"Gentlemen, you can't fight in here. This is the War Room!" I love this movie and its main star, Peter Sellers. One of the greatest comedic actors of all time.
Jimmy...Peter Sellers played Mandrake, the President, and Dr. Strangelove. Glad you liked this movie. I've always loved it and think it's brilliant. You should check out Fail Safe....it's the serious version of the same story. They're both based on the same book.
He also did a fine comedic turn in _They_ _Might_ _Be_ _Giants_ with Joanne Woodward, in which he played a man under the delusion that he was Sherlock Holmes. Most folks only remember him in _Patton_ of course, for which he won, but refused to accept, the Best Actor in a Leading Role Oscar.
The character of Strangelove is a commentary on the "acceptance" of nazi scientists after the war. I always took his walking as the energy he gets from devising such a diabolical plan. George C Scott (Buck Turgidson) wanted to play the part more subtly. Kubrick asked him to include one over-the-top -take of each scene. Then, he simply used all the over-the-top takes. Scott was angry, but it was clearly the correct decision. He's awesome in this.
I didn't know that about the over-the-top takes, but it makes a lot of sense. George C Scott is so charged up in this role and I don't believe I ever saw him give another performance pitched quite so high. It's just perfect.
The woman who played George C. Scott's secretary was also the centerfold in the Playboy Slim Pickens is looking through at the beginning. Another tidbit, the first time Kubrick and Arthur Clarke met to discuss collaberating on 2001: A Space Odyssey they witnessed a UFO. Clarke asked Kubrick if he wanted to report it to the Air Force. Kubrick responded "after Dr. Strangelove I doubt the Air Force would want to talk to me."
"...I'm not say'n we wouldn't get our hair mussed!" Always loved George C. Scott delivering that line. Still wickedly funny after all these years - but, the human foibles it mocks never go away. It amazes me that Sellers played President Muffley, Cmdr Mandrake and Dr. Strangelove. Such an interesting actor.
The greatest black comedy ever made. Not only one of the funniest movies of all time, but also one of the *scariest* movies of all time. Another Kubrick masterpiece.
Peter Sellers played 3 roles in the movie: Capt. Mandrake, President Mufflin and Dr Strangelove. He did 3 different comedy performances and nailed them all perfectly.
Recasting roles sometimes give us the best matches for the role. Major Kong was originally intended as another one of Peter Sellers' multiple roles, but he couldn't function in the small quarters they were filming, so Kong was recast with minor cowboy actor Slim Pickens--who became major league overnight. Pickens said that because of Strangelove he went on sets from "hey, you!" to "Mr Pickens". Watching Strangelove now, it's impossible to imagine anyone else in the role of Kong. When Kubrick went on to make The Shining, he intended the part of the chef Halloran to be played by Pickens. But Pickens remembered how arduous it was working for Kubrick, and insisted on a clause in his contract that limited retakes to no more than 100. The script got passed to Scatman Crothers' agent, and now we can't imagine anyone else playing the role.
Slim Pickens, born Louis Burton "Burt" Lindley Jr., got his stage name when he, early on, auditioned to be a rodeo performer. The skeptical rodeo manager initially told him that there would be "slim pickin's" (i.e. little chance of any prize money) for his efforts.
I was 13 when this movie was released. The Cold War was terrifying. (The Cuban Missile Crisis had happened two years before.) There really were people who believed fluoridation was a communist plot, and many of us thought there were military commanders who believed it. It seemed the whole world was going insane. So this movie was a very twisted comedy. Making fun of the extreme Right was the only way to deal with it. As for Mary Tyler Moore: in 1980, she starred in the movie version of Ordinary People. Her character was the diametric opposite of Laura Petrie and Mary Richards. She was playing an extremely uptight lady, and she was almost frightening. She did it so well, the viewer forgot that she had ever played a lighthearted, lovable character. Her performance was really something to see, and I recommend the movie.
