Dr. Strangelove

 

 

 

Screenplay by                             Stanley Kubrick

                                                 Terry Southern

                                                 Peter George

 

Produced by                               Stanley Kubrick

 

Directed by                                Stanley Kubrick

 

 

 

Cast List:

 

Peter Sellers                            Capt. Lionel Mandrake

President Merkin Muffley

Dr. Strangelove

George C. Scott                                   Gen. Buck Turgidson

Sterling Hayden                                   Gen. Jack D. Ripper

Keenan Wynn                          Col. Bat Guano

Slim Pickens                            Maj. T.J. "King" Kong

Peter Bull                                 Ambassador de Sadesky

Tracy Reed                              Miss Scott

James Earl Jones                    Lt. Lothar Zogg

 

 

 

FADE IN:

 

 

SLOW TRACK over dense cloud cover. Rocky peaks visible in the distance.

 

NARRATOR

For more than a year, ominous rumors have been privately circulating among high level western leaders, that the Soviet Union had been at work on what was darkly hinted to be the ultimate weapon, a doomsday device. Intelligence sources traced the site of the top secret Russian project to the perpetually fog shrouded wasteland below the arctic peaks of the Zokov islands. What they were building, or why it should be located in a such a remote and desolate place, no one could say.

 

CUT TO:

 

 

Roll credits

 

Tracking shot of B-52 in mid-air refuel. Soundtrack lilts "Try a Little Tenderness." Refueling nozzle gently breaks away from receiving aircraft.

 

 

CUT TO:

 

INT. COMPUTER ROOM – BURPLESON AFB – NIGHT

 

A phone buzzes.

 

PETTY OFFICER

General Ripper, sir.

 

MANDRAKE

(to phone on his desk)

Group Captain Mandrake speaking...

 

Ripper sits at his desk, cigar smoke wafting up through the light of his desk lamp.

 

RIPPER

(to phone)

This is General Ripper speaking.

 

MANDRAKE

Yes, sir.

 

RIPPER

You recognize my voice, Mandrake?

 

MANDRAKE

I do sir, why do you ask?

 

RIPPER

Why do you think I asked?

 

MANDRAKE

Well I don't know, sir. We spoke just a few moments ago on the phone, didn't we?

 

RIPPER

You don't think I'd ask if you recognized my voice unless it was pretty damned important do you, Mandrake?

 

MANDRAKE

No, I don't, sir. No.

 

RIPPER

Alright, let's see if we stay on the ball. Has the wing confirmed holding at their failsafe points?

 

MANDRAKE

Yes, sir. The confirmations have all just come in.

 

RIPPER

Very well, now, listen to me carefully. The base is being put on condition red. I want this flashed to all sections immediately.

 

MANDRAKE

Condition red, sir. Yes. Jolly good idea, keeps the men on their toes.

 

RIPPER

Group Captain, I'm afraid this is not a exercise.

 

MANDRAKE

Not an exercise, sir?

 

RIPPER

I shouldn't tell you this, Mandrake, but you're a good officer and you have a right to know. It looks like we're in a shooting war.

 

MANDRAKE

Oh, hell. Are the Russians involved sir?

 

RIPPER

Mandrake, that's all I've been told. It just came in on the Red Phone. My orders are for this base to be sealed tight, and that's what I mean to do: seal it tight. Now, I want you to transmit plan R, R for Robert, to the wing. Plan R for Robert.

 

MANDRAKE

Is it that bad sir?

 

RIPPER

It looks like it's pretty hairy.

 

MANDRAKE

Yes sir. Plan R for Robert, sir.

 

RIPPER

Now, last, and possibly most important, I want all privately owned radios to be immediately impounded.

 

MANDRAKE

Yes sir.

 

RIPPER

They might be used to issue instructions to saboteurs. As I have previously arranged, Air Police will have lists of all owners and I want every single one of them collected without exception.

 

MANDRAKE

Yes sir.

 

RIPPER

And after you've done that, report back to me.

 

Ripper closes the blinds on wall of windows looking out at the base. Outside, a SIREN SOUNDS.

 

CUT TO:

 

 

EXT. AIRBORNE B-52'S

 

With escorts.

