I would say 1964 was during the early years of the Cold War. I saw this film as a pre-teen on the military base my uncle, an SAC (Strategic Air Command) pilot, was assigned to when it first came out. The Air Force audience was stunned into silence during most of it, interspersed with hoots of laughter, and silence again as the movie concluded. I didn’t understand why, and my aunt explained that the film was so detailed & realistic that many were immediately worried about security issues the film might cause when the Soviets viewed it. On the plus side, I have loved Peter Sellers’ comedies ever since! It’s definitely worth a watch - I’ve seen it several times since my first viewing, understanding the humor much better as I grew older. Thanks for the memories, Tim!
I understand why they wanted the SAC pilots to see it. Proper control of nuke's was and is a very big focus. I suspect that by the time I was a cadet in 1975, the practice had continued through inertia.
Some historical perspective from a 72 yo here.
I would say 1964 was during the early years of the Cold War. I saw this film as a pre-teen on the military base my uncle, an SAC (Strategic Air Command) pilot, was assigned to when it first came out. The Air Force audience was stunned into silence during most of it, interspersed with hoots of laughter, and silence again as the movie concluded. I didn’t understand why, and my aunt explained that the film was so detailed & realistic that many were immediately worried about security issues the film might cause when the Soviets viewed it. On the plus side, I have loved Peter Sellers’ comedies ever since! It’s definitely worth a watch - I’ve seen it several times since my first viewing, understanding the humor much better as I grew older. Thanks for the memories, Tim!
That is a great story!
May give you some insight as to why it was made compulsory attendance, even so many years later in the Cold War!
I understand why they wanted the SAC pilots to see it. Proper control of nuke's was and is a very big focus. I suspect that by the time I was a cadet in 1975, the practice had continued through inertia.