You know Oliver Stone watched this movie with Vladimir Putin and gave it to him afterwards as a gift. He initially forgot it was still in the player, however, and gave Putin an empty DVD case, which Putin opened as he walked away. When he walked into the next room and opened the case, only to find it empty, he remarked that it was a "typical American gift". I don't have any particular rhetorical point behind telling this anecdote, I just think that in the off chance we live in a timeline where that man murders us all it could be a fun anecdote to remember in your last moments of existence.
(EDIT: *I mean in the timeline where Putin kills us all. I guess it could be a fun thing to remember in the timeline where Oliver Stone kills us all as well, but I don't know if that particular timeline needs any comedic enhancement.)
That reminds me it might be a good time to finally watch those Putin interviews Stone did. Might get a clue into whether Putin is completely serius about that orthodox god worshup thing. If he's for real, then using nukes is far more likely in that "timeline".
Lot of great moments and performances in this. If I'm being honest my favorite character is the Colonel towards the end that keeps going on about "preversions" and answering to the Coca Cola Company 😂
The Strangelove character is such a weird, ghoulish entity. Perfect physical representation of the mindset of people who would have no problem wiping millions off the map.
I tried to watch "Eyes Wide Shut," but by the "minimum 30 minute mark," I was bored and turned off the DVR. My idea of an (similarly) off-kilter "Christmas movie" Is Bruce Willis' "Die Hard" (1988). (Or "Christmas at Ground Zero" by "Weird Al" Yankovic.;)
This and 2001 are my favorite Kubrick films. Fun Factoids...The general's "secretary" is also the centerfold in the Playboy magazine on board the plane...& You can see the Russian Ambassador nearly laugh while Strangelove is on a rant at the end. The novel Fail-Safe (on which the film is based) is so similar to Red Alert that Peter George sued on charges of plagiarism and settled out of court. We must all hold on the our Precious Bodily Fluids.
This is honestly one of my favorite movies ever. The phone call between the president and Dimitri is never not funny. Fun fact, the radio device is the CRM-114. Hence why the substance that Alex is injected with in A Clockwork Orange is “Serum 114”.
Allegedly George C Scott, the actor who played General "Buck" Turgidson, didn't want to look too silly on camera. Kubrick assured him that he would not use certain takes and urged him to be ridiculous. Unfortunately for Scott but fortunately for us Kubrick went back on his word and used the footage, giving us this gem of a performance.
There's a movie called "Fail Safe" that came out right around when this one did, it's a really similar plot but played completely straight. It's a decent movie, but Dr. Strangelove is so iconic that it kind of gets lost in the discussion. I love this movie. It's interesting how some of the odder concepts, such as the supposed sanctity of "pure bodily fluids," have come back around (Ripper could have a decent following on the supplement-shilling corners of TikTok with that theory.) This is also one of the few pieces of media from the era that suggested perhaps it was not such a great idea to have literal Nazi scientists in charge of national defense! Great reaction. I agree that Peter Sellers and George C. Scott are absolutely amazing in this movie; both create really iconic performances.
Jimmy!! Don't tell me you missed the fact that Sellars was playing Mandrake, the President, and Dr. Strangelove! He being all three characters is one of the greatest things about this film. Great reaction. Plus every guy over 35 has a crush on Mary Tyler Moore. Be proud about it.
The filmography of the black and white filming. Is superb. The use of shadows and even cigarette smoke give the file an Ominous feeling that a color flick would never have given
General Ripper was in part inspired by the then head of the USAF and the architect of Strategic Air Command. In 1968 he was the Vice President running mate for Segregationist Wallace, post his USAF career.
"bomb em back to the Stone Age" Curtis Lemay. Yeah, an old soldier who could have chosen to just fade away, but spoiled his legacy by pushing policy and opting to hitch his stars to reprehensible politics.