 

NARRATOR

In order to guard against surprise nuclear attack, America's Strategic Air Command maintains a large force of B-52 bombers airborne 24 hours a day. Each B-52 can deliver a nuclear bombload of 50 megatons, equal to 16 times the total explosive force of all the bombs and shells used by all the armies in World War Two. Based in America, the Airborne alert force is deployed from the Persian Gulf to the Arctic Ocean, but they have one geographical factor in common: they are all two hours from their targets inside Russia.

 

CUT TO:

 

 

INT. B-52

 

Machines spring to life as a transmission arrives.

 

GOLDIE

Major Kong, I know you're gonna think this a crazy but I just got a message from base over the CRM 114. It decodes as Wing Attack plan R. R for Romeo.

 

KONG

Goldie, did you say Wing Attack, plan R?

 

GOLDIE

Yes Sir, I have.

 

KONG

Goldie, how many times have I told you guys that I don't want no horsin' around on the airplane?

 

GOLDIE

I'm not horsin' around, sir, that's how it decodes.

 

KONG

Well I've been to one world fair a picnic and a rodeo and that's the stupidest thing I ever heard come over a set of earphones. You sure you got today's code?

 

GOLDIE

Yes sir, it is.

 

KONG

Ah, there's just gotta be something wrong. Wait just a second, I'm comin' back.

 

Kong examines the decoded message and the code book.

 

KONG

Maybe you better get a confirmation from base.

 

GOLDIE

Yes sir.

 

BOMBARDIER

Major Kong, is it possible that this is some kind of loyalty test. You know, give the go code and then recall to see who would actually go?

 

KONG

Ain't nobody ever got the go code yet. And old Ripper wouldn't be giving us plan R unless them Russkies had already clobbered Washington and a lot of other towns with a sneak attack.

 

BOMBARDIER

Yes sir.

 

GOLDIE

Major Kong, message from base confirmed.

 

KONG

Well boys, I reckon this is it: nuclear combat, toe to toe with the Russkies.

 

Kong climbs back into the cockpit. Soundtrack: Battle Hymn of the Republic.

 

KONG

Now look boys, I ain't much of a hand at makin' speeches. But I got a pretty fair idea that something doggoned important's going on back there. And I got a fair idea of the kind of personal emotions that some of you fella's may be thinking. Heck, I reckon you wouldn't even be human beings if you didn't have some pretty strong personal feelings about nuclear combat. But I want you to remember one thing, the folks back home is a countin' on ya, and by golly we ain't about to let 'em down. Tell you somethin' else. This thing turns out to be half as important is I figure it just might be, I'd say that you're all in line for some important promotions and personal citations when this thing's over with. That goes for every last one of you, regardless of your race, color, or your creed. Now, let's get this thing on the hump. We got some flying to do.

 

CUT TO:

 

 

INT. GENERAL TURGIDSON'S STUDIO

 

Phone rings.

 

MISS SCOTT

(shouting)

Buck, should I get it?

 

TURGIDSON

(muffled)

Yeah. You have to.

 

MISS SCOTT

(to phone)

Hello? Oh, yes, General Turgidson is here, but I'm afraid he can't come to the phone at the moment. Well, this is his secretary, Miss Scott.

(softly)

Freddie, how are you? Fine and you? Oh, we were just catching up on some of the General's paperwork. Well, look Freddie, he's very tied up at the moment. I'm afraid he can't come to the phone.

(listens)

Well, just a minute.

(shouts to Tuirgidson)

General Turgidson, a General Puntridge calling.

 

TURGIDSON

Tell him to call back.

 

MISS SCOTT

(to phone)

Freddie, the General says could you call back in a minute or two? Oh.

(shouting)

He says it can't wait.

 

TURGIDSON

Ah, for Pete... well... Find out what he wants.

 

MISS SCOTT

Freddie, the thing is, the General is in the powder room right now. Could you tell me what it's about? Just a second...

(shouting)

Apparently they monitored a transmission about eight minutes ago from Burpleson Air Force Base.

(to phone)

Right.

(shouting)

It was directed to the 843'rd bomb wing on airborne alert.

