I always thought that General Turgidson (George C. Scott) planted the camera on the Russian ambassador. But at the end he using a pocket watch or something and taking a picture of the big board? Or what was he doing??
Religion should be made fun of. If I believed that stuff, I'd keep it to myself. -Larry David
General Turgidson was obviously suspicious of Kissoff and tried to set him up in order to avoid potential breach of security. The scene at the end was Kissoff taking pictures of the big board using a disguised camera, confirming Turgidson's initial suspicions.
shareActually the Soviet Premier who President Muffley spoke to on the phone was named "Kissoff." The Russian ambassador was named Alexi de Sadesky. Still, a great sequence. Remember, whatever happens, there will be no fighting in the War Room.
Did you also notice actor Peter Bull, who played Sadesky, trying to hide a laugh at Peter Sellers as Dr. Strangelove, as he was fighting his own arm?
"I’ve had a perfectly wonderful evening. But this wasn’t it." - Groucho Marx
Yes! I saw it in a theater today for the first time, rather than in my home and I kept watching for the actor almost letting go at the sight of Seller's trying to tame that arm!
shareI also remember how the Russian ambassador and his American hosts all liked the male to female ratio proposed in the tunnels to escape the radiation. See, Americans and Russians could work together if only politics stayed out of it.
"I’ve had a perfectly wonderful evening. But this wasn’t it." - Groucho Marx
I just saw it in the theater too, and somehow I never noticed before the risque moment when Dr. Strangelove is talking about the sexual ratio and he has to pause to adjust his arm down on his lap out of frame, as though it were an erection.
But in answer to the OP, the Ambassador was taking pictures with a hidden camera (again). Turgidson was telling the truth about the first camera.