Stanley Kubrick's Dr. Strangelove: Who are Elmo and Charlie?
In one of the opening scenes of Dr. Strangelove general Turgidson says to colonel Puntridge on the phone:
You better give Elmo and Charlie a blast, and bump everything up to Condition Red and stand by the blower.
What does he actually mean by this sentence? Is Elmo the character from 'Sesame street'? Is he saying that the colonel should watch an episode of the show?
Please bear in mind that I am not American and never watched that show.
Best Answer
This means, “Notify Elmo and Charlie by telephone, move to condition Red and wait by the phone.”
We don’t find out who Elmo and Charlie are because it is not relevant to the plot. But given the 1964 release date of Dr Strangelove is 16 years before the Sesame Street character Elmo was introduced, there is no way it is referring to that Elmo.
Pictures about "Stanley Kubrick's Dr. Strangelove: Who are Elmo and Charlie?"
Who does Dr. Strangelove represent?
Dr Strangelove is a satirical commentary on Cold War politics, particularly the polarised relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union, nuclear weapons and the doctrine of 'mutually assured destruction'.How many characters did Peter Sellers play in Dr. Strangelove?
In this celebrated scene, Peter Sellers plays two of his three roles in the film: the mild-mannered US president, Merkin Muffley, and the creepy ex-Nazi scientist, Strangelove. Also on hand is George C Scott as the Communist-baiting General Buck Turgidson.What is the plot of Dr. Strangelove?
We figure Kubrick chose to name the movie after him because more than any other character, he symbolizes the scientific "progress" that resulted in the creation of the atomic bomb. What's up with How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb?La storia di Stanley Kubrick - A Qualcuno piace Cult 1x03
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Asad Photo Maldives, Pok Rie, Asad Photo Maldives, JOSE LUIS VAZQUEZ