(to phone)

Yeah.

(shouting)

It decoded as Wing Attack, Plan R.

 

TURGIDSON

Um ah, tell him to call uh what's his name. Base commander. Ripper. I have to think of everything?

 

MISS SCOTT

(to phone)

The General suggests you call General Ripper, the 843rd base commander. Oh.

(shouting)

All communications are dead.

 

TURGIDSON

Bull! Tell him to do it himself.

 

MISS SCOTT

Freddie, the General asks if you could possibly try again yourself.

(listens)

I see.

(shouting)

He says he's tried personally several times, but everything is dead. Even the normal phone lines are shut down.

 

Turgidson emerges from the bathroom, grumbling.

 

TURGIDSON

(to phone)

Fred. Buck. What's it look like? Yeah. Waa... are you sure it's plan R? Huh. What's cookin' on the threat board.? Nothin? Nothin at all? I don't like the look of this, Fred. Alright, I tell you what you better do, old buddy.

(slaps his belly)

You better give Elmo and Charlie a blast, and bump everything up to condition red and stand by the blower, I'll get back to you.

(hangs up)

 

MISS SCOTT

What's up?

 

TURGIDSON

Nothing. Nothing. Where's my shorts?

 

MISS SCOTT

On the floor. Where are you going?

 

TURGIDSON

No place. No... no place... I just thought I might mosey over to the War room for a few minutes. See what's doing over there.

 

MISS SCOTT

It's three o'clock in the morning.

 

TURGIDSON

(laughs)

The Air Force never sleeps.

 

MISS SCOTT

Buck, honey... I'm not sleepy either.

 

TURGIDSON

I know how it is, baby. Tell you what you do. You just start your countdown, and old Bucky'll be back here before you can say... Blast Off!

 

CUT TO:

 

 

EXT. BURPLESON AFB – NIGHT

 

Ripper's voice booms over the PA. Ready soldiers stand listening.

 

RIPPER

Your commie has no regard for human life, not even his own. And for this reason, men, I want to impress upon you the need for extreme watchfulness. The enemy may come individually, or he may come in strength. He may even come in the uniform of our own troops. But however he comes we must stop him. We must not allow him to gain entrance to this base. Now, I am going to give you three simple rules. First, trust no one, whatever his uniform or rank, unless he is known to you personally. Second, anyone or anything that approaches within 200 yards of the perimeter is to be fired upon. Third, if in doubt, shoot first, and ask questions afterwards. I would sooner accept a few casualties through accident than lose the entire base and its personnel through carelessness. Any variation on these rules must come from me personally. Now, men, in conclusion, I would like to say that, in the two years it has been my privilege to be your commanding officer, I have always expected the best from you, and you have never given me anything less than that.

 

CUT TO:

 

 

INT. COMPUTER ROOM – INT. BURPLESON AFB

 

Mandrake, who has been closing up shop while listening to Ripper's speech, discovers a radio inside a line printer and switches it on. Soft jazz is playing.

 

RIPPER'S VOICE

Today, the nation is counting on us. We are not going to let them down. Good luck to you all.

 

CUT TO:

 

 

INT. AIRBORNE B-52

 

Soundtrack: Battle Hymn of the Republic.

 

AIRMAN

(to Kong)

Here's the attack profile, sir.

 

KONG

(announcing through headset intercom)

This is your attack profile: to insure that the enemy cannot monitor voice transmission or plant false transmission, the CRM114 is to be switched into all the receiver circuits. Emergency phase code prefix is to be set on the dials of the CRM. This'll block any transmission other than those preceded by code prefix. Stand by to set code prefix.

 

GOLDIE

Roger. Ready to set code prefix.

 

KONG

Set code prefix.

 

GOLDIE

(dials up letters)

OPE Code prefix set.

 

KONG

Lock code prefix.

 

GOLDIE

Code prefix locked.

 

KONG

Switch all receiver circuits to CRM discriminators.

 

GOLDIE

All circuits switched to CRM discriminators.

 

KONG

Check auto destruct circuits.

 

GOLDIE

Auto destruct circuits checked.

