Terry Southern  Screen Writer 1924 - 1995.  

The hippest guy on the planet

Terry Southern  1924 - 1995

Just after 10.30 on the morning of September 11, 2001 the world entered a moment created by the late great screenwriter Terry Southern. High over the Polar waste a B52 of the Strategic Air Command received a coded message. The pilot opened a safe and extracted a sealed envelope. They are instructed to arm their weapons and move into attack positions. The United States was under attack and it’s military were preparing to hit back. But at who? The Political hierarchy and their military counterparts retreated to fortified bunkers. The World Trade centre was under attack. These events must have happened probably the way they did in Terry Southern’s great script for Dr. Strangelove, Stanley Kubrick’s masterpiece.

 Slims Pickens in Strangelove the scene that must have happened on 9/11

Southern had the knack, he wrote the scripts that summed up the times. The New York Times called him the “hippest guy on the planet”. From Easy Rider, to Candy, Barbarella, The Magic Christian and Dr Strangelove -  Terry Southern’s razor sharp writing and incisive understanding of absurdity made his films eccentric crowd pleasers which linger. Making a comedy about nuclear devastation just after the Cuban Missile crisis when that devastation was a real possibility takes some doing. The possibility of trivialising the concept is ever present but Southern treads the tight rope with panache. The humour opens the subject up and the laughs are truly black.

The Magic Christian is probably one of his best. It’s hard to find but worth the effort. Peter Sellers and Ringo Starr in the most quietly mad assessment of Western capitalism. It’s a rare gem that many people haven’t heard of and fewer seen. Sir Guy Grand finds a homeless guy and instructs him in the ways of money and power so that he can become Sir Guy’s heir.

Southern’s wildest piece, as yet unproduced, is “Blue Movie”. An argument about producing the greatest porn film ever is settled as the world’s leading Arthouse director sets about casting the biggest stars to play in his porn film. Hilarious, scabrous take on the film industry. Names are changed but it’s easy to identify everyone he’s cast. Hollywood’s never had the courage to take it on but we’re negotiating to get the rights.

For more info on Terry Southern check this, run by his son Nile.