Five Movies: Peter Sellers

I thought it would be fun to pick up on something I mentioned on Monday: there are other great movies with Peter Sellers in them that don't have the words "pink" or "panther" in them. In fact, there are a lot more than five, so I'll include other movies at the bottom just in case you're familiar with my "Fave Five".

A caveat: While I acknowledge that A Shot in the Dark does not have the words "pink" or "panther" in the title and is also excellent, I am consciously avoiding Clouseau movies tonight. As always, they are presented in no particular order, because I loves them all.

Without further ado: Five Peter Sellers Movies You Should See


1. Lolita - I begin and end with movies that feature Sellers in supporting roles, but ones which he makes quite an impact. It's not necessary for you to have read Nabokov's Lolita to enjoy the movie (which he adapted) directed by Stanley Kubrick. Technically, Lolita is about Humbert Humbert (James Mason) and Lolita (Sue Lyon), but any movie book ended with a scene involving Mason and Sellers' Clare Quilty should clue you in that his relatively minor screen time ripples throughout the film. Sellers pops in and out of the already excellent Lolita, but his sleazy, charming Quilty is every bit the antithesis of Humbert's distinguished pervert. This is not the last time you'll see Sellers and Kubrick together, even on this list. A Must See.

2. Murder By Death - I've professed ad nauseum of my love for this film, a Neil Simon send-up of Detective Fiction adapted from his own play. Sellers plays the Charlie Chan parody, Sidney Wang, and he hams it up from beginning to end. Sellers' horrible grammar is the cause for Lionel Twain (Truman Capote)'s best line in the film, which occurs in the following exchange:

Milo Perrier (James Coco): What do you make of all this, Wang?
Wang: Is confusing.
Twain: IT! IT is confusing! SAY YOUR GODDAMN PRONOUNS!

Murder by Death is a movie I return to over and over again just to giggle from beginning to end. Sellers joins a hell of a cast: in addition to the aforementioned Capote and Coco, the film also features Maggie Smith, Elsa Lanchester, David Niven, Peter Falk, Eileen Brennan, Nancy Walker, James Cromwell, and Alec Guinness. I know the movie has its detractors, but I find it consistently funny and never tire of it.

3. Dr. Strangelove (or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb) - Kubrick and Sellers, together again, in what may be the best comedy of an already prolific decade. I only put Strangelove on here in the off-chance some of you haven't seen it and have merely heard of it. Believe me: it lives up to the hype. Not just Sellers (playing three unique characters), but George C. Scott, Keenan Wynn, Sterling Hayden, and wait.. is that James Earl Jones I see? Why, yes it is! This is more than a "Must See"'; Dr. Strangelove should be mandatory for all film fans.

4. Being There - If you're a Hal Ashby fan from Harold and Maude and for some reason you haven't caught Being There yet, now is the time. It was just rereleased on dvd and Blu Ray, and extras aside, this movie is totally worth your time. The next to last film Sellers made earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. As Chance "Chauncey" Gardner, Sellers is totally unlike you've seen him before, a blank slate in the world set loose after the death of the man he was taking care of. Gardner enters Washington, DC knowing nothing of the world outside of what he saw on TV, and what follows is funny, sweet, and most of all clever. Take Ashby's sense of humor, combine it with Sellers' dedication to character work, and let them go. Do yourself a favor and pick this up.

5. The Ladykillers - For our last film I jump alllll the way back to a very early stage in Peter Sellers' film career. While the film is technically an Alec Guinness vehicle, Sellers makes quite the impression as on of Professor Marcus (Guinness)'s henchmen, Harry (aka "Mr. Robinson"). He also goes uncredited was the voice of Mrs. Wilberforce (Katie Johnson)'s bird. The movie isn't a big role for Sellers, but he makes the most of what screen time he has. Also featuring Herbert Lom (Inspector Dreyfuss in those movies we're steering you away from). If you're only familiar with the Coen Brothers' not-so-great remake, this will be a pleasant surprise.

I don't want to give the impression that all of the Pink Panther films are bad (although some of them are); this is more to give you an idea of how much more there is to Peter Sellers than a bumbling French detective. What interesting about all five of these films is that he plays different types of characters and is sometimes unrecognizeable from role to role. In the case of Dr. Strangelove, sometimes in the same movie.

For further interest, I suggest you check out: The Party, The Mouse That Roared, What's New Pussycat, The Prisoner of Zenda, The Magic Christian, and I Love You, Alice B. Toklas!

Of special note, I would also recommend The Life and Death of Peter Sellers, directed by Stephen Hopkins and starring Geoffrey Rush as Sellers. Unlike the normal biopic, this HBO film presents the story of Sellers' life as Sellers might choose to tell it. If you want a whirlwind tour of the highs and lows of his life with some clever twists thrown in, this is a nice companion piece to the five films listed tonight.