 

KONG

Primary target, the ICBM complex at Laputa. Target reference Yankee Golf Tango Three Six Zero. Thirty megaton nuclear device fused for airburst at ten thousand feet. Twenty megaton nuclear device will be used if first malfunctions. Otherwise proceed to secondary target, missile complex seven miles east of Barshaw. Target reference November Bravo X-Ray One Zero Eight. Fused airburst at ten, check, twelve thousand feet.

 

CUT TO:

 

 

INT. BURPLESON AFB

 

Mandrake walks hurriedly through the halls with the portable radio producing another jazz tune, now upbeat. Mandrake enters...

 

 

RIPPER'S OFFICE

 

MANDRAKE

Excuse me sir, something rather interesting's just cropped up. Listen to that. Music. Civilian broadcasting. I think those fellows in the Pentagon have given us some sort of exercise to test our readiness. Personally, I think it's taking it a bit too far; our fellows will be inside Russian radar cover in about twenty minutes. You listen to that. Traffic block full of stations all churning it out.

 

RIPPER

Mandrake.

 

MANDRAKE

Yes, sir?

 

RIPPER

I thought I issued instructions for all radios on this base to be impounded.

 

MANDRAKE

(follows Ripper as he rises from

his chair to lock his office door)

Well you did indeed sir and I was in the process of impounding this very one when I happened to switch it on. I thought to myself our fellows hitting Russian radar cover in twenty minutes, dropping all their stuff, I'd better tell you, because if they do, it'll cause a bit of a stink, won't it?

 

RIPPER

Group Captain, the officer exchange program does not give you any special prerogatives to question my  orders.

 

MANDRAKE

Well I realize that sir, but I thought you'd be rather pleased to hear the news. I mean after all, well let's face it we...we don't want to start a nuclear war unless we really have to, do we?

 

RIPPER

Please sit down. And turn that thing off.

 

MANDRAKE

Yes sir. Ah, what about the planes, sir? Surely you must issue the recall code immediately.

 

RIPPER

Group Captain, the planes are not going to be recalled. My attack orders have been issued and the orders stand.

 

MANDRAKE

Well, if you'll excuse me saying so, sir. That would be, to my way of thinking, rather... well rather an odd way of looking at it. You see, if a Russian attack was in progress we would certainly not be hearing civilian broadcasting.

 

RIPPER

Are you certain of that, Mandrake?

 

MANDRAKE

I'm absolutely positive about that, sir, yes.

 

RIPPER

And what if it is true?

 

MANDRAKE

Well I'm afraid I'm still not with you, sir. Because, I mean, if a Russian attack was not in progress then your use of plan R, in fact your orders to the entire wing... oh. Well I would say, sir, that there was something dreadfully wrong somewhere.

 

RIPPER

Now, why don't you just take it easy Group Captain. And please make me a drink of grain alcohol and rain water, and help yourself to whatever you'd like.

 

MANDRAKE

(salutes)

General Ripper, sir, as an officer in Her Majesty's Air Force, it is my clear duty, under the present circumstances, to issue the recall code, upon my own authority, and bring back the wing. If you'll excuse me sir. Mandrake tries all exits and finds them locked I'm afraid sir, I must ask you for the key and the recall code. Have you got them handy sir?

 

RIPPER

I told you to take it easy, Group Captain. There's nothing anybody can do about this thing now. I'm the only person who knows the three letter code group.

 

MANDRAKE

(voice cracking)

Then I must insist, sir, that you give them to me.

 

Ripper lifts a folder off of his desk and tosses it aside, revealing a blued, pearl handled .45 automatic.

 

MANDRAKE

Do I take it, sir, that you are threatening a brother officer with a gun?

 

RIPPER

Mandrake, I suppose it never occurred to you that while we're chatting here so enjoyably, a decision is being made by the President and the Joint Chiefs in the war room at the Pentagon. And when they realize there is no possibility of recalling the wing, there will be only one course of action open: total commitment. Mandrake, do you recall what Clemenzo once said about war?

 

MANDRAKE

No. I don't think I do sir, no.

