I know he was a controversial and polarizing figure, so I am not posting this here to stir the pot. No need to praise or condemn Kissinger's influence in his long career and influence on world politics here, as there are many places where this can be discussed. But whatever one may think of him, he was no doubt among the more influential figures of the 20th century. May he rest in peace.
"Course I'm respectable. I'm old. Politicians, ugly buildings, and whores all get respectable if they last long enough."
~Noah Cross (John Huston) in "Chinatown" (1974)
Yup, I think even Keith Richards is respectable these days.
He was being talked about on the radio & someone told the story of his brother, who had lost that German accent & just sounded American. He was asked why Henry still had that thick European accent, & he answered, oh that's because Henry never listens to what anyone says.
Interesting you should say that as I was recently having a discussion with someone about Averell Harriman, one of those guys who was a go-to for several presidents on the foreign affairs front going way back. Clark Clifford also comes to mind. So yes, HK joins esteemed company.
Although it is widely believed that Peter Sellers’ portrayal of “Dr. Strangelove” was based on Henry Kissinger, Kissinger was not a well-known figure at the time of the 1964 film’s release. According to Sellers, the character was based upon rocket scientist Wernher von Braun.
Peter Sellers as DR. STRANGELOVE
By 1976, Kissinger was widely known, and Byron Kane, who played the “Secretary of State” in Sellers’ film THE PINK PANTHER STRIKES AGAIN, was made up to look like Kissinger.
Byron Kane as the “Secretary of State” in THE PINK PANTHER STRIKES AGAIN
Always thought Sellers was imitating Dudley Do-Right's voice.
I wonder how many actors have played him? Must be a few, id imagine.
I remember a Saturday Night Live skit that had famous people with their mothers being interviewed. It was a riot. Richard Dreyfus played Kissinger, can't recall who played the Mom.
He didn’t start the Vietnam War he only tried to end it. That was the objective of both parties at the time. With all the generals running around I doubt it was his idea to bomb Cambodia.
He didn’t start the Vietnam War he only tried to end it. That was the objective of both parties at the time. With all the generals running around I doubt it was his idea to bomb Cambodia.
Yup, the Americans went into there under (whisper it) John F Kennedy.
BORN AGAIN told the story of Charles Colson (Dean Jones), who was involved in the infamous Watergate scandal that brought down the administration of former President Richard Nixon. Colson was sentenced to prison for the crimes he committed in the name of "national security", and while in prison he underwent a religious conversion. Peter Jurasik played Henry Kissinger in the 1978 film.
Peter Jurasik (far left) as Henry Kissinger in BORN AGAIN
He didn’t start the Vietnam War he only tried to end it. That was the objective of both parties at the time. With all the generals running around I doubt it was his idea to bomb Cambodia.
Yup, the Americans went into there under (whisper it) John F Kennedy.
It wasn't President Kennedy who sent thousands of troops into Vietnam though. "Military Advisors" who he was more likely to reduce than increase. He told Cronkite that. Ending a war by escalating bombing of civilians in Cambodia is a heck of a stretch. And let's not forget Kissinger's support in overthrowing elected governments in Chile and Argentina.
He didn’t start the Vietnam War he only tried to end it. That was the objective of both parties at the time. With all the generals running around I doubt it was his idea to bomb Cambodia.
Yup, the Americans went into there under (whisper it) John F Kennedy.
It wasn't President Kennedy who sent thousands of troops into Vietnam though. "Military Advisors" who he was more likely to reduce than increase. He told Cronkite that. Ending a war by escalating bombing of civilians in Cambodia is a heck of a stretch. And let's not forget Kissinger's support in overthrowing elected governments in Chile and Argentina.
There was a great doc on TV about the life of Gore Vidal (narrated by himself)* & in it, Mr Vidal said that he thought Kennedy would have escalated America’s involvement in Vietnam, but we’ll never know.
*”The United States Of Amnesia” - it’s on YouTube, about 25 minutes in.
