Dr. Strangelove

[usafwso]

Was in Costo the other day and picked up a Blu-ray edition of Dr. Strangelove. The restored film looks much better than the old DVD copy. Did anyone notice that on the MA-1's used in the B-52 scenes lacked the "U.S. Air Force" under the old USAF emblem on the jackets? Interestingly, in the bonus parts of the disk were a few stills of Peter Sellers wearing an MA-1 with the lettering. Apparently, he was scheduled to play a 4th character who was eventually played by Slim Pickins.

Frankly, this film as far as jacket views are concerned is a skipper but good for everything else. :?

 

[greyhound52]

Glad that is out been wanting to get this movie for sometime. You gotta really love Peter Sellers in this one and of course the Slim Pickens scene on the bomb is a classic. I tried to do this with my pose on a SCUD missile on a TEL with my trusty CWU-45 on.

 

[deand]

Is it an MA-1? Or Flight suit?

dean

 

[watchmanjimg]

I haven't seen the film in ages, but I think some of the crew were wearing L-2Bs. Don't the sleeves on this one look a bit trim?

 

[deand]

I haven't seen the film in ages, but I think some of the crew were wearing L-2Bs. Don't the sleeves on this one look a bit trim?

Yes, and the zipper down at the waist lacks a zipperflap, which leads me to suggest a flightsuit, if not an L-2B. I'll check my DVD tonight and see what I can to help identify it.





dean

 

[watchmanjimg]

I browsed the Web a bit and there are quite a few shots which appear to show epaulets as well as knit cuffs and collar. Here's one, for example:

http://imagecache2.allposters.com/IMAGE ... 173232.jpg

 

[m444uk]

The film was a British production shot at Shepperton studios without the cooperation of the Pentagon so I don't suppose the flight gear is 100% accurate.
Much of the aircraft bomb launch switchgear was guesswork by the set designers.
Apparently some of the early footage of Sellers playing Major Kong still exists but Sellers twisted his angle in the cockpit set and pulled out of the part. Perhaps deliberately as he didn't like the rushes.

 

[deand]

I browsed the Web a bit and there are quite a few shots which appear to show epaulets as well as knit cuffs and collar. Here's one, for example:

http://imagecache2.allposters.com/IMAGE ... 173232.jpg

Yeah, it looks like you're right about the L-2Bs. It's just that I'm a little skittish these days about being too certain of what I'm asserting, I honestly don't know enough yet.




dean

 

[Weasel_Loader]

Wish I had a dime for every time myself and others want to get that Slim Pickens shot on top of a GBU-57 MOP. Maybe one day when no one is looking. :? Ops, I forgot that I don't have an L-2B or MA-1 anymore.

 

[kevlarg]

Tough to say from those photos and I don't personaly know too much about flight suits to spot the details.

found this screen test still for Sellers as Major Kong

 

[Peter Graham]

found this screen test still for Sellers as Major Kong

One of my all time favourite movies. I love Peter Sellers but no way could he have bettered Slim Pickens in that role.

 

[kevlarg]

found this screen test still for Sellers as Major Kong

One of my all time favourite movies. I love Peter Sellers but no way could he have bettered Slim Pickens in that role.

I agree no way to Top Slim as Kong.

Survival kit contents check. In them you'll find: one forty-five caliber automatic; two boxes of ammunition; four days' concentrated emergency rations; one drug issue containing antibiotics, morphine, vitamin pills, pep pills, sleeping pills, tranquilizer pills; one miniature combination Russian phrase book and Bible; one hundred dollars in rubles; one hundred dollars in gold; nine packs of chewing gum; one issue of prophylactics; three lipsticks; three pair of nylon stockings. Shoot, a fella' could have a pretty good weekend in Vegas with all that stuff.

 

[Willy McCoy]

Well, boys, we got three engines out, we got more holes in us than a horse trader's mule, the radio is gone and we're leaking fuel and if we was flying any lower why we'd need sleigh bells on this thing... but we got one little budge on them Rooskies. At this height why they might harpoon us but they dang sure ain't gonna spot us on no radar screen!

 

[Willy McCoy]

 

[capt71]

Deleted

 

[rich]

Also, there was originally a different ending shot, but scrapped: a massive pie fight in the War Room. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be any surviving footage of it. One of the best films ever made IMHO!

Never seen footage, but here are some pics that prove they did it!

 

[m444uk]

Also, there was originally a different ending shot, but scrapped: a massive pie fight in the War Room. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be any surviving footage of it. One of the best films ever made IMHO!

I believe the rushes for these scenes are stored at

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Childwick_Bury_Manor

Kubrick had them on his editing machine there and never threw anything away.
It's all stored in thousands of boxes with a central catalogue.

 

[rich]

You're right about Kubrick and his boxes - he had them especially made, and he kept everything. I saw a documentary on this a
while ago, I have a (feeble) memory of the boxes all being donated to a film museum/college .......?
If you're a Kubrick fan, Taschen's oversized book on him is fantastic - expensive, but worth it IMO.
http://www.taschen.com/pages/en/catalog ... chives.htm

 

[capt71]

That's good news that Kubrick saved them. Too bad the reissue of the special anniversary blu-ray edition dvd didn't use some of the missing scenes as special features.