Kubrick even populated his movie with ersatz Jews — figures who, while not explicitly Jewish on screen, could be read as such.
If you were given exclusive access to Russian president Vladimir Putin, how would you make use of that time?
Ken Adam — who designed Dr. Strangelove’s war room and the lairs of James Bond supervillians — has died at age 95. Benjamin Ivry recalls Adam’s fascinating Jewish legacy.
Comedy, explained Aristotle, has a vague history, because at first no one took it seriously. We cannot know for certain if Aristotle was deadpanning, but his observation would amuse Saul Austerlitz. According to Austerlitz, American film comedy has not been taken seriously, either. In fact, the author quips, it is American film’s “bastard stepchild.” With his latest book “Another Fine Mess: A History of American Film Comedy,” Austerlitz gives us a broad survey of the genre, hoping to spark debate.