Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)

User Rating:

8.7/10   

Director:

Stanley Kubrick

Writers:

Stanley Kubrick (screenplay) &
Terry Southern (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

29 January 1964 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Thriller

Tagline:

the hot-line suspense comedy

Plot:

An insane general starts a process to nuclear holocaust that a war room of politicians and generals frantically try to stop.

Plot Keywords:

General | Bomber | U.S. President | Doomsday | Doomsday Machine

Awards:

Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 10 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Peter Sellers	...	Group Captain Lionel Mandrake / President Merkin Muffley / Dr. Strangelove
George C. Scott	...	General 'Buck' Turgidson
Sterling Hayden	...	Brigadier General Jack Ripper
Keenan Wynn	...	Colonel 'Bat' Guano
Slim Pickens	...	Major 'King' Kong
Peter Bull	...	Russian Ambassador Alexi de Sadesky
James Earl Jones	...	Lieutenant Lothar Zogg
Tracy Reed	...	Miss Scott
Jack Creley	...	Mr. Staines
Frank Berry	...	Lieutenant Dietrich
Robert O'Neil	...	Admiral Randolph
Glenn Beck	...	Lieutenant Kivel (as Glen Beck)
Roy Stephens	...	Frank
Shane Rimmer	...	Captain 'Ace' Owens
Hal Galili	...	Burpelson AFB Defense Team Member
Paul Tamarin	...	Lieutenant Goldberg
Laurence Herder	...	Burpelson AFB Defense Team Member
Gordon Tanner	...	General Faceman
John McCarthy	...	Burpelson AFB Defense Team Member

Directed by
Stanley Kubrick

Writing credits
Stanley Kubrick		(screenplay) &
Terry Southern		(screenplay) &
Peter George		(screenplay)
Peter George		(book "Red Alert")

Produced by
Stanley Kubrick	....	producer
Victor Lyndon	....	associate producer
Leon Minoff	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Laurie Johnson		(music)

Cinematography by
Gilbert Taylor		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Anthony Harvey

Production Design by
Ken Adam

Art Direction by
Peter Murton

Makeup Department
Stuart Freeborn	....	make-up (as Stewart Freeborn)
Barbara Ritchie	....	hairdresser

Production Management
Clifton Brandon	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Eric Rattray	....	assistant director

Sound Department
John Aldred	....	dubbing mixer
Richard Bird	....	recordist
John Cox	....	sound supervisor
Leslie Hodgson	....	sound editor

Special Effects by
Wally Veevers	....	special effects
Alan Bryce	....	special effects (uncredited)
Arthur 'Weegee' Fellig	....	special effects advisor (uncredited)
Brian Gamby	....	special effects (uncredited)
Garth Inns	....	special effects (uncredited)
Mike Shaw	....	special effects (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Vic Margutti	....	travelling matte
Jim Body	....	visual effects camera operator (uncredited)
Bob Cuff	....	matte painter (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Bernard Ford	....	camera assistant
Kelvin Pike	....	camera operator
Bob Penn	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Bridget Sellers	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Geoffrey Fry	....	assembly editor
Ray Lovejoy	....	assistant editor

Other crew
Pamela Carlton	....	continuity
Captain John Crewdson	....	aviation advisor (as Capt. John Crewdson)
Pablo Ferro	....	main title design: Ferro, Mohammed & Schwartz, Inc.
Jean Bernard	....	pilot: outside bomber views (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation (presents)
• Hawk Films

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1964) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Pictures Corporation (1964) (UK) (theatrical)
• Columbia Films (1964) (France) (theatrical)
• Columbia Films (1964) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• Columbia Films (1964) (Finland) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1968) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Criterion Collection, The (1992) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Columbia TriStar (1994) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Columbia TriStar (1997) (USA) (VHS) (widescreen)
• Warner Home Video (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Neue Visionen Filmverleih (2006) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Sony Pictures International (1987) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (????) (UK) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Italia (????) (Italy) (VHS)
• Egmont Entertainment (2000) (Finland) (video)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (????) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2009) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2009) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Warner Home Video (????) (USA) (VHS)

Other Companies

• British Oxygen  the producers gratefully acknowledge the assistance of
• Ferro, Mohammed & Schwartz  main title by
• Institut Geographique National  location filming (uncredited)
• Marconi Wireless Telegraph Company  the producers gratefully acknowledge the assistance of (as Marconi's Wireless Telegraph)
• Post Logic Studios  digital film mastering (uncredited)
• Solartron Electronics  the producers gratefully acknowledge the assistance of
• Telephone  the producers gratefully acknowledge the assistance of (as Telephone Manufacturing)

Also Known As:

