MovieChat Forums > Inspector Clouseau (1968) Discussion > 'The Party' vs. 'Inspector Clouseau'

'The Party' vs. 'Inspector Clouseau'

posted 19 years ago by thft
10 replies | jump to latest

On another part of this message board for "Inspector Clouseau" (a 1968 film that starred Alan Arkin in the title role), they said that they recruited Arkin in place of Sellers and Yorkin in place of Edwards because Sellers and Edwards could no longer stand working with each other. However, Sellers and Edwards teamed up to make "The Party" that same year. Was it really that they didn't want to do more "Panther" at the time, rather than not work together? Does anyone have a true answer rather than speculation?

[–] 19 years ago

[deleted]

[–] lpd42 19 years ago

if you believe "the secret lives of peter sellars" (which does for the actor what mommie dearest did to joan crawford), then Sellars and edwards had a love\hate relationship that dictated their work (meaning, sellars was a primo pain in the ass for the director). This doesn't quite gell with me due to how many films they made together. IMHO, the real story was that sellars was getting tired of doing the same old grind and wanted to do something more loose, spontaneous and improvised, and so they decided to do the party, which I find equal to if not better than shot in the dark.
Only two people know the truth, and neither are talking!

[–] kinetica 18 years ago

I think they did not realize how successful they would be, so the studios made the Arkin film, it bombed and people talked up the original pink panther and so the director and actor set off. They could have been in a commited situation as was often the case back in the 60's. The 70's revolution had not happend so they were tools of the studio, not the audience.

Ticks Ticks thousands of ticks, and not one blessed TOCK among them!

[–] slokes 16 years ago

The fact that "Inspector Clouseau", released July, 1968, came out after "The Party", released in April, 1968, suggests that the issue of Sellers and Edwards' antipathy for one another, though quite real, was not the deal-breaker it is suggested to be. Perhaps "Clouseau" spent a long time in development, after the pair had supposedly said "never again" to each, then "The Party" was concieved, agreed-upon, cast, and shot. I doubt it.

I suspect the Waldmans' script was what kept Edwards and Sellers away, not each other. It is a remarkable dog of one. "The Party" is actually only a decent script, but it is at least decent and was made into a much better movie.

[–] ubercommando 16 years ago

In an interview Peter Sellars gave to Michael Parkinson he said "as directors, Blake Edwards understands me and Stanley Kubrick understands me" so I think Sellars and Edwards, despite some bust ups, had a big mutual respect and understanding in their work with each other. In other interviews, I think neither man wanted to be shackled with another Pink Panther movie in the late 60s but ironically they would both be dependent on that series when their careers dipped in the early Seventies.

www.rhubba.com for comedy movies, radio, blogs and...erm...stuff.

[–] jwpeel-1 16 years ago

While your commentary is commendable and imformative, it is nonetheless frustrating that you continue to misspell Peter Sellers name. There is no letter A in his name. If you really appreciate the man's body of work and talent, show him the respect he deserves and learn to spell his name.

[–] 16 years ago

[deleted]

[–] 16 years ago

[deleted]

[–] ubercommando 15 years ago

And the award for the most pointless bit of stirring goes to...JWPeel! Seriously, take it easy. The spelling error probably comes from me posting late at night.

www.rhubba.com for comedy movies, radio, blogs and...erm...stuff.

[–] caprice1221 14 years ago

Peter Sellars was worried about type casting as Inspector Clouseau wanting to do something else The Party which was a Box Office Disaster. He was klutzy Indian, with an Indian accent destroying a party. It had funny scenes, but he never played Hrundi V. Bakshi again.