Oh boy...this can go either way. Folks who do not remember the Cold War may or may not "get" this one...and I wonder if he will notice Sellers in all three different roles? Most of all, will he get the Merkin Muffley joke?😜😁 Oh...and everybody look for the out of place shadows of the B-17 camera plane that Kubrick left in.💯😂 And I do home that Jimmy will react to Sidney Lumet's incredible film Fail Safe...the serious counterpoint to this black comedy.👍
Peter Sellers' timing, which Jimmy mentioned at the end of his review, is legendary. There are very few comics these days or even of the last two or three generations that had his almost preternatural and god-like metronomic timing sense.
Peter Seller was a comedy genius. This is a great film but he is well known from the Pink Panther films. He is unbelievably funny. Check out either the Pink Panther or A Shot in the Dark where he play Inspector Clouseau. You will love it.
Great reaction! Would love to see you react to "Being There" also starring Peter Sellers and the movie makes subtle references to Kubrick. Genius movie I've never seen any react to.
The Playboy pinup was actually the same performer (Tracy Reed) that plays General Turgidson's secretary, Miss Scott. They're meant to be different characters, however. Reed is the only female in the cast.
This may be my all-time favorite film and it’s so sadly relevant still today. Peter Sellers was originally supposed to play a 4th role, Major Kong, but was injured on set and couldn’t film on the cramped bomber set. Kubrick wanted John Wayne as a replacement but ended up with the perfectly cast Slim Pickens. Kubrick usually took about 4 years to make a film but this was his fastest made movie and his last film before he made 2001. When they were making the film JFK was assassinated in Dallas and they ended up changing Kong’s line to “a fella could have a pretty good weekend in Vegas with all that stuff” from the originally shot “good weekend in Dallas”. I remember learning about the anti-fluoride in the water movement after looking into the whole “bodily fluids” thing - who knew that nowadays this stuff would become popular again. This film is even deeper than you think the more you learn about the historical context in which it was written. E.g. Colonel “Bat” Guano’s comment on answering to the Coca-Cola company highlighting the power of the capitalist even though the end of the world hangs in the balance. The “mineshaft gap” was a reference to the “missile gap” JFK falsely claimed existed between the US and USSR in the 1960 election. The Cuban Middle Crisis also greatly heightened American fear of nuclear weapons. In the 1950’s nuclear weapons were often shown favorably in film e.g. Clint Eastwood nukes the Blob to hell. But after the Cuban Missile Crisis this was the last major film to show a nuclear mushroom cloud for over 10 years.
George C. Scott who plays Turgidson, wanted to play the character straight without the comedy. Kubrick made a deal with him. He could do the straight takes if he did the comic takes as well and which ever was better would be printed. So Scott did the comedy so over the top (he thought) that it would be unusable. And now you know the rest of the story. Did you notice that Sellers plays Mandrake, the President, and Strangelove?
The undertone of sexual frustration and dysfunction, often not subtle, is my favorite part of this movie, and my favorite character name is Gen. 'Buck' Turgidson. 🤣
I love your appreciation of Lionel Mandrake, he is rarely mentioned but he is the only hero in the film and actually succeeds, as far as he's able. The script only said Hi, Demetri and Sellers was left to improvise the whole phone call. Finally, Slim Pickens had a brother, Easy. They adopted their names when they were rodeo stars. Slim showed he could still do it!
Hey, you know you may be right about Miller's Crossing because the Coen Brothers put the recall code (O.P.E.) as graffiti in the men's bathroom in "Raising Arizona"....the movie they made before "Miller's Crossing"! I wonder if they put a Strangelove Easter egg in all their early movies or something! (Great reaction, you definitely "got" it!) I'm sure everyone has told you that the great Peter Sellers plays three roles in this. He's also in Kubrick's previous film, the demented and scandalous (and extremely well-acted) "Lolita".
“The Big Board” was ahead of time; it’s the standard for War Room depictions. Even the D. O. D. copied it. At the time fear of “The Bomb” was real so Kubrick’s joking about it was controversial. Laura Petrie was hot!
