Prof. Groeteschele's Sexuality
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mike-848 — 12 years ago(May 16, 2013 10:15 PM)
Interesting take on Groeteschele rejecting her advances but I don't remember anything in the film indicating her being a Gentile or Red so I think your premise is a stretch. She just seemed to be a cheating wife whose fetish was thinking about millions of deaths caused by her pushing a button and getting sexually aroused by it.
Also, it's only much later in the film as you pointed out do we realize he may be Jewish.
If the writers wanted to, they could have pursued your angle just to give the film an added twist which I think would have been very interesting but showing Jewish racial/ religious supremacists (and I have run into them) would have been a no - no then as it is now. -
jgroub — 10 years ago(January 21, 2016 09:14 PM)
Although it is not explicitly stated, it's certainly implied that Groeteschele is Jewish in the later confrontation with General Black when an obviously excited Groeteschele exclaims that if every Jew had been armed and resisted the Nazis, there wouldn't have been a Holocaust, and that they had learned from them to which Black replies that Groeteschele has learned all too well, implying that Groetschele has become exactly the same as what he hates.
Yes, this is heavily implied by this exchange, and the novel makes it clear. Groeteschele was actually born in Germany, got out in the 30s (his father, who was a respected surgeon, couldn't get his license to transfer to the US, and had to become a butcher instead). Groeteschele joins the Army, and with his perfect German, becomes an interrogator of captured Nazi War Criminals.
I want the doctor to take your picture so I can look at you from inside as well. -
fidanza — 19 years ago(April 28, 2006 10:38 PM)
It was also in the 1962 book "Fail-Safe" by Eugene Burdick" and "Harvey Wheeler" (both lecturers of political science). The character's rejection of Ms Wolfe was due to his the fear of his loss of potency. From the book: "He realised that he had always feared women because in each of them there was the buried but inextinguishable desire to love a man to death. Evelyn Wolfe was simply more obvious and direct about it than the others. She would, without mercy and as if it were her due, draw the energy and juices and fluids and substance from his body through the inexhaustible demands of pure sex."
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geoff-185 — 19 years ago(May 04, 2006 04:21 PM)
All this talk about fluids and juices and substance makes him sound remarkably like Gen. Ripper in "Strangelove"- except that our Professor resisted while poor Jack didn't. Hell hath no fury like a madman scorned; at least he got to take out his nastiness on the flouridation Commies.
geoff@greenmarble.ca -
Cleon — 19 years ago(December 21, 2006 02:17 AM)
If that's really the explanation from the book, this is one of the few examples of where a movie improves upon its literary origins. I think I can speak for most men when I say that if I met a woman who got off on the idea of incinerating millions of people, my rejection of her would not require a self assessment of my potency.
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nvasapper — 15 years ago(August 24, 2010 02:40 PM)
Incorrect- if you recall, General Ripper DID resist sharing himself completely with women. He says to Peter Sellers playing Group Captain Mandrake, "I do not avoid women, Mandrake. But I do deny them my essence." So he will socialize with women where necessary but he won't do the nasty with them!
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Artdoag2 — 12 years ago(June 23, 2013 09:48 PM)
i believe Walter MAtthau-Grotech the professor..ahem, was straight as an arrow. He is pompous, accomplished, and arrogant, but he is also an esteemed member of the intelligence/bureuacrat community. Ms Wolfe seemed to be a party crasher, a social climber, who invited herself to the party, or at least ran in similar circles. She was awestruck by the older man was so impressed by his influence and stature that she wanted to initaite an affair. Just think of Paula Broadwell and Gen. Patreus from 2012
At any rate, the "I'm not your kind" declaration by Grotechele was his way of pointing out just how cheap and petty he figured her to be. -
Urpomies — 14 years ago(June 03, 2011 09:52 AM)
Thought it was pretty weird scene at first. When the character became clearer later with the whole nuke 'em now that we have a chance -attitude I figured maybe he really just doesn't care.
Like some said already, I too thought the whole car scene was very out of place for '64. -
Woodyanders — 5 years ago(March 18, 2021 11:33 AM)
I'm going with Groeteschele being straight. He rejected the woman's advances because he was offended by her getting off on nuclear war.
You've seen Guy Standeven in something because the man was in everything.