Customer Reviews

A Shot in the Dark

5 star:		(60)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Peter Sellers was a comic genius, and nowhere is this more evident than in A Shot in the Dark, the first of the Pink Panther series to exclusively feature Sellers' Inspector Clouseau. It's one case where the sequel is superior to the original! This film can only be described as gaspingly funny. I've seen this move several dozen times, but it still makes me howl with laughter every time I see it. It's amazing to think that Sellers also made The Pink Panther, Dr. Stangelove, and The World of Henry Orient the same year (all titles I would highly recommend as well). The fact that "Shot" is now on DVD in widescreen makes it that much more special. The supporting cast (Elke Sommer, Herbert Lom, George Sanders, and Bert Kwouk, among others) is perfect and provides a perfect ensemble foil to Sellers. The "Camp Sunshine" scene alone makes "Shot" worth seeing. This film is so funny, I can recommend that you purchase it without having seen it first -- it's that good!

This is one of the very rare films where the sequel is better than the original. This movie is absolutely a letter perfect comedy: suave yet silly; understated yet over the top; pompous yet reserved. You get the idea. A perfect film. I wouldn't change one thing about this movie, even if I could. Peter Sellers defines the bumbling Clouseau as an individual better here than in the original, and I think the supporting cast is stronger as well. Elke Sommer is perfect as the beautiful, naive murder suspect who Clouseau goes to any ends to defend, while George Sanders is wonderful as the great scoundrel millionaire, Benjamin Ballon. Introduced for the first time in the series are Bert Kwouk as Kato (later spelled 'Cato'), Graham Stark as Clouseau's (extremely) patient assistant, Hercule, and my favorite of all the Panther supporting characters, the great Herbert Lom as Inspector Dreyfus. Watching Lom go through the phases of psychosis in this film is one of the greatest experiences and delights a person can have as a movie viewer. (I particularly like his performance in the closing scene, and when reading the newspaper with trembling hands and twitching eye.)

The plot concerns Clouseau's infatuation with a wrongly accused murder suspect, and the chaos that develops from that unlikely situation. The film is filled with a degree of nuance seldom seen in a comedy, and is probably the best crafted of all the Panther films (although I have to admit that the way over the top "Pink Panther Strikes Again" is my personal favorite.) The physical comedy that Sellers could make totally natural (watch the "spinning globe" scene for an excellent example) is still unrivalled, and the nuanced interplay with other cast members is better than in any other comedy that I can think of (to see what I mean watch the "curved pool cue" scene and the interaction of both Monsieur Ballon and the butler.)

I highly recommend this film. The DVD print is good, though there are few extras (the original trailer is very amusing and a tad on the weird side.) It is slapstick, but it is very refined slapstick done by the master, Peter Sellers. If only they still made movies like this today. I give it five stars only because Amazon won't allow more!

This is by far the wittiest and amusingly the funniest of all the Inspector Clouseau and Pink Panther films. The last time we saw Inspector Clouseau he was on his way to jail as the convicted notorious "The Phantom" jewel thief at the close of THE PINK PANTHER. Happily he is out and reinstated. Besides the perseverance of Peter Sellers as Clouseau this films introduces the regular members of the series that thrived even after the loss of Sellers. Herbert Lom as Chief Inspector Charles Dreyfus, Burt Kwouk as Kato, Andre Maranne as François and Graham Stark as Hercule Lajoy all acted as a counterpoint to Sellers' Clouseau which greatly bolstered and defined the various and curious qualities of the Inspector. It's interesting how Blake Edwards returned to the original format of THE PINK PANTHER for the rest of the series yet he retained these regular characters introduced here in A SHOT IN THE DARK. The other great contribution to the series is Henry Mancini's score once again present here and in all Pink Panther films directed by Blake Edwards. This is a great movie.

Why the four stars? Well 5 for the movie, about which nothing further needs to be said, surely. But let's knock off a star for this DVD package. There's nothing wrong with the film, looks fine, so far as I can see. But the extras are merely some stills and the trailer, there's not even a paper insert! That's a pity, I would have loved an hour of interviews from those still around (or maybe in the can already). Ah well, it's cheap, but it's like MGM figured this was just an oldy and didn't deserve any special handling. That's an insult for one the best comedies ever made, with every single scene a gem.

Blake Edwards and William Peter Blatty, the latter of whom would eventually write THE EXORCIST (both the novel and the film), were working on adapting a stageplay by Marcel Achard and Harry Kurnitz when Edwards had the idea of turning it into a vehicle for the character of Inspector Jacques Clouseau (Peter Sellers), the bumbling French policeman with the thick accent from Edwards' caper comedy THE PINK PANTHER. The result is A SHOT IN THE DARK, released the same year as its predecessor (1964).

The film opens with a wonderful little sequence which culminates in a murder at the home of millionaire Benjamin Ballon (George Sanders). Inspector Jacques Clouseau is mistakenly assigned to the case. Though the evidence screams that the Ballon home's maid, Maria Gambrelli (Elke Sommer), is responsible for the murder, Clouseau is captivated by her beauty and refuses to believe it. He sets out to prove Gambrelli's innocence as more and more evidence against her piles up, all the while driving his superior, Chief Inspector Dreyfuss (Herbert Lom), farther and farther up the wall.

