Cinema in the Round

One of the most surreal episodes of the Cold War occurred during Nikita Khrushchev’s historic tour of the United States in 1959, the first time a Soviet – or Russian – leader ever visited the U.S.

Khrushchev, who was visiting Los Angeles, literally threw a temper tantrum when his hosts told him that, due to security concerns, they could not allow him to visit Disneyland.

“And I’m telling you, I would very much like to go and see Disneyland,” Khrushchev shouted angrily, according to the New York Times report of September 19, 1959.