Watching.....Cold War Comedies

It might seem at first glance that the possibility of nuclear holocaust would be no laughing matter. But in fact, there is an entire genre of 50s and 60s films that do just that. My husband introduced me to most of these movies, all of which are so quirky and hilarious.

The Mouse That Roared

I think this one is my favorite! Peter Sellers is hilarious as he plays multiple roles in this 1959 satire based on Leonard Wibberly's novel. The plot centers around the world's smallest country, The Duchy of Grand Fenwick. The enitre economy of this tiny, almost medieval nation depends on the export of vintage wine to America. When California bottles a cheaper version, Grand Fenwick falls into economic hardship and looming bankruptcy. The solution they come up with is to declare war on the United States, lose and accept foreign aid. The longbow armed invasion force sent to New York arrives in the middle of a nuclear drill that has left the streets and harbor completely empty. As they wander through the city, trying to find someone to surrender to, they happen upon a scientist with a special ultimate weapon that can destroy the Earth, leaving them in the unexpected position as the most powerful country in the world.
*There is a sequel to this film, The Mouse on the Moon, which I've just put in my Netflix queue. It doesn't have Peter Sellers in it though, so I wander if it will be as good? We shall see....

The Russians Are Coming

This 1966 film is so wild and zany, it's almost screwball. A Russian submarine accidentally runs aground off the coast of a small New England island. As they come ashore and interact with people of the town, chaos naturally ensues as the townspeople fear the worst: total invasion!

Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb

This one is much more of a dark comedy. It's also one of those movies that I think you probably have to watch several times to really "get." Maybe I'm just saying that because I've only seen it once and definitely was left with a "What?" kind of reaction. But it was pretty funny all in all. An insane paranoid general, Jack D. Ripper, sends his bomber wing to destroy the U.S.S.R. ultimately triggering the actuality of nuclear annihilation.