More Of The Strange, Love

I Know What You're Thinking
Not literally, of course, since DARPA are still working on their mind-reading machine as I type.  Of course, once they do come up with it, human society is going to change, and not for the better.  Just imagine being able to know what anyone is really thinking: in the case of your humble scribe this would very probably lead to multiple life-sentences with no remission or parole, just to be on the safe side.
     Anyway, and typically, that has nothing to do with the rest of the Intro.
     "Oh God is he still going on about Doctor Strangelove?" I what I expected you to harp on about, rather.  Well, yes, is the answer.  Believe me, I could bore for Britain on the subject:  and if Film Studies ever becomes an Olympic sport, I'm your man*.
     Rather than go on about the film itself, I want to mention the Production Designer, Ken Adam.  A Production Designer is a major influence on any film, responsible for creating the overall "look" of a film, typically in set design.

Ken on set, looking pleased with himself

     Ken Adam himself was an interesting chap.  As Jews in Nazi Germany, his family fled to England in 1934, which is why Ken had a Mittel European accent.  Without becoming a British citizen, he joined the RAF as a pilot in 1940, making him one of a handful of Germans to fly with the brylcreem boys.  And, incidentally, liable to instant execution if ever taken prisoner, which must have made his job extra-specially exciting.
     Now, one of his iconic designs was for DrS:  the War Room.  Art?

The War Room, featuring the Big Board

     Legend has it that when Ronald Reagan assumed the presidency of South Canada, he wanted to see the War Room, and had to be gently informed that the War Room came out of Ken Adam's imagination, not real life.  It also inspires the film's most memorable quote:

     One other thing is that neither Stan nor Ken had any help or assistance from Strategic Air Command whilst making DrS, which is understandable if you consider the plot for a second "A satire on nuclear war where an insane SAC commander triggers Armageddon - wait, come back!"  Thus they had to use what few sources were out there to recreate the interior of a B52 SAC bomber, viz:

"Set all circuits to CRM 114 discrimination"

     A few Air Force officers were invited to the premiere, and were observed to go white with shock when they witnessed the above, which probably gave Stan and Ken a bit of a frisson of pride.  Also fear - Stan warned Ken he'd better have a complete folio of all his planning for the bomber in date order, from preliminary sketches to final sets, because they might be getting an unfriendly call from the FBI ...**

Still With The Bang-Making Items
I believe that this is "bathos", as the Greeks called it - going from the sublime and thermonuclear weapons to a machine-gun with a terrible reputation.  Thanks to Forgotten Weapons and Ian the (slightly-hippy-looking) presenter, Conrad presents the Chauchat.

A Chauchat automatic rifle

     As Ian amusingly puts it, this has been criticised as the worst weapon ever made by anyone anywhere, in the history of humanity.  He then scotches a few of the myths about the "Sho-sho".  First is quality; the South Canadians built a lot in their army's bullet calibre that were so badly made 50% were rejected immediately, and the remaining ones performed poorly, so they pushed the Ultimate Rubbish tale rather hard.  Not so the French version; and the Germans used captured ones, too, so they can't have been that bad.  

German with a Chauchat.
Not as catchy as "Girlfriend in coma"

Second problem is reliability, and Ian points out that the magazine has GREAT BIG HOLES in, which means mud got in very easily.  Mud + automatic weapon = jam.  Third problem was overheating, which also caused a jam, but to do this you needed to fire about 15 magazines non-stop; that's not what the gun was intended for - "intermittent fire on the move" is how Ian puts it.  Fourth was the low rate of fire, about 240 rounds per minute; this is a matter of perspective, as 240 r.p.m. is a lot more than a bolt-action rifle where an expert of long standing might manage 15 r.p.m.

Ian:  slightly hippyish and a killer to boot

     Ian goes on to fire a whole magazine of 20 rounds no problems.

Crikey!  We're already over count, and I worried about having enough material.  Okay, allow me to leave you with an image I liked the instant I saw it.

     Bart being killed.  Look at those popping eyeballs, that squirming tongue, the crushed windpipe - Oh!  Was I thinking aloud?  You see what I meant about DARPA and their damned telepathy helmet?



*  I know, I know, I'm not Hom. Sap. But I can pass for one.
** It didn't happen, although it would have been a badge of honour