Final though before i pause and finish this up tomorrow after work: Jimmy, not sure how familiar you are with George C Scott's other works, but he's been in some FANTASTIC movies. I'd recommend HARDCORE or THE CHANGELING, or even (and maybe especially for next Halloween) EXORCIST 3: LEGION, which was the ONLY good Exorcist sequel, written by and directed by the author of the original Exoricst book, a brilliant guy named William Peter Blatty. You'd enjoy all three films I think.
Peter Sellers plays Mandrake, Dr. Strangelove and the president. George C. Scott gives an over the top performance as Turgidson. Sterling Hayden was perfect as Ripper. Slim Pickens, who played lots cowboy roles, as Major Kong. And, the future Darth Vader, James Earl Jones was part of the bomber's crew.
i hope you watch Kubrick's Barry Lyndon sometime in the near future, 18th century dandy's being OG, you will laugh your ass off at all the right places....oh, and its also one of the most visually beautiful films you will ever watch
Great reaction to a masterclass in satire. Only sad ro see my two favourite lines edited out. 'Gentleman you can't fight in here, this is the War Room!' 'My Fuhrer! I can walk!'
While it isn't the masterpiece Dr. Strangelove is, there's another Cold War movie in which Peter Sellers plays multiple roles called "The Mouse That Roared" that's also worth a watch.
also, in the movie Men in Black III, near the end of the movie, Will Smith leads the little boy back into Cape Canaveral through a corridor labelled CRM-114..........and yes, the late great Peter Sellars played three roles in this movie, GpCapt Mandrake, and the US President, and the demented and hysterically funny Dr Strangelove......brilliant performances in all three instances.......and remember, "Gentlemen, you cant fight in here, this is the War Room!!......"
Kubrick made 1 of each genre and mastered it... this was the comedy... Peter Sellers (the original pink panther) played 3 characters in this movie lol ! Gentlemen you can't fight in here it;s the WARROOM !
I think the idea was that the surface of the Earth wouldn't be made completely uninhabitable immediately by the nuclear fallout, there would be time to implement the mineshaft plan.
I absolutely love George C Scott in this film. In fact two of hte best performances ive ever seen was him in this and in Patton which you should definitely check out.
10:17 *This was also in 'Fail Safe' because they're based on the same book. (Red Alert)* 12:21 *Russia actually had something like that. Google 'Dead Hand'.*
Peter Sellers played 3 roles in this movie. 1 is obvious, the second should be just as obvious and the 3rd tricked me. 1 st is the LT. Mandrake, Dr. Stranglove, and the 3rd is The President. If you like Peter Sellers, you should watch The Pink Panther series. They always give a laugh.
Bro why are your Patreon uploads so inconsistent. Like your last jjk drop was more than a week ago, and before that it was also more than a week ago 😂😂 ive been thinking of subscribing since you droped jjk but this is not giving me hope
At the time this movie was made, a policy was in place which stated, if anyone launched a nuclear missile at the U.S., we would launch nukes at ALL nuclear targets globally. 😳🤯 This policy was secret until after the Freedom of Information Act enabled others to find out.
waIT WAIT. DID I MISS THIS OR DID JIMMY JUST EDIT OUT THE BEST LINE IN THE MOVIE ("Gentleman! You can't fight here-- this is the WAR ROOM!")? @Jimmy Macram, there's "holding the best for your Patreon" and there's HOLDING THE FUCKING BEST FOR YOUR PATREON :(
If you love Mary Tyler Moore, then you MUST watch "Ordinary People." She was PHENOMENAL. I'd only seen her in comedic roles before, but her dramatic acting blew me away.
Dr Strangelove was not made to show off effects. It was all about the characters. The whole thing was produced for $2m with Sellers getting half of that himself.
I was/am disappointed that Pat Frank's 1959 book "Alas Babylon" wasn't made into a movie, TV or otherwise. "Testament" (1983) is the closest we'll get to "how World War III affected the residents of a small town."
