Intended AudienceScholarly & Professional
ReviewsIt is Broderick's deep involvement with the history of nuclear strategy and Cold War economics and politics that allows him to demonstrate time and again how well Kubrick's bizarre, surreal, nightmare comedy captures the actualities of what was and for all intents and purposes still is the global reliance on a delicate balance of nuclear terror., An insightful, rigorously researched, and well-written history of Dr. Strangelove that should be required reading for anyone interested in the origins, production, and legacy of this remarkable film and its creator.
Table Of ContentAcknowledgements Dr Strangelove Timeline Glossary Introduction: Stanley Kubrick's Atomic Antecedents 1. The Road to Strangelove : From Red Alert to The Delicate Balance of Terror and Beyond 2. Doctors Strangelove--a Character Evolution 3. 'Gentlemen, you can't fight in here': Brinksmanship Amongst the Authors and Producers of Dr Strangelove and Fail-Safe 4. Authentically Strange: Presidential Predelegation, Fail-safes and Doomsday Machines 5. Reconstructing Strangelove : Outtakes from the Cutting Room Floor Conclusion: Sons of Strangelove Bibliography Production Credits Index
SynopsisWith rare access to unpublished materials, this volume assesses Dr. Strangelove 's narrative accuracy, consulting recently declassified Cold War nuclear-policy documents alongside interviews with Kubrick's collaborators. It focuses on the myths surrounding the film., During his career Stanley Kubrick became renowned for undertaking lengthy and exhaustive research prior to the production of all his films. In the lead-up to what would eventually become Dr. Strangelove (1964), Kubrick read voraciously and amassed a substantial library of works on the nuclear age. With rare access to unpublished materials, this volume assesses Dr. Strangelove 's narrative accuracy, consulting recently declassified Cold War nuclear-policy documents alongside interviews with Kubrick's collaborators. It focuses on the myths surrounding the film, such as the origins and transformation of the "straight" script versions into what Kubrick termed a "nightmare comedy." It assesses Kubrick's account of collaborating with the writers Peter George and Terry Southern against their individual remembrances and material archives. Peter Sellers's improvisations are compared to written scripts and daily continuity reports, showcasing the actor's brilliant talent and variations.