Air Force Brigadier General Jack Ripper (Hayden) sends an order to all the planes flying near the Soviet Union, with orders to attack. He also issues orders to go to radio silence until the target is destroyed. His second in command, Group Captain Lionel Mandrake (Sellers), believes it is a test. But the General refuses to call off the attack and seals the base.
Meanwhile, President Merkin Muffley (Sellers) convenes his top advisers in the War Room to assess the situation. General Buck Turgidson (Scott) thinks they should allow the attack to proceed, but nuclear scientist Dr. Strangelove (Sellers) warns of fatal outcomes.
As the War Room fights, Major T.J. "King" Kong (Pickens) and his crew prepare to reach their target.
This film is widely considered one of the greatest comedy films. It is a dark comedy, that mixes the intensity of the situation with the behavior of the characters. A strong cast makes this film even better.
Peter Sellers proves his comedic prowess by portraying three lead characters, with different accents: Lionel Mandrake is a nervous Brit, President Muffley is American, and Dr. Strangelove is an eccentric former Nazi. Of all of these characters, Dr. Strangelove stands out the most. The character has one hand that he cannot control. Also, typically when the character is on the screen, he is alone, as the rest of the cast had a hard time maintaining a straight face during his scenes.
Veteran actor Sterling Hayden is intriguing as the unhinged Brigadier General. George C. Scott chews the scenery as Buck... he plays it broad and loud, but you can't help but enjoy the character. And Slim Pickens is always enjoyable, with his heavy Southern accent. Pickens also appears in the most iconic scene of the film.
The content is not the most current. The film was made during the 1960s, when people were especially worried about the threat of a nuclear attack and tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union were high. This is the first and only Stanley Kubrick film I've seen... not sure I want to see any of his other films.
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) 95 minutes
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Starring: Peter Sellers as Group Captain Lionel Mandrake / President Merkin Muffley / Dr. Strangelove
George C. Scott as General Buck Turgidson
Sterling Hayden as Brigadier General Jack Ripper
Keenan Wynn as Colonel Bat Guano
Slim Pickens as Major T.J. "King" Kong
Peter Bull as Russian Ambassador Alexi de Sadesky
James Earl Jones as Lieutenant Luthar Zogg
Tracy Reed as Miss Scott
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