A while ago we brought you a hilarÂiÂous series of recordÂings of the British comedic actor Peter SellÂers readÂing The BeaÂtÂles’ “She Loves You” in four difÂferÂent accents. Today we have a brief clip from a teleÂphone call by SellÂers on the set of StanÂley KubrickÂ’s 1964 film Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop WorÂryÂing and Love the Bomb (in which SellÂers played three difÂferÂent roles). Here he demonÂstrates the nuances of a few of the many accents around Great Britain. From cockÂney to upper class and from LonÂdon to EdinÂburgh, it’s clasÂsic SellÂers all the way.
RelatÂed conÂtent:
Peter SellÂers: His Life in Home Movies
Peter SellÂers PerÂforms The BeaÂtÂles in ShakeÂspeareÂan Mode
Weird. SellÂers is obviÂousÂly on the set of *Dr. Strangelove*, made up as PresÂiÂdent Merkin MufÂfley and probÂaÂbly just finÂished doing the scene where, in his AmerÂiÂcan accent, he talks to his SoviÂet counÂterÂpart, PreÂmier Dmitri Kissoff. (“Now, Dmitri, you know how we’ve always talked about someÂthing going wrong the The Bomb. [beat] The *Bomb*, Dmitri. [beat] The *hydroÂgen* Bomb.”) He looks as if he’s being asked about accents by someÂone on the phone — but the phone’s got to be a prop, no? This litÂtle shtick is cryÂing out for some conÂtext!
Here’s the conÂtext: I saw this same clip on the DVD extras for the film. This is an excerpt from one of the “interÂviews” SellÂers did for proÂmotÂing Dr. Strangelove. The films of the interÂviews, comÂplete with pausÂes, were sent to teleÂviÂsion staÂtions, along with a printÂed list of the quesÂtions SellÂers was asked. The idea was that a local enterÂtainÂment reporter could be shown in split screen with SellÂers, hold a teleÂphone receivÂer as if talkÂing to him, and ask the preÂpared quesÂtions. It would then look like the perÂson was interÂviewÂing SellÂers live via teleÂphone. AnothÂer simÂiÂlar film was done with George C. Scott.
This is why OpenÂCulÂture is THE BEST