THE BOBO
US, 1967, 105 minutes, Colour.
Peter Sellers, Britt Ekland, Rossano Brazzi, Adolfo Celi, Hattie Jacques, Ferdy Mayne, Kenneth Griffith, Al Lettieri, Marne Maitland.
Directed by Robert Parrish.
Audience Expectations of Peter Sellers films were very high by the mid-60s, especially after his international appeal as Inspector Clouseau in The Pink Panther and A Shot in the Dark. However, he made a number of films which disappointed audiences at the time including After the Fox and I Love You, Alice B. Toklas. However, in retrospect this is a slightly more serious comic character from Sellers. He plays a former matador wanting to get back into the business – but is required to woo a gold-digger, played by his then wife, Britt Ekland. The film has some character actors in support including Italians Rossano Brazzi and Adolfo Celi as well as the British Hattie Jacques and Kenneth Griffith.
The film is comic in its way but has not maintained a strong reputation like so many others of Peter Sellers’ films. The director is Robert Parrish who began making small crime films in the early 1950s and moved to England for some films including The Purple Plain with Gregory Peck. However, in the United States he made a number of westerns including Saddle the Wind and The Wonderful Country.
1. The meaning of the title and its tone?
2. How convincing and important was the atmosphere of Spain? The credits’ look at Barcelona? The Spanish characters, songs?
3. How good a Peter Sellers comedy was this? The particular characteristics of this kind of comedy, their use?
4. The conventions of farce, mistaken identities, wealth, sex-comedy? How well were these conventions used, how entertainingly?
5. What were the important themes for the focus of the film’s meaning? Giving point to its comedy? Juan as the poor man and ambitious? Olympia as mercenary and tricking people? The mutual trickery?
6. How important was it for the film to turn on Olympia? The beginning of the film focusing on her, her greed, her blackmailing mercilessly of the salesman, her using of her admirer and then rejecting him? The indignation of the entrepreneur and his vengeance? How was this balanced by the devotion of Trinity, her maid? The presentation of her quick changing of moods in looking for the Count? What kind of girl was she? How normal? Did she have any redeeming features?
7. How important for the themes of the film was it for Olympia to be tricked? The lure with the coat, her waiting for the king, the moral comment? Juan as the vehicle of this deceit? Her attitude? The redeeming of her mercenariness by some kind of feeling and love? Was this convincing?
8. How enjoyable was Juan in Peter Sellers' style? The Bobo, the matador from the country, his singing, persistence, drive? His relationship with the entrepreneur? The conditions and his accepting of them? The humour of his devices for tricking Olympia? His entry into the role of the king's confidant? His ability to rescue a situation? For example, with the coat, with the lavish dinner? How did he fall In love with Olympia? The change in him? How satisfactory was the resolution? The discovery of the truth? Was the painting of the Bobo blue a sufficient vindication for Olympia and for Juan?
9. Juan going on to be the singing matador, Olympia gaining a husband and wealth?
11. How good a comedy? What were the high points? A comedy of manners and morals?
