Mr. Topaze

Although it was made at the height of Peter Sellers's popularity, and had great publicity as a result of his also directing it, this was a considerable critical and financial failure - so much so that advertising took the extraordinary step of citing derogatory critical notices as well as favorable ones and suggesting that audiences might like to make up their own minds. A similar controversy attended the opening of the first London production of the original play, which took place in 1933 - Raymond Massey, who played Sellers's role of Topaze in it, reports in his autobiography that the first act was met with rapturous applause and even a standing ovation, the second act by markedly more reserved applause, and the end of the play with virtually no applause at all and audible audience hostility.

Featured in Discovering Film: Peter Sellers (2015)