Excellent (and amusing) documentary focusing on Peter Sellers' years as Inspector Clouseau.
Some of the people interviewed had experience on at least one, and often more, "Pink Panther" movie: Elke Sommar, Herbert Lom, Bert Kwouk (who also acts as more or less host), Graham Stark. Others are simply famous, opinionated talking heads (Jonathan Miller). And they have a Sellers biographer.
It's a shame that Burt Kwouk, with his fine voice, and really good Hollywood actors like James Shigeta and Philip Ahn, were nearly always relegated by the movie and TV people to shady Oriental characters. Shame on the industry.
Refreshingly, we get a new take on Blake Edwards, who outlived Peter Sellers and so was able to get his story down pat that he was Mr. Nice Guy and Sellers was a kook. After all, he was married to Julie Andrews and neither Maria, with her hatred of discipline, nor Mary Poppins would put up with a monster of a hubby. In fact, this documentary produces evidence both men were ego clear through. When two megalomaniacs rub shoulders, there are bound to be sparks. And, yes, Sellers was a kook, even by Hollywood standards, which sets a rather low bar; but he had genuine talent behind it.
It also proves, first hand, from everyone, the one thing we knew and the one thing that's important, movie-wise: Peter Sellers was FUNNY (watch for the scenes of Dyan Cannon, especially).
For those who knew Sellers was a comedic genius but not much more about him, the documentary provides brief biographical data focusing, very briefly, on his brilliant "Goon Show" years (though Harry Secombe gets short shrift).
It also brings out the vital importance, in many ways, of the often neglected original "Pink Panther" and why it is the beast that it is (I like the first "Pink Panther," btw, though my favorite Clouseau movie is "A Shot in the Dark").
Overall, an enjoyable and nostalgic documentary on the life of Sellers' Clouseau (Alan Arkin and othe wanna-bes need not apply).
