Ep. 3 - Dr. Strangelove
This week, Nate and Adam revisit Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964), our first of many Stanley Kubrick movies we will likely cover on the show, and a favorite of many Simpsons writers. You might remember it from such Simpsons episodes as “Homer the Vigilante” (S5E11) and “Sideshow Bob’s Last Gleaming” (S7E9).
Also in this episode:
Is this the best comedy of all time? Is it funny at all?
The timelessness of nuclear annihilation
A pet theory about the title of the movie
Kelsey Grammer gives us Sideshow Bob at his Sideshow Bobbiest (welcome to the snot party)
Adam and Nate learn who the hell Maynard G. Krebs is
Next week, Nate forces Adam to watch Planet of the Apes (1968) for the first time.
Every Reference to Dr. Strangelove on The Simpsons
By our count in The Simpsons Movie Reference Database, Dr. Strangelove has been directly referenced in 6 episodes of the first 13 seasons of The Simpsons, including 2 scene parodies and 4 smaller references. The first reference appears in “Like Father, Like Clown” (S3E6) in 1991, 27 years after the release of the movie.
Scene & Plot Parodies
Homer the Vigilante (S5E11), Wild Barts Can't Be Broken (S10E11) & Mom and Pop Art (S10E19): In “Homer the Vigilante,” Homer fantasizes about dropping an atomic bomb onto beatniks and riding the bomb to destruction, like a cowboy on a rodeo bull just like Major Kong. In season 10, the bomb drop scene is parodied again as the couch gag for two episodes.
Sideshow Bob's Last Gleaming (S7E9): Much like “Dead Putting Society” (S2E6) parodies sports movies, this episode generally parodies 1960s-era nuclear war movies, with several references to Dr. Strangelove. In particular, the underground compound resembles the War Room from the film and Professor Frink was redesigned to parody the title character.
The tune that Sideshow Bob whistles while preparing his own atomic bomb is "We'll Meet Again", as sung by Vera Lynn at the end of the film. Later, the score includes a cue from “When Johnny Comes Marching Home,” an American Civil War song that also features prominently in the movie.
Krusty's acting whilst he defends television is based on George C. Scott's performance as General Buck Turgidson. The character of Colonel Leslie "Hap" Hapablap in “Sideshow Bob’s Last Gleaming” also seems to be a loose reference to this type of character and the silly names from Dr. Strangelove. However, the role was specifically written for R. Lee Ermey, who played the iconic drill sergeant in another Kubrick film, Full Metal Jacket (1987).
Small References
Like Father, Like Clown (S3E6): A movie titled "Doctor Strangepants" can be seen on an adult theater marquee that Krusty the Clown walks by.
$pringfield (or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Legalized Gambling) (S5E10): The title of the episode references the movie, of course. But also, two songs by Laurie Johnson, composer of the score for Dr. Strangelove, can be heard during the “News on Parade” segment at the beginning.
Extra Credit
Looking for more like this or an interesting double feature? Here are our recommendations.
From Adam: Fail Safe (1964)
From Nate: Full Metal Jacket (1987)
Further Reading & Viewing
Article: Samuel Wigley, “Rare images of the Dr. Strangelove custard pie fight,“ BFI, January 29, 2014. This photo essay gives a peak into the long lost ending of Dr. Strangelove.
Video: Trailer for Dr. Strangelove, Turner Classic Movies, 1964. Sweet Enola Gay, that’s a great trailer!
Ephemera: “Stanley Kubrick : Dr Strangelove original 1964 US oversized campaign book,“ POPT, 1964. This promotional booklet offered up our summary of the movie for the podcast.
Video: Bob Newhart, “Abe Lincoln vs Madison Avenue,” 1960. Adam pointed out how similar Peter Sellers’ phone calls in this film are to this Bob Newhart bit, and now Nate can’t unsee it.
Article: Mick Broderick, “Animating Kubrick – Auteur Influences in The Simpsons,” Screening the Past, 2017. This offers a nice overview of the many references to Stanley Kubrick on The Simpsons, including Dr. Strangelove.
Article: Allison Hanna, “Matt Groening’s 100 Favorite Things,” 1999. This is the eclectic list we reference of Matt Groening’s favorite stuff, from music to food to movies. In an interview with ‘Round Springfield, Matt talks about writing this originally when he was at the Los Angeles Reader.
Video: “Inside of Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb,” Daily Motion, 2014. This 46-minute documentary offers a deep dive into the movie, from conception to execution.