A Delicate Balance of Terror (USA) (working title)
Dr. Strangelove (USA) (short title)
Edge of Doom (USA) (working title)
Docteur Folamour (Canada: French title) (France) [fr]
Docteur Folamour, ou: Comment j'ai appris à ne plus m'en faire et à aimer la bombe (Belgium: French title) (dubbed version) (France) (dubbed version) [fr]
дНЙРНП яРПЕИМДФКЮБ ХКХ ЙЮЙ Ъ МЮСВХКЯЪ МЕ АНЪРЭЯЪ Х ОНКЧАХК ЮРНЛМСЧ АНЛАС (Soviet Union: Russian title) [ru]
¿Teléfono rojo?, volamos hacia Moscú (Spain) [es]
Doctor Insólito, o Como aprendí a no preocuparme y amar la bomba (Uruguay) [es]
Doctor Strangelove (Spain: Catalan title) [ca]
Doktor Strejndzlav ili: Kako sam naucio da prestanem da brinem i zavoleo bombu (Serbia) [sr]
Dr Strangelove, czyli jak przestalem sie martwic i pokochalem bombe (Poland) [pl]
Dr. Divnoláska aneb Jak jsem se naucil nedelat si starosti a mít rád bombu (Czech Republic) [cs]
Dr. Estranho Amor (Portugal) [pt]
Dr. Fantástico (Brazil) [pt]
Dr. Folamour (France) [fr]
Dr. Insólito (Mexico) (video title) [es]
Dr. Insólito o: Como aprendí a dejar de preocuparme y amar la bomba (Argentina) [es]
Dr. Seltsam oder Gebrauchsanweisung für Anfänger in der sorgenfreien Liebe zu Atomwaffen (Austria) [de]
Dr. Seltsam, oder wie ich lernte, die Bombe zu lieben (West Germany) [de]
Dr. Strangelove eller: Hur jag lärde mig sluta ängslas och älska bomben (Sweden) [sv]
Dr. Strangelove eller: Hur jag slutade ängslas och lärde mig älska bomben (Sweden) [sv]
Dr. Strangelove eller: Hvordan jeg lærte at holde op med at bekymre mig og elske bomben (Denmark) [da]
Dr. Strangelove, avagy rájöttem, hogy nem kell félni a bombától, meg is lehet szeretni (Hungary) [hu]
Garip doktor (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Il dottor Stranamore, ovvero come imparai a non preoccuparmi e ad amare la bomba (Italy) [it]
S.O.S. Pentagono kalei Mosha (Greece) [el]
SOS - Pentagono kalei Mosha (Greece) (reissue title) [el]
Tri Outolempi (Finland) (short title) [fi]
Tri Outolempi, eli: Kuinka lakkasin olemasta huolissani ja opin rakastamaan pommia (Finland) (complete title) [fi]

MPAA:

Rated PG for thematic elements, some violent content, sexual humor and mild language. (2005 re-rating)

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English | Russian

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) (Canadian Home Video rating) | Spain:18 | Portugal:M/12 | South Korea:12 | Brazil:10 | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Canada:G (Québec) | Finland:K-16 | France:U (re-release) | Germany:12 (re-rating) | Hong Kong:IIA | Iceland:Unrated | Ireland:PG | Japan:Unrated | Netherlands:AL (video rating) | New Zealand:PG | Norway:11 | Singapore:PG (DVD rating) | Sweden:11 | UK:PG | USA:Approved (Certificate No. 20469) (original rating) | USA:GP (re-rating) (1970) | USA:PG (re-rating) (2004) | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Arctic

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Initially, the President was played in a slightly effeminate manner, but these scenes were later reshot to make him seem like an oasis of reason amidst all the madness.

Goofs:

Incorrectly regarded as goofs: When Major Kong is reading the contents of the crew's survival kits, he mentions, "one automatic pistol". The weapon shown as he reads that description aloud is a typical semi-automatic pistol, not a fully automatic weapon which continues to fire as long as the trigger is depressed - in other words, a machine gun. However, the correct military designation of the standard issue sidearm depicted is "Automatic Pistol, Caliber .45, M1911-A1."

Quotes:

[first lines]
Narrator: For more than a year, ominous rumors had been privately circulating among high-level Western leaders that the Soviet Union had been at work on what was darkly hinted to be the ultimate weapon: a doomsday device. Intelligence sources traced the site of the top secret Russian project to the perpetually fog-shrouded wasteland below the Arctic peaks of the Zhokhov Islands. What they were building or why it should be located in such a remote and desolate place no one could say.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Horrors of Spider Island (#11.11)" (1999)

Soundtrack:

Try a Little Tenderness

A must see !!! ***** out of ****

Who else than Stanley Kubrick could take a serious subject like the cold war and tell the story like a comedy ??? He proves his genius in this film more like in any other film of his. It's the story about one general ( with the very appropriate name Jack D. Ripper) gone mad and he launches an attack on Russia all by himself. He's mad, but still smart enough to prevent that anyone can stop him. He's got this strange ( but very funny ) theories about body-fluids, but his men respect him and do everything he says. So 34 fully-armed plains are sent to as many targets. Meanwhile his Colonel, Mandrake, tries to talk sense to him and the president and another General are trying to warn the Russian prime minister. You can have nothing but great respect for Peter Sellers. He plays three roles in this film and every single one of them is flawless. The doctor Strangelove character is hilarious and creepy at the same time. His appearances as the doctor are, along with the telephone conversations between the president and the Russian Prime minister the funniest moments in the film... Also the classic bomb-ride of Major Kong off course. George C. Scott is clearly having fun in his role and the debut of James Earl Jones is also definitely worth mentioning. Like I said already...a must see film if you're a film lover in general.