Large cut out of the budget??

[razark]

Originally Posted by Platapus

Peter Sellers was supposed to play a 4th part

What was the fourth part and why didn't he end up playing it?

I believe he was supposed to play Major Kong, as well.

[Platapus]

Originally Posted by razark

I believe he was supposed to play Major Kong, as well.

Correct! .... but why didn't he?

[razark]

Originally Posted by Platapus

Correct! .... but why didn't he?

I should know this. Wasn't he ill?

Or was it that no one could replace Slim Pickens for that part?

[Platapus]

Peter Sellers hurt his foot. This is why you see him moving rarely in the movie.

[frau kaleun]

Originally Posted by razark

I should know this. Wasn't he ill?

Or was it that no one could replace Slim Pickens for that part?

Apparently Sellers thought almost from the get-go that the fourth part was pushing it too far. He wasn't sure he could get the Texas accent right, but according to interviews on the disc he did finally manage it. He still wasn't sold on playing the part, however, and there was friction between him and Kubrick over it.

They actually did start filming, or at least rehearsing, some of his scenes in the mockup cockpit of the plane... which was suspended 12 feet or so off the ground of the soundstage. At one point he had an accident - or an "accident," depending on who's telling the story - and fell off the thing (IIRC, one interviewee said it was in the middle of a row with Kubrick over having to play that role). He broke or twisted or sprained his ankle, anyway, he was injured to the point where he could no longer crawl up inside the mockup bomber to film his scenes as Major Kong. That's when they went looking for someone else and got Slim Pickens.

I'm pretty sure the accident was also the reason Dr. Strangelove was in a wheelchair. The character wasn't written that way, it was to accomodate Sellers' injury.

Another bit of trivia: if you watch Pickens in the scene where he goes over the contents of his "emergency kit" or whatever it's called, he says something to the effect of "a fella could have a pretty good weekend in Vegas" with all the stuff in the kit and you can tell that "Vegas" was dubbed in later. The original line was "good weekend in Dallas" (the character was a Texan) but the film was scheduled for release in early 1964 and after the Kennedy assassination the dialogue was rerecorded with "Vegas" in place of "Dallas."

[razark]

Originally Posted by Platapus

Peter Sellers hurt his foot. This is why you see him moving rarely in the movie.

Ah, well.

Originally Posted by frau kaleun

Another bit of trivia: if you watch Pickens in the scene where he goes over the contents of his "emergency kit" or whatever it's called, he says something to the effect of "a fella could have a pretty good weekend in Vegas" with all the stuff in the kit and you can tell that "Vegas" was dubbed in later. The original line was "good weekend in Dallas" (the character was a Texan) but the film was scheduled for release in early 1964 and after the Kennedy assassination the dialogue was rerecorded with "Vegas" in place of "Dallas."

I love that part. A couple of years ago, a friend of mine made me up a "survival kit", based off of the list. He substituted in various items. The medical items were all replaced with assorted kinds of booze, the pistol was a slingshot, packets of trail mix, all packed into an old ammo box with a contents list (annotated with the substitutions).

Edit:
I still haven't found any use for three lipsticks or three pair of nylon stockings, though.

[frau kaleun]

Originally Posted by razark

I still haven't found any use for three lipsticks or three pair of nylon stockings, though.

O RLY?

[TLAM Strike]

Originally Posted by razark

Edit:
I still haven't found any use for three lipsticks or three pair of nylon stockings, though.

You need to find a girl first....

[razark]

Originally Posted by frau kaleun

O RLY?

Ok, two pair of nylon stockings. But we don't talk about that night very often.

Originally Posted by TLAM Strike

You need to find a girl first....

I'm pretty sure my wife might have something to say about that.

[TLAM Strike]

Originally Posted by razark

I'm pretty sure my wife might have something to say about that.

Why would you go and tell your wife for? You are new at this arn't you?

...
...
...
...then again she might be in to that... if so she is a keeper as they say!

[frau kaleun]

Originally Posted by razark

Ok, two pair of nylon stockings. But we don't talk about that night very often.

There, there. We understand. It gets lonely on those long flights. And so cold at those altitudes.

A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do, even if it means doing the bombardier.