- A Shot in the Dark (1964 film)
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A Shot in the Dark 
Theatrical release posterDirected by Blake Edwards Produced by Blake Edwards Screenplay by Blake Edwards
William Peter BlattyStory by Marcel Achard
Harry KurnitzStarring Peter Sellers
Elke Sommer
George Sanders
Herbert LomMusic by Henry Mancini Cinematography Christopher G. Challis Editing by Bert Bates
Ralph WintersDistributed by United Artists
The Mirisch CompanyRelease date(s) June 23, 1964 Running time 102 minutes Country United States Language English A Shot in the Dark is a 1964 comedy film directed by Blake Edwards and is the second installment in the Pink Panther series. Peter Sellers is featured again as Inspector Jacques Clouseau of the French Sûreté. Clouseau's bumbling personality is unchanged, but it was in this film that Sellers began to give him the idiosyncratically exaggerated French accent that was to become a hallmark of the character. The film also introduces Herbert Lom as his boss, Commissioner Dreyfus, and Burt Kwouk as his long-suffering servant, Cato, who would both become series regulars. Elke Sommer plays the attractive Maria Gambrelli.
The film was not originally written to include Clouseau, but was an adaptation of a stage play by Harry Kurnitz adapted from the French play L'Idiote by Marcel Achard.[1] As Blake Edwards and future The Exorcist creator William Peter Blatty began work on the script, they decided the story would be a good vehicle for the Clouseau character, and rewrote the script around the new premise. The film was released only a few months after the first Clouseau film, The Pink Panther.
Contents
Plot
Inspector Clouseau (Peter Sellers) is called to the country home of a Paris plutocrat, Benjamin Ballon (George Sanders), to investigate the murder of his Spanish chauffeur, Miguel. The chauffeur was having an affair with the maid, Maria Gambrelli (Elke Sommer), who claims that he often beat her. Although all the evidence points to Gambrelli as the killer, Clouseau stubbornly refuses to admit that she is guilty, having fallen madly in love with her. For the real culprits to keep the truth hidden from Clouseau's boss, Commissioner Charles Dreyfus (Herbert Lom), they must commit more murders. With the murders of Georges (David Lodge) the gardener, Dudu (Ann Lynn) the maid, and Henri LaFarge (Douglas Wilmer) the head butler, Maria is arrested, and each time Clouseau sets her free. Clouseau is always at the wrong place at the right time and manages to get himself arrested by uniformed police four times in quick succession (first for selling balloons without a license, then for selling paintings without a license, then for hunting without a license, and finally with Maria Gambrelli for public nudity, after they flee from a nudist colony without their clothes).
As Clouseau continues to bungle the case, Commissioner Dreyfus becomes increasingly agitated, resulting in his accidentally cutting off his thumb and stabbing himself with a letter-opener. An anonymous figure begins stalking Clouseau, trying to kill him, but accidentally kills a doorman instead, as well as two café customers and a Cossack dancer. Clouseau gathers all the suspects together, and it comes out that Ballon, his wife Dominique, Madame LaFarge, Pierre the driver, Simone the maid are guilty of murder: each of them having killed one of the earlier murder victims, with Maurice the manservant as a blackmailer, and Maria, who is innocent of any crime. The guilty attempt to escape in Clouseau's car, which is blown up, and the anonymous bomber is revealed to be Commissioner Dreyfus, who has been driven mad by Clouseau's blunders, and, in trying to kill him, has accidentally killed the actual murderers. The films ends when out of nowhere, Kato/Cato (Burt Kwouk) pushes Clouseau and Maria into the fountain and Maria and Clouseau fight Kato/Cato as the title "The End" appears on the screen.
