision was, right until it was revealed he was taking part in a documentary on Nazi Germany. So with a sigh of relief, I settled back to enjoy this humorous treatment with Carole Lombard portraying Benny's wife as the couple, Joseph and Maria Tura, became part of the Polish underground in 1939 Warsaw, right on the brink of World War II. I always wonder how films like this might have been received by audiences of the time, realizing that war was imminent, and whether or not the viewing public had reservations about seeing a film treating such a serious topic with humor. In director Ernst Lubitsch's case, he handled the issue with a unique balance of political satire, romance, slapstick and wartime suspense, and if anything, the picture might be even better received today than back in the era in which it was made.
Third billed in the film is Robert Stack as a Polish soldier infatuated with Maria Tura, thereby creating a bit of tension for Jack Benny's character in the early going. This situation ultimately turns to naught as Benny assumes a variety of impersonations to foil messages being carried by a German spy to Nazi headquarters. I was a fan of Jack Benny, mostly during his 1950's television show era, and it's uncanny how he affects so many of his typical stage gestures and mannerisms as an actor, along with the recognizable speech pattern. Not to mention the way he obsesses over his 'greatness' as an actor, another aspect of his comic persona.
As someone of Polish descent myself, I kept a watchful eye on all of the English to Polish translations utilized in the film and they were handled pretty well. Things like notices at the Polish Theater and gender postings on the restroom doors. I only mention that because I got the biggest kick out of being able to read them. The picture probably could have thrown in a few standard colloquialisms to good effect, but I didn't notice any.
If you like this film's subject matter, that is, a mocking comic treatment of the wartime Nazi regime, you might also look up another film from 1942 that takes place on American soil. It's called "All Through the Night", and has a cast headed by Humphrey Bogart and Conrad Veidt, dealing with Broadway gamblers who turn patriotic when they stumble onto a cell of Nazi saboteurs. It's about as silly a story as this one, but with a great supporting cast that includes Peter Lorre, Phil Silvers and Jackie Gleason.
Third billed in the film is Robert Stack as a Polish soldier infatuated with Maria Tura, thereby creating a bit of tension for Jack Benny's character in the early going. This situation ultimately turns to naught as Benny assumes a variety of impersonations to foil messages being carried by a German spy to Nazi headquarters. I was a fan of Jack Benny, mostly during his 1950's television show era, and it's uncanny how he affects so many of his typical stage gestures and mannerisms as an actor, along with the recognizable speech pattern. Not to mention the way he obsesses over his 'greatness' as an actor, another aspect of his comic persona.
As someone of Polish descent myself, I kept a watchful eye on all of the English to Polish translations utilized in the film and they were handled pretty well. Things like notices at the Polish Theater and gender postings on the restroom doors. I only mention that because I got the biggest kick out of being able to read them. The picture probably could have thrown in a few standard colloquialisms to good effect, but I didn't notice any.
If you like this film's subject matter, that is, a mocking comic treatment of the wartime Nazi regime, you might also look up another film from 1942 that takes place on American soil. It's called "All Through the Night", and has a cast headed by Humphrey Bogart and Conrad Veidt, dealing with Broadway gamblers who turn patriotic when they stumble onto a cell of Nazi saboteurs. It's about as silly a story as this one, but with a great supporting cast that includes Peter Lorre, Phil Silvers and Jackie Gleason.