 

RIPPER

He said war was to important to be left to the Generals. When he said that, fifty years ago, he might have been right. But today, war is too important to be left to politicians. They have neither the time, the  raining, nor the inclination for strategic thought. I can no longer sit back and allow Communist infiltration, Communist indoctrination, communist subversion, and the international Communist conspiracy to sap and impurify all of our precious bodily fluids.

 

CUT TO:

 

 

INT. WAR ROOM – PENTAGON

 

MUFFLEY

Sam, is everybody here?

 

STAINS

Mr. President, the Secretary of State is in Vietnam, the Secretary of Defense is in Laos, and the Vice President is in Mexico City. We can establish contact with them at any time if it's necessary. The undersecretaries are all here, of course.

 

MUFFLEY

Right. Now, General Turgidson, what's going on here?

 

TURGIDSON

Mr. President, about thirty-five minutes ago, General Jack Ripper, the commanding General of Burpleson Air Force Base, issued an order to the 34 B-52's of his wing which were airborne at the time as part of a special exercise we were holding called Operation Dropkick. Now, it appears that the order called for the planes to attack their targets inside Russia. The planes are fully armed with nuclear weapons with an average load of 40 megatons each. Now the central display of Russia will indicate the position of the planes. The triangles are their primary targets, the squares are their secondary targets. The aircraft will begin penetrating Russian radar cover within 25 minutes.

 

MUFFLEY

General Turgidson, I find this very difficult to understand. I was under the impression that I was the only one in authority to order the use of nuclear weapons.

 

TURGIDSON

That's right sir. You are the only person authorized to do so. And although I hate to judge before all the facts are in, it's beginning to look like General Ripper exceeded his authority.

 

MUFFLEY

It certainly does. Far beyond the point I would have imagined possible.

 

TURGIDSON

Well perhaps you're forgetting the provisions of plan R, sir.

 

MUFFLEY

Plan R?

 

TURGIDSON

Plan R is an emergency war plan in which a lower echelon commander may order nuclear retaliation after a sneak attack if the normal chain of command is disrupted. You approved it, sir. You must remember. Surely you must recall, sir, when Senator Buford made that big hassle about our deterrent lacking credibility. The idea was for plan R to be a sort of retaliatory safeguard.

 

MUFFLEY

A safeguard.

 

TURGIDSON

I admit the human element seems to have failed us here. But the idea was to discourage the Russkies from any hope that they could knock out Washington, and yourself, sir, as part of a general sneak attack, and escape retaliation because of lack of proper command and control.

 

MUFFLEY

Well I assume then, that the planes will return automatically once they reach their failsafe points.

 

TURGIDSON

Well, sir, I'm afraid not. You see the planes were holding at their failsafe points when the go code was issued. Now, once they fly beyond failsafe they do not require a second order to proceed. They will fly until they reach their targets.

 

MUFFLEY

Then why haven't you radioed the planes countermanding the go code?

 

TURGIDSON

Well, I'm afraid we're unable to communicate with any of the aircraft.

 

MUFFLEY

Why?

 

TURGIDSON

As you may recall, sir, one of the provisions of plan R provides that once the go code is received the normal SSB radios in the aircraft are switched into a special coded device, which I believe is designated as CRM114. Now, in order to prevent the enemy from issuing fake or confusing orders, CRM114 is designed not to receive at all, unless the message is preceded by the correct three letter code group prefix.

 

MUFFLEY

Then do you mean to tell me, General Turgidson, that you will be unable to recall the aircraft?

 

TURGIDSON

That's about the size of it. However, we are plowing through every possible three letter combination of the code. But since there are seventeen thousand permutations it's going to take us about two and a half days to transmit them all.

 

MUFFLEY

How soon did you say the planes would penetrate Russian radar cover?

 

TURGIDSON

About eighteen minutes from now, sir.

 

MUFFLEY

Are you in contact with General Ripper?

 

TURGIDSON

Ah... No sir, no, General Ripper sealed off the base and cut off all communications.

 

MUFFLEY

Where did you get all this information?

 

TURGIDSON

General Ripper called Strategic Air Command headquarters shortly after he issued the go code. I have a partial transcript of that conversation if you'd like me to read it.

 

MUFFLEY

Read it.