Cast
- Peter Sellers as Jacques Clouseau
- Elke Sommer as Maria Gambrelli
- George Sanders as Benjamin Ballon
- Herbert Lom as Charles Dreyfus
- Tracy Reed as Dominique Ballon
- Graham Stark as Hercule LaJoy
- Moira Redmond as Simone
- Vanda Godsell as Madame LaFarge
- Maurice Kaufmann as Pierre
- Ann Lynn as Dudu
- David Lodge as Georges
- André Maranne as François
- Martin Benson as Maurice
- Burt Kwouk as Kato
- Reginald Beckwith as Receptionist
- Douglas Wilmer as Henri LaFarge
- Bryan Forbes as Camp Attendant
Production
The relationship between Edwards and Sellers deteriorated to such a point that at the conclusion of the film they vowed never to work together again. They eventually reconciled to collaborate successfully four years later on The Party, and on three more "Pink Panther" films in the 1970s.
As with most of the other Clouseau films, A Shot in the Dark featured an animated opening credits sequence produced by DePatie-Freleng Enterprises. This film and Inspector Clouseau are the only Clouseau films not to feature the Pink Panther character in the opening titles. Henry Mancini's theme for this film serves as opening theme and incidental music in the "Inspector" cartoon shorts made by Depatie- Freleng.
Awards and honors
American Film Institute recognition
- 2000: AFI's 100 Years... 100 Laughs #48
References
- ^ A Shot in the Dark by Marcel Achard and adapted by Harry Kurnitz had a 1961-1962 Broadway run, directed by Harold Clurman. Its cast included Julie Harris, Walter Matthau, and William Shatner.
External links
- A Shot in the Dark at the Internet Movie Database
- A Shot in the Dark at the TCM Movie Database
- A Shot in the Dark at AllRovi
- A Shot in the Dark at the Internet Broadway Database
- A Shot in the Dark at Rotten Tomatoes
The Pink Panther Films The Pink Panther (1963) · A Shot in the Dark (1964) · The Return of the Pink Panther (1975) · The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976) · Revenge of the Pink Panther (1978) · Trail of the Pink Panther (1982)Inspector Clouseau (1968)Roger Moore (cameo)Curse of the Pink Panther (1983)Roberto Benigni
as Clouseau's sonSon of the Pink Panther (1993)The Pink Panther (2006) · The Pink Panther 2 (2009)Animated shorts The original Pink Panther shorts (1964–1980) · Driving Mr. Pink (1995)Animated
TV showsThe Pink Panther Show (1969–1980) · Pink Panther and Sons (1984–1985) · The Pink Panther (1993–1995) · Pink Panther and Pals (2010)Animated
TV specialsA Pink Christmas (1978) · Olym-Pinks (1980) · Pink at First Sight (1981)Characters Music Other AFI's 100 Years...100 Laughs 1–10 11–20 The Producers • A Night at the Opera • Young Frankenstein • Bringing Up Baby • The Philadelphia Story • Singin' in the Rain • The Odd Couple • The General • His Girl Friday • The Apartment
21–30 31–40 41–50 Moonstruck • Big • American Graffiti • My Man Godfrey • Harold and Maude • Manhattan • Shampoo • A Shot in the Dark • To Be or Not to Be • Cat Ballou
51–60 61–70 What's Up, Doc? • Sherlock, Jr. • Beverly Hills Cop • Broadcast News • Horse Feathers • Take the Money and Run • Mrs. Doubtfire • The Awful Truth • Bananas • Mr. Deeds Goes to Town
71–80 Caddyshack • Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House • Monkey Business • Nine to Five • She Done Him Wrong • Victor Victoria • The Palm Beach Story • Road to Morocco • The Freshman • Sleeper
81–90 91–100 The Heartbreak Kid • Ball of Fire • Fargo • Auntie Mame • Silver Streak • Sons of the Desert • Bull Durham • The Court Jester • The Nutty Professor • Good Morning, Vietnam
Categories:- American films
- English-language films
- 1964 films
- Comedy mystery films
- Films based on plays
- Films directed by Blake Edwards
- Films set in Paris
- Pink Panther films
- Sequel films
- United Artists films
- Works by William Peter Blatty
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