Probably my favourite movie of all time is Dr. Strangelove. I was wondering if anyone knows if the B-52 model depicted in the flying sequences is accurate and if so, which type it is? The film was released in 1964. I’m not sure if anyone has read the book but the name of the plane was ‘The Leper Colony’. Thanks.
At first it looked like a D model but, don’t know. Maybe F or G?
Dr Strangelove is a very good movie,
“Well I’ll reckon this is it, nuclear combat toe to toe with the ruskies” [:)]
Thanks FieldMarSchall. I have a feeling it’s a bit of a chimera but was hoping to eventually model it.
That was one of the best lines in the movie, which was overflowing with great lines and scenes.
Another bit of trivia. In the book Major Kong had come from a long line of warriors who all died valiantly in battle. He was despondant since his career was coming to an end and he hadn’t seen battle at all yet (Post-Korea, Pre-Vietnam). So his ecstasy while riding the warhead into the target becomes even more chilling IMO. He was able to uphold his family’s honour.
“Gentlemen, you can’t fight in here. This is the WAR ROOM!”
That photo is of an early “G” model (short tail, 4500 lb. wingtip tanks, water injected engines, the gun (H’s had the Gatling gun)). The nose radome was later changed to what it is now with a few added bumps and blisters for ECM, FLIR, and Terrain Following upgrades, that one looks like the old “D” model nose.
My favorite element of the movie was Gen. Ripper’s deduction of fluoridation in the water as the cause of his “problem”.
And of course who can forget his story of when he first ‘developed’ his theory - during the physical act of love!
So it looks like the plane in the movie is a combination of at least two types. I was worried about that. I was going to build it (in the future) for a friend and although he’s an expert on the movie, he knows little about A/C so probably something close would do.
If I am reading that tail number correctly, (it is a little blurry to these old fart eyes), it is 76471. That serial number is one of eight B-52G-75-BW produced at Boeing Wichita. The guns, short tail, 700 gallon external fuel tanks, engines, side by side ejection hatches for the gunner and EWO as well as the nose radome all match for a G. The original G and H models had a significantly longer, one piece nose radome than the A-F. When the EVS turrets and various RHAW antenna were added in the late 70s, the radome was made even longer.
Darwin, O.F. [alien]
It’s a 10’ foot long model made for the movie. The name Leper Colony comes from “12 o’clock high”.
If you look carefully at the scenes of the flight over the Arctic, you’ll see the shadow of the camera plane that shot the background. Unmistakeably a B-17.
“And they make such damn nice little cameras.”
Sellars was to play Kong, even learned a Texas accent, until he broke his leg, which is why Dr. S is in a chair. The production sent a letter to John Wayne requesting he play Major Kong. They never heard back. Second choice was Dan Blocker, but couldn’t reach terms. I think ole Slim was just the right guy. There’s a rumor that when Kong completes the inventory of the survival kit and says “Fella could have a nice time in Vegas with this” he said “Dallas” but it was overdubbed in final production. (The movie came out in December 1963.)
“The name Leper Colony comes from “12 o’clock high”.”
Yikes, I sure got that one wrong.
NO, you’re corrct. Second time around I guess. Love the avatar, Jack.
Yes there is no fighting in the War Room, but there can be a buffet set up in the War Room. [;)]
I also love the Cowboy hat, Maj Kong wear.
I love the movie!. One of my favorite memories is Slim Pickens riding the bomb down.
I clearly remember walking into the living room, when I was just a kid, and seeing this scene on TV and it scared the heck out of me. Only a short time before my father had explained to me about the atom bomb and the very real threat (at that time) of nuclear war. This scene stuck with me and I didn’t see the movie again until I was in my 20’s! Now it’s my favourite movie and one of my favourite scenes.
Lot’s of good trivia in this thread. I didn’t know about Sellars and the broken leg. I thought the wheelchair was a stroke of genius…especially when at the end he suddenly regains the use of his legs in his moment of destiny.
“Mein Furhrer. I can valk!”
Ah yes, one of the all time classics!!! Wish there was a model of that particular plane, paint it black and white to get the real movie feel!!! I love the fact that James Earl Jones is the really young bombadier in it, I only recently figured that one out for myself, I am real good on the uptake!!! Movie trivia, I did not know that Peter Sellers was to play Major Kong, but they did get the right guy in Slim Pickens, hilarious character!!!
Sterling Hayden played Ripper for scale wage as he liked the part so much. Even better part than the later Godfather cop. He was a real character, wrote some good books too.
“You’re gonna be in trouble with the Coca Cola company!”.
Any ole airforce type will tell you that the flight deck in no way resembles a BUFF, but after all, “this movie was made with no cooperation from the USAF”, as actually all but one or two were.
Another scene: Our President talking to the President of the USSR
"Yes, i…,I’m sorry I didn’t call you. No…,It…
If you can find the DVD with the bonus documentarys with it there is about an hourof things confirming what you all have beed talking about. The Doc paret is as funny as the movie in some places.
Back to the serious side, read Herman Kahn “On thermonuclear war”. We all lived through that successful theory of MAD in the 50’s and 60’s.
That’s where the concept of the mineshafts came from, the predestination of a later superior race;
“say on a scale of 10 attractive females for every male”.(Southern)
Dr. Strangelove the movie was rewritten by Terry Southern, for whom there’s not an easy clip to describe, but he was a brilliant writer who’s hand is clear in the concept of new journalism that gave us Hunter Thompson, Tom Wolfe, Ken Kesey, SNL etc.
As a source for modeling, the movie has one single a/c, which isn’t very accurate, and as my old friend Airman Jim always tells me, the interiors don’t much in any way resemble a B-52, but it alone allows me to have the piece of mind to model the Cold War, the last war we really won. Just my [2c]
And directed by none other than Stanley Kubrick, one of the most reverred directors of modern filmaking, and one of only around a dozen films he ever directed, which is amazing initself as he was not prolific at all, but when he put out a movie it always caused a huge cult following. Other example: A Clockwork Orange, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Full Metal Jacket, The Sining, Eyes Wide Shut, etc…