MovieChat Forums > Wernher von Braun (1960) Discussion > Thought I had a witty comment...

Thought I had a witty comment...

posted 15 years ago by denverbarndude
2 replies | jump to latest

I attended an internet conference in 1996 and an eminent computer scientist, who had worked with the OSS in WWII stated, "von Braun named his biography 'I Aim for the Stars'. The only problem was he kept hitting London!".
I thought it very witty at the time, as he did not say it was a quote from anyone else. Then, later, I read virtually the same quote attributed to Mort Sahl with cite and date of publication.
Haven't believed a speaker without checking facts since that date.
Came to mind watching "I Aim for the Stars" tonight on TCM. Check the facts with this movie closely.

[–] shoot-to-miss 12 years ago

Was going to post that quip of Mort Sahl's but you beat me to it.

[–] NewtonFigg 10 years ago

I haven't seen a Mad Magazine in many years, but I used to have a pretty extensive collection. They had witty sayings in tiny print stuck in the margins, One tiny note was a review of this movie: I Aim at the Stars, but Sometimes I Hit London. I don't know if that was before or after Mort Sahl.

And Tom Lehrer had a song with the lines
"I shoot them up
who cares where they come down.
That's not my department,
says Wernher von Braun."