The comical way Stanley Kubrick settled creative differences with George C. Scott in ‘Dr. Strangelove’
Stanley Kubrick, famed for his unique provision to the world of cinema with classics like 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Shining, and A Clockwork Orange, died nearly a quarter of a century ago, leaving an unfillable hole in Hollywood. In filmmaking and most other creative arts, one doesn’t reach the top without a deal of perfectionism, stubbornness and passion. Thankfully, Kubrick had all three in bucketloads.
As the director, one would assume Kubrick was in a position of overruling power, but some of his historic collaborators have revealed frosty and argumentative episodes with the late auteur. One of whom was Shelley Duvall, who portrayed Wendy Torrance opposite Jack Nicholson in The Shining.
“We had our moments when we laughed and joked around on set, but then there were times that we just exploded at each other,” Duvall told Coming Soon in 2011. “I’m a very stubborn person and don’t like being bossed around and told what to do. Stanley pushed and pushed to get the performance out of me that he wanted. The script wasn’t really specific enough for me to understand what my character was going through mentally. I played it out as a battered but loving housewife who supports her husband through all the shit in their marriage. Stanley wanted a tough, strong, independent woman. I disagreed with that decision, but the way all my scenes worked out, you see all those emotions in my character.”
“For a person so charming and lovable, he can do some pretty cruel things when you’re filming,” she continued. “It was a very difficult role. It was a long shoot, and I had to cry and hyperventilate and carry a little boy for most of the time we shot. And that was about a little over a year. I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything. Why? Because of Stanley. It was such a fascinating experience. It was such intense work that I think it makes you smarter… But I wouldn’t want to go through it again.”
In a similar clashing of antlers, Kubrick met notable resistance from actor George C. Scott when shooting 1964’s Dr. Strangelove. On the set, Scott, who was cast to play the blathering and slightly unhinged General Buck Turgidson, took issue with Kubrick’s vision for the character. He was well aware Dr. Strangelove was a dark comedy, but he wanted to play the role with a level of severity.
On the other hand, Kubrick wanted Scott to be comically over-animated and crazed in his performance. After finding very little middle ground, Kubrick asked Scott to humour his request in some “practice” shots that he promised wouldn’t make it to the final cut. Duly, Kubrick went against his promise and made sure the wackiest shots made it into the final production.
Understandably, Scott felt betrayed and vowed never to work with the obstinate director again. The late actor kept to his word, with Dr. Strangelove being the pair’s only collaboration, but he did later admit to enjoying his more animated scenes.
After all, Kubrick’s betrayal wasn’t the only nail in the coffin of future collaboration. It has been reported that the pair disagreed on multiple creative decisions throughout the Dr. Strangelove project, so Kubrick devised an ingenious plan to settle their differences.
As the clash of egos reached an inevitable stalemate, the pair would settle it with a game of chess. The winner would get their way with no further quarrel. This method was agreeable since both backed themselves on the chessboard, but it seems Kubrick usually had the upper hand.
