A Bombardier's Reflection

OpinionJournal.com ^ | Nov. 16, 2004 | JAMES EARL JONES

[Cincinatus]

The 40th anniversary of "Dr. Strangelove" prompts some Cold War reminiscences.

Jean Jacques Rousseau said that God is a comedian playing to an audience that is afraid to laugh. In his film "Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb," Stanley Kubrick, to some a "god" in the pantheon of cinema, made us laugh out loud at thermonuclear war. I am a surviving member of the cast, and in this 40th anniversary year of the film, I am pleased to share some of my experiences in making "Strangelove."

Kubrick based his initial script on "Red Alert," a tense thriller about the possibility of an accidental nuclear war written by the British author Peter George. When Stanley came to New York to scout George C. Scott for the role of the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, George happened to be playing in "The Merchant of Venice" at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. So was I. Stanley recruited George, and given that Kubrick wanted to make the film's B-52 crew multiethnic, he took me too. It was my first movie role.

[Cincinatus]

"Mr. President! I'm not saying we wouldn't get our hair mussed! But I do say, no more than 10 to 20 million dead -- tops!!"

[KC_Conspirator]

We definately have a mine shaft gap.

[Cincinatus]

That's an astonishingly good idea you have there, Doctor!

[William of Orange]

He said war was too important to be left to the generals. When he said that, 50 years ago, he might have been right. But today, war is too important to be left to politicians. They have neither the time, the training, nor the inclination for strategic thought. I can no longer sit back and allow Communist infiltration, Communist indoctrination, Communist subversion and the international Communist conspiracy to sap and impurify all of our precious bodily fluids.

[Cincinatus]

The thing is, ...they make such bloody good cameras....

[robertpaulsen]

"Now look, Colonel ... Bat Guano, if that really is your name ..."

[ko_kyi]

I do not avoid women, Mandrake.

But I do deny them my essence.

[Cincinatus]

Goldie,....did you say Wing Attack, Plan R!??

[William of Orange]

Gen. Turgidson: Well, I, uh, don't think it's quite fair to condemn a whole program because of a single slip-up, sir.

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

I remember finding out back in the 1980's that almost every B-52 pilot/copilot had a copy of this movie.

[IGOTMINE]

"This is it, boys. NEWLCEAR KOMBAT toe to toe with the Russkies".

[akorahil]

Paging the Ripper to this thread....

[billorites]

On no account will a Commie ever drink water, and not without good reason.

[billorites]

We'll meet again
Don't know where
Don't know when
But I know we'll meet again some sunny day