A SHOT IN THE DARK is most certainly the finest of the Inspector Clouseau adventures. It is at once a great comedy, a great PINK PANTHER film, and a great mystery. Edwards and Blatty know what to do and when to do it, be it slapstick comedy or plays on Clouseau's thick accent. The identity of the murderer remains completely unknown until the ending - you won't see it coming. The endlessly inventive script comes up with one outrageous scene after another, resulting in one of the most fun and funny "whodunnit"s ever made.

Henry Mancini's music has never been better. His score, including a delightfully shady theme, is magnificent, possibly the finest of his career. The film's original song, "The Shadows Of Paris", is great as well. Mancini's score isn't always funny, however; there is a montage of scenes in the film where Clouseau is targeted for murder by an assassin. The assassin's face is not revealed; we see only his gun and his gloved hand. The way that director Edwards filmed this scenes, combined with Mancini's inhuman score, is to me quite horrifying.

Sellers is at his finest as the completely unreasonable, constantly bumbling Inspector Clouseau. What would these films be without him? It is painful to imagine someone else in the world. It fits Sellers like his character's trademark coat. A SHOT IN THE DARK also marks the first appearance of Kato (Burt Kwouk), Clouseau's servant and frequent "attacker". Sommer and Lom are also great in their roles, particularly Lom as the increasingly loony Dreyfus.

If there is one PINK PANTHER film you must see, it's A SHOT IN THE DARK. The film has become a true comedy classic, and rightfully so. It's an immensely fun movie that will keep you guessing - and laughing - until the very end.

This is my favorite Pink Panther movie and the only one without "Pink Panther" in it's title. Peter Sellers does his usual great job as the inspector but Elke Sommer really classes this one up. A better story line than the others. Highly recommeded for any Pink Panther fan.

No one can top Peter Sellers as Inspector Closeau. Even Steve Martin, who I love, can't hold a candle to Sellers. I saw this movie at Fort Jackson when I was stationed there in 1965. My buddies and I went to see it several times and almost rolled in the aisles with laughter. When I saw it on Amazon, I just had to buy it. He still has me rolling in the aisles.

Second in the "Pink Panther" series, and the best. The plot - something to do with a murder and a false suspect and a slew of other suspects - is secondary; in fact, it hardly matters at all. The focus of the movie is where it should be - on Peter Sellers as Inspector Clouseau. The gags, many of them sight gags, never stop, and most are right on the money.

Where the first Pink Panther movie hadn't defined Clouseau enough, and the later ones strained for humorous effects (or repeated themselves), this movie is fresh and energetic - and very funny. Definitely worth a watch.(One of the few movies in this long series that doesn't have Pink Panther in its title, mainly because that is the name of a jewel and this movie has nothing to do with the jewel.)

In many ways, "A Shot in the Dark" is the first of the Clouseau films. In the original movie Clouseau was simply the bumbling cuckolded detective without a clue while David Niven was the star jewel thief going after the famous diamond, the eponymous Pink Panther. However, in this movie all the elements that make a "Pink Panther" movie take shape.

The elements are: Clouseau is the central focus of the film. His manservant, Kato, is present and their training karate duels provide amazingly funny scenes usually ending with a ridiculous explosion. Chief Inspector Dreyfus (Herbert Lom) is Clouseau's boss and is insane with his hatred of Clouseau. There are beautiful women who are strangely available to Clouseau much like "Bond Girls". There are plenty of cartoon bombs, ridiculous disguises, and plenty of laughs.

In this film the beautiful woman is Elke Sommer. Sommer is a stunning beauty. Here she is a very affectionate and much too innocent maid in a rich household with many other servants and wealthy owners. One evening, when everyone is in beds other than their own, a man is shot to death. Sommer's character, Maria Gambrelli, is the obviously guilty party and everyone intends to railroad her to jail. Except that Clouseau knows she is innocent. He really hasn't a clue why she is innocent except for some vague intuition. The rest of the movie sets up Clouseau stumbling into more trouble and at the last moment, as in all the films, the guilty party is revealed and Clouseau is the hero who deserves credit for sticking with his hunch, but never having a clue as to why he was right.

In many ways, this is the best of the Clouseau films because all of the later films are derivative of the formula laid down here. Oh, and one other delight in all the films are the various roles that Graham Stark played in each of them. He is fabulous. What a face and what delivery!

The second of the five Pink Panther features (I don't count 1982's Trail of the Pink Panther since it was mainly deleted scenes and outtakes cobbled together from previous films), A Shot in the Dark (1964) was the first to actually star Peter Sellers (What's New, Pussycat, The Party, Murder by Death) in his signature role as the ever bumbling Inspector Jacques Clouseau (The original Pink Panther film featured David Niven as a well to do cat burglar, while Seller's role as Clouseau was more of a supporting one). Produced, directed, and co-written by Blake Edwards ("Peter Gunn", The Party, Revenge of the Pink Panther), the other co-writer being William Peter Blatty (The Exorcist), the film includes Elke Sommer (Baron Blood), Herbert Lom (Spartacus), George Sanders (Village of the Damned), Tracy Reed (Casino Royale), Graham Stark (The Return of the Pink Panther), and Burt Kwouk (You Only Live Twice).

As the film begins we see various figures furtively sneaking about a large, French chateau, punctuated by some gunshot ringing out in the night. We soon learn a passionate Spaniard chauffeur has been murdered, and a housekeeper named Maria Gambrelli (Sommer) is prime suspect, due to the fact she was found in the room with the body, holding a smoking gun in her hand. As it turns out the murder occurred on the estate of a wealthy businessman named Benjamin Ballon (Sanders) and Inspector Jacques Clouseau (Sellers), mistakenly assigned to the case, soon makes the scene, along with his assistant Hercule (Stark)...I say mistakenly as given the prominence of those involved, Chief Inspector Dreyfus (Lom), who despises Clouseau with a passion due to his bumbling antics, would have never knowingly allowed Clouseau to investigate such a delicate case. Anyway, Clouseau is quickly removed from the investigation but is soon re-instated as interested parties, for reasons unknown, pull a few strings on his behalf. As Clouseau blunders his way forward, he's convince Maria didn't commit the murder, and that she's covering for someone else, but one wonders if Clouseau's belief stems from the fact he's quickly falling for the accused. Things go seriously awry as Clouseau tries various methods to determine the identity of the killer, which really only results in two thing, the first being an increasing body count as various members of the Ballon household suffer deaths by unnatural causes, and the second being to drive Chief Inspector Dreyfus further and further to the brink of insanity. Not only that, but a mysterious assassin is on the loose, intent on killing Clouseau himself! Things eventually come to a head once Clouseau gathers all interested parties in one room, the intent being to expose the killer who he surely believes is among the group.

Many would say A Shot in the Dark is the best among the Pink Panther films, and I'd be hard pressed to argue, but I've always been partial to The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976), the one where Dreyfus, after escaping an asylum, threatens to destroy the world unless in an effort to coerce the nations of the world to send their best assassins to eliminate Clouseau once and for all. While A Shot in the Dark may not have been as screwball as some of the later Pink Panther films, it's still extremely funny, entertaining and worth most anyone's time given the strength of the writing and the wonderful performances. Sellers is, well Sellers, the bumbling, awkward, nincompoop of a detective who, somehow always manages to come out on top (but not without a few bumps and bruises along the way). It's difficult picturing anyone else in the role after seeing Sellers' performances, but we were given the opportunity to do so with a 2006 release starring Steve Martin. I have yet to see the new film, but I really have no desire to do so as I don't think it will live up to the originals. Sellers had perfected the role, and I have little interest in seeing someone else trying to top something I doubt could be topped. Anyway, Sellers is helped along the way with great performances by Herbert Lom, as Clouseau's beleaguered supervisor and Graham Stark as Clouseau's unfortunate assistant. Throw in a lot humorous dialogue, goofy situations galore, and Henry Mancini's memorable scoring and you've got one heck of a comedic adventure. Some of my more favored parts of the film include the running gags, particularly the one where Clouseau dons any number of disguises, all of which end up in him being arrested for various misdemeanors (in one scene he's disguised as a street vendor selling balloons in order to follow Maria unnoticed, but he's quickly arrested as he doesn't possess a street vendor's license). Another great sequence occurs when Clouseau tries to follows Maria surreptitiously into a nudist colony, and he can't gain entrance until he strips down himself. I've never seen so many carefully place set pieces as to obscure all the naughty bits inappropriate for a PG rated film. And then there are the various bits with Clouseau's manservant Kato (in the later films he's known as Cato), played by Burt Kwouk, who's instructed by his employer to attack Clouseau when he least expects it, if only to continually improve his employers ability to deal with the unexpected. Finally there's the finale, as Clouseau gathers those remaining in one room, and gets a whole lot more than he bargained for once the revelations begin coming at a furious pace. All in all this is a terrific murder/mystery comedy, one worth watching more than once.

The picture, presented in both widescreen anamorphic (2.35:1) and fullscreen (1.33:1), looks very clean, and the Dolby Digital mono audio, available in both English and French, comes through clearly. As far as extras, there's an eight page booklet, an original theatrical trailer, and subtitles in English and French. There's also a hidden feature, one that can be found by clicking on the title on the main menu, revealing a vintage promotional ad.

Cookieman108

By the way, if you don't happen to own any of The Pink Panther films on DVD but are interested in buying them, look for The Pink Panther Film Collection DVD set which includes The Pink Panther (1963), A Shot in the Dark (1964), The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976), Revenge of the Pink Panther (1978), and Trail of the Pink Panther (1982). The only one not included within the set is The Return of the Pink Panther (1975), only because MGM somehow lost the rights to the film to Universal Pictures, who did release the movie onto DVD in 2006 (thankfully).