User reviews

Legendary Peter Sellers improvised his role using only Director Blake Edwards' 50 page film outline with no set scripted dialogue. Sellers is left to devise and improvise each scene. This required assembling a highly competent ensemble of supporting actors capable of keeping up with Peter, and they pulled it off very well. Larry David uses this same approach in his 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' in case you did not know.

The film's scenes were largely shot in sequence to preserve the comic flow, allowing Sellers to figure out what astoundingly destructive comic mess his character Hrundi Bakshi (the character being an actor brought in from India to lend authenticity to a period film) would innocently create next for his Hollywood producer boss while shooting the film on location, and the "big man" president of the studio, whose Beverly Hills VIP party Bakshi inadvertently gets an invite to attend.

Truly hilarious deadpanned slapstick scenes abound - one of the most memorable being the "Birdie Num Nums" bit.

This movie has captured an ever growing number of fans over the years, myself included.

One may be offended by the cliche' India culture stereotyping Sellers applies via his character's mannerisms and accent, but If you want to be compelled to laugh out-loud, this may be just the ticket.

Is there a more iconic comedic prologue than The Party's, with Hrundi Bakshi (Peter Sellers, priceless), a bumbling actor involuntarily, repeatedly sabotaging some kind of schlocky adventure / period piece first by refusing to die, then by showing his wholly anachronistic watch and finally by blowing up the set while trying to tie his shoelaces? Because if there is, I can't think of one at the moment.

The movie belongs to veteran comedy director Blake Edwards and especially to Sellers, who provides an hilarious turn as Bakshi, a sweet, meek individual so clumsy and inclined to disaster, he is essentially the human version of a tornado. Material is droll, but at times so thin that with a lesser lead it would have collapsed - Sellers being who he is, the mere sight of him staring with awkward alarm at a toilet which refuses to stop flushing provokes laughter.

8,5/10

Blackballed bit-actor in Hollywood is mistakenly invited to a Tinsel Town party hosted by the same studio chief who wants him dead. Unusual comedy with little dialogue, lots of terrific visual gags and Peter Sellers at his peak (he's very low-keyed here, and immensely charming). Director Blake Edwards loses his footing in the final 15 minutes when the gathering gets out of hand (I can't recall one movie wherein a wild party sequence managed to be hilarious). Despite this, there's a lovely concluding scene between Sellers and a breathtaking Claudine Longet (who looks like a delicate flower), capped with Henry Mancini's wonderful score. "The Party" isn't full of dumb shtick. The slapstick is sometimes very smart, and Edwards doesn't condescend to the audience. Good fun! *** out of ****

What can you say about Peter Sellers? From the Goon Show, through the Ealing comedies, the Pink Panther films, up to Being There, he was consistently brilliant! Kubrick knew it, Blake Edwards knew it, and this movie does a lot to prove it to everyone else. Instead of making his stereotype just a vehicle for laughs, he brings out the pathos and beauty inherent in alienation..instead of using scripted antique gags as an invitation to walk through the role, he transcends each tired joke with impeccable timing and facial expressions. Even the silly sixties situations don't ruin the comedy here, as they did in Alice B. Toklas. In my opinion, this one is timeless, and should be seen by anyone who has a sense of humor.

Innocent, clumsy but lovable Peter Sellers is out of his element among a group of phony, pretentious Beverly Hills fools. He is victim to circumstance, technology and some silly customs that are foreign to his experience. The result is sometimes hilarious.

Okay, first of all, just about everyone in this film is stupid. This is 2020 and most of us realize that Indian Americans are just as diverse as anyone else - ranging from brilliant and socially adept to the opposite of the spectrum. I realize this is dated and can be seen as offensive. I think the point of his character being Indian is that he is naive to some of the useless and ridiculous customs of the time as well as subtle changes in the culture. I don't think it was intended to be hurtful. I mean the man us the only likeable character in the movie! He isn't stupid, gauche or uncivilized. I think most of us would feel out of place and nervous in such a settimg. I do think it is pointless to portray the character as any race and am sorry people find it offensive. I like the character and don't think he represents anything but sincere and innocent. Hey, he gets the girl, right?

On a lighter note the film features murderess Claudine Longet who got less than a month in jail for killing her lover. Talk about something to be enraged about! On top of that she can't act or sing!

When I was working for the Museum of Modern Art, we had a small retrospective for Blake Edwards, and he selected "The Party" as the movie he wanted to open with: he felt it was his "purest" film comedy. After the opening sequence with the Peter Sellers character wrecking a movie set, the bulk of the film takes place during the night of a big Hollywood party (which the Sellers character is inadvertently invited to). In this, the film is as rigorous as Antonioni's "La Notte" (also set during the events of one day and night), and the sight gags build and accumulate in a manner that is reminiscent of Jacques Tati (with the same melancholic humor prevading the slapstick). The film is utterly charming, with some acerbic touches pricking the hypocrisies of Hollywood, and the film takes the time to let the characters (especially the two principals, played by Sellers and Claudine Longet in her only major film role) develop. It may not be as manic as parts of "The Pink Panther" but it's very funny in an even and sustained way.

Superb and overblown comedy with Peter Sellers in sparkling form as one man show in which plays an Indian actor making life intolerable for all and causes wreak considerable havoc at a lush Hollywood party . Very funny comedy from the team responsible for the Inspector Clouseau series , as stars Peter Sellers , musician Henry Mancini and director Blake Edwards .

This release is an enjoyable comedy starred by the great Peter Sellers as the inept and bungler actor named Bakshi , role who along with Clouseau became a world-wide institution . Pacing of visual film is well-developed including a magnificent opening with Sellers and his trumpet , as the director with his knowledge of the mechanics of cinema gets entertainment and amusement . Several chuckles and gags , and sight jokes abound , the result of which is one of the funniest Blake Edwards films . The movie gets entertained and hilarious moments here and there , with some side-splitting situations . This slapstick contains funny scenes , never slowdown and laughters come quickly . Top-notch Peter Sellers who is an absolute walking disaster in a similar character to Clouseau , as botcher Bashki , everything he touches turns to ashes . It appears notorious secondaries as Gavin MacLeod , Steve Franken , Marge Champion and a gorgeous Claudine Longet . Lively and atmospheric music by habitual Henry Mancini .

The film is well penned and directed , as always , by Blake Edwards . Blake is a classic comedy filmmaker and director of his own dialogue , there's no doubt he knows what he's about . His stories are amusing and well-realized though uneven , but thanks to Sellers many movies stand out . He had successes with ¨Pink Panther¨ series who became him a world-wide celebrity as ¨A shot in dark¨ , ¨Return of pink panther , ¨Revenge of pink panther¨ , ¨Curse of Pink Panther¨ , ¨Pink Panther strikes again¨ , ¨Trail of Pink Panther¨ , ¨Son of Pink Panther¨ , among others . Since then , there have been many more hit-and-miss comedies , some wildly unsuitable vehicles for his second wife Julie Andrews as ¨The Tamarind seed¨ , ¨Darling Lili¨, ¨SOB¨ , ¨10¨ , ¨That's life¨ . His greatest hits were ¨The party¨ , the tranvestite comedy ¨Victor/Victoria¨ and of course the joyously ¨Breakfast at Tiffany's ¨. The flick will appeal to Peter Sellers fans . This is arguably one of the Blake Edwards' best . This consistently fun comedy titled ¨The party¨ deserves 'Two thumbs up' .

Sellers is great, this film is great and honestly all the recent bad reviewers need to rewatch this, and maybe then they will change their mind about it.

The 1968 comedy "The Party" is indeed a timeless Blake Edwards comedy. And it is a very wonderful and hilarious movie that I always will associate with the great Peter Sellers.

The storyline in "The Party" is pretty straight forward and rather simplistic if you look at it objectively. And that is definitely not a hindrance to the movie. In fact, its simplicity is something that works well in favor of the movie. Especially so, since the movie is so amazingly brought to life by the wonderful character gallery and some very memorable acting performances.

"The Party" is a comedy that works so phenomenally well because of the characters in the story, as written by writers Blake Edwards, Tom Waldman and Frank Waldman. And it is a situational comedy that brings lots of laughs as the movie unfolds on the screen.

The dialogue in "The Party" is funny and well-written, and there are lots of very memorable and quotable lines being tossed around here, and especially Peter Sellers brings a lot of these to the screen.

It should be noted that the movie really clicks because of the phenomenal cast, which includes the likes of Peter Sellers, Steve Franken, Denny Miller and James Lanphier.

A movie like "The Party" would not have passed today, with all the political correctness, anti-stereotyping and other such mindless things that permeates Hollywood. Why? Well, you have Peter Sellers, a Caucasian, playing a Hindi named Hrundi V. Bakshi in the movie. A character that he portrays very well mind you.

"The Party" is a comedy that most certainly has withstood the test of time with excellency. It is a movie that you can watch again and again over the years, and it never wears old. If you haven't already seen "The Party", and you enjoy comedies and find yourself with the opportunity to watch it, you have to treat yourself to the experience. Because this is exactly what the title says, a party.

My rating of "The Party" lands on a most well-deserved seven out of ten stars.

IMDb really should change that line to 0 out of umpteen people found the following comment corresponded with their preconceived opinion but, hey, my comments have received so many zeros that I'm starting to feel quite special…

First off, I've got to say I'm no great fan of Peter Sellers (and before you ask, I watched the film because I watch whatever the hell I feel like watching. Good films sometimes overcome their over-rated stars, and this film is fairly well regarded by a lot of knowledgeable people). Sellers was an over-rated actor in my opinion, with a limited repertoire that he exploited to the full (and kudos to him for that), and no amount of ardent fans telling me how wrong I am will sway me from an opinion formed from the evidence that's been shown to me at 24fps. That doesn't mean I think he has no talent – I just don't think he has as much of it as most other people seem to think (and, yes, I've seen DR. STRANGELOVE).

If I didn't know better I'd suspect that, in the opening scene of this film, writer/director Blake Edwards was having a sly dig at the self-indulgence Sellers so often displayed in his movies when working with a director too inexperienced or intimidated to rein in such egocentricity. Lampooning GUNGA DIN, Sellers blows that warning trumpet, and refuses to stop no matter how many times he's shot. The scene goes on beyond the bounds of decency until every other actor on the set is emptying their firearm into him. Still he trumpets; squeaky, breathless toots, tuneless laments aimed at the sky as he lies on his back. It works for me as a parody of Sellers rather than a parody of GUNGA DIN…

Wait a minute – don't click on that 'NO' button yet. Just because I don't subscribe to the 'Sellers was a comedy genius' line of thought doesn't mean I didn't like this film. In fact I did, and Sellers is actually quite good in it. He's blacked up, and employs an Indian accent that is probably considered offensive these days, but he manages to inject an intelligence and warmth into a character that, for most of the film, is simply the subject of a sequence of borderline slapstick mishaps. He's a stranger in a strange land, as is Michele Monet (Claudine Longet), his kindred spirit, and the land in which he finds himself is obsessed with beauty, success, and status. In his white shoes and red socks and tie he is totally at odds with the stylish and sophisticated West Coast party-goers, but their elegance is all on the surface, while Bakshi's is inside of him.

The movie is reminiscent of a silent movie, but more Tati than Chaplin, especially when it focuses on the hapless Bakshi's encounters with modern technology. There is no plot to speak of, just Bakshi wandering around studio head Fred Clutterbuck's (J. Edward McKinley) plush house, grinning inanely at all around him, trying to blend in as he increasingly stands out. The comic timing is often quite sublime, prompting a number of laugh-out-loud moments and, although the film falters very badly in the last third, the relationship that develops between Bakshi and Monet is quite touching. But the ending is woefully misjudged, and at odds with the pace and tone of the rest of the film. It dates the film badly, and comes across as fake and forced.

I cant believe there is so much positive feedback for this film... did I watch the same film as you guys? I am a HUGE fan of Peter Sellers and I think the guy is genius, but this is far from his finest hour - OK Sellers is brilliant in this film, and all the problems of this film are not his fault, I blame Blake Edwards. This was meant to be some sort of silent film farce homage, but it seemed to be 10x slower paced than your average farce. The whole thing with the drunken waiter got old VERY fast and was so overused and unfunny, it had me cringing rather than laughing. Even Sellers genius couldn't save the many dull moments in this film, which consists of dull people talking about nothing in particular, Sellers listening to them, making unfunny comments and generally having his talent wasted. There were only a few sequences that were genuinely funny, the lost shoe sequence, the birdy num num sequence and the waiting for the toilet sequence. In between that comedy gold are interminable scenes of pure boredom as I try desperately to find something to laugh at. I cant understand why so many people find this a hilarious and classic Sellers film! And I love Sellers, I found the Pink