I take it from the first page it’s gonna be Night of the Living Dead.
And no, I don’t want it to change! Keep it at NOTLD! 
Maybe you can have a student do that for a class project–though most 40 year olds are probably familiar with it (??). What made me think of the humor-content thing was a piece by Mark Twain comparing the comedy writing of the Americans vs. the English vs. the French (?). I can’t remember the name of the piece. But it might be relevant in the current context. Any American Lit. people in this thread know which piece it was?
As Strangelove junkies know by now, the original ending of the movie was a giant pie fight instead of the series of explosions that closes the film we have today. Kubrick changed the ending because one of the lines as President Muffley is hit with a pie, filmed before Kennedy’s assassination, sounded a lot like what a reporter said as Kennedy was shot. The Criterion laserdisc let one watch the original ending, but the two subsequent DVD issues haven’t included it. Will we ever be able to enjoy the original ending again?
UnuMondo
People always commend Peter Sellers for his work, but the actor that I think did a first rate job is George C. Scott as Buck Turgidson (the most perfect name in the world). I just love the beginning where his “secretary” is in her bikini, under a sun lamp, when the phone rings. He comes out of the john in a pair of shorts, Hawaiian print shirt open, slaps his belly with the smuggest, most self-satisfied air, and asked “what’s showing on the big board?”
I doubt that was the reason. A single line could easily be cut out or redubbed. And Kennedy’s assassination was not covered live.
I was under the impression that the footage of the original ending had been destroyed or lost, and that only stills existed.
The Criterion Laserdisc edition, the second of the three Laserdiscs cataloged here, does not appear to contain the deleted pie fight sequence.
IIRC, on the DVD someone (sorry, don’t remember who) says that Kubrick had doubts about the pie fight even before filming it. The same mysterious person said they only had one chance to get it right (maybe America had a pie shortage in the '60s?) and it just didn’t work.
I would love to see footage if it does exist. All I’ve seen are stills.
The Pie fight was dropped apparently because they were only allowed one take and the actors looked like they were having too good a time for it to work. Kubrick removed it mainly because of that, also the president “being cut down in his prime” would have not played well. They were obviously sesetive to that as with the “A fella could have a good time in Dallas” line.
There is a good explaination of the reason for the cut on the Warner DVD’s documentary.
PS the 2nd thread for NOTLD is now open.
Dr. Strangelove was filmed in England.
There is a detailed description of the pie fight scene here.
As long as we’re praising the performances of the actors, I’ll chime in and say that Sterling Hayden was great.
Genl. Jack Ripper is the best cigar chomping, hawkish, commie basher of all time.
Who played Col. Bat Guano?
Keenan Wynn
Well, that blows my American-pie-shortage theory all to hell, then. I’ve reviewed the DVD “making of” special and the “some guy” I referred to earlier (others might call him “the narrator”) does indeed say it was doubtful from the beginning the scene would have been used. I bet if Kubrick had been really keen on the idea he would have fought for a second take.
I agree that Sterling Hayden and George C. Scott give wonderful performances, as does Slim Pickens (even if he is “just” being himself, that’s not an easy thing to do on film), but none of that takes anything away from Peter Sellers. In fact, the performances are so strong I’d have to say the director must have been pretty good.
I guess it’s time to move on, but I really don’t like Night of the Living Dead.
“the director must have been pretty good”
Stanley Kubrick. You may have heard of him.
Not to worry Next week we will wisk into the Seventies with a double bill of The Elephant man and Raging Bull… stay tuned.
Considering I specifically mentioned owning the DVD and watching the “making of” special, chances are pretty good.
Hmmm… The DVD that I own has the alternative ending with the pie fight. According to the interviews on my DVD one of the things that Kubrick and crew were trying to accomplish was to make the movie as outrageous as possible – and yet, still be believable. While the pie ending was pretty funny, I thought that it was out of place and the movie is better off without it.
For those of you who have not seen it here is what happens:
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The Russian ambassador tosses a pie at a general, only to have it strike President Muffley instead
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General Turgidson shouts, “The president has been struck down, in the prime of his life and his presidency. I say massive retaliation!” (After JFK’s assassination, this line is another reason why the scene was cut.)
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A huge pie fight breaks out.
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In the aftermath of the battle the US president and the Russian ambassador have suffered mental breakdowns and are making castles out of the pie on the ground
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General Turgidson announce “Well, boys, it looks like the future of this great land of ours is going to be in the hands of people like Dr. Strangelove here.”
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And with the prospect of Strangelove leading us into the future, Vera Lynn’s begins singing in the background…
Quite true. I have the book. BTW, Peter Bryant, the author, is a pen name. He is listed, under his real name, as a co-author of the Dr. Strangelove novelization, which was mostly written by Terry Southern.
I think the book that Turgidson consults “Equivalent Cities in Megadeaths,” is a direct reference to Fail Safe, where such things are significant. I’ll say no more, since it is a major spoiler.
BTW I saw Dr. Strangelove when it originally opened, on a double feature with “Seven Days in May,” also in black and white, and not a good candidate for an appreciation.
Was Strangelove the A picture or the B picture?
I must know, ya know.