A SHOT IN THE DARK
US, 1964, 102 minutes, Colour.
Peter Sellers, Elke Sommer, George Sanders, Herbert Lom, Tracy Reid, Graham Stark, Moira Redmond, David Lodge, Andre Moranne, Martin Benson, Burt Kwouk, Reginald Beckwith.
Directed by Blake Edwards.
Peter Sellers made such an impression in the 1963 Pink Panther as the bumbling Inspector Clouseau, that Blake Edwards decided that he should be the star of a sequel. Adapting a murder mystery play, the screenplay was designed to focus on Inspector Clouseau, his verbal mix-ups, his pratfalls. In this, it was completely successful. Peter Sellers is very funny and the whole film is a rollicking example of Pink Panther humour. Elke Sommer is the romantic lead and the suspect in the murders. George Sanders offers his sinister presence. Herbert Lom resumes his role as Inspector Dreyfus and was to continue this, along with Burt Kwouk as Clouseau’s martial arts adviser, in the numerous sequels including The Return of the Pink Panther, The Revenge of the Pink Panther.
Blake Edwards had begun directing smaller-budget films in the 1950s but moved into stronger and bigger-budget films with Days of Wine and Roses and Experiment in Terror. At this time he also made The Great Race. He also married Julie Andrews and featured her in such films as Darling Lili and The Tamarind Seed.
This is probably the funniest of the Inspector Clouseau films – and it also introduced the variation on the Pink Panther theme by Henry Mancini, the Inspector Clouseau theme.
1. The significance and tone of the title? How entertaining a comedy? Peter Sellers comedy? Spoof of detective vehicles?
2. How well did the film stand on its own as a Peter Sellers comedy, the character of Inspector Clouseau? As a sequel to The Pink Panther? The sequels conceived ten years later in the seventies? The particular characteristics of murder mysteries, the bumbling detective? How much better than the usual conventional comedy via comedy and parody?
3. Panavision photography, French locations? The importance of the various sets especially the home and the opening, the Surete? The various amusing locations, for example the nudist colony? The A11? Importance of the music? 'the Rues of Paris', 'The Inspector' theme? The effects of the credits sequence and the humorous animation?
4. How credible was the plot? The confusion with all the people moving around the house at the beginning and then the shot in the dark? The society situation with the murder? and so many guilty? The various murders? The Surete and the investigations? Inspector Clouseau walking heavy footedly through all the investigations? Enough plot for comedy purposes?
5. The particular characteristics of Peter Sellers' impersonation of Inspector Clouseau? His personality, indifference to the truth, for example, his sharing of the facts with Werrule? His mistakes, his accidents and bumbling, his mispronunciations? His letting Maria go from the prison
so many times? His being arrested? The effect on Dreyfus? How clever a characterisation? The traditions of visual comedy, the verbal comedy, slapstick and sight gags?
6. The supporting characters seen within the shadow of Clouseau? Mary, the conventional maid, and Elke Sommer's attractiveness? George Sanders as the suave millionaire? for example the sequence in the billiard room? Dreyfus and his gradually going mad, for example guillotining his thumb,
his twitch, his trying to assassinate Clouseau and killing so many people? llercule and his helping of Clouseau?
7. The effect of the introduction with the Henry Mancono song and the confusion of characters and the transition to the animation and the introduction of the character of the Inspector? How well did this set a tone for the film?
8. Comment on the various set comedy pieces, for example Clouseau's speeches, his falling in the water and tearing his clothes etc.? His painting, his being arrested so many times, the nudist colony sequence? His final summing up of the case?
9. Why do audiences enjoy such films? The humorous treatment ef crime, justice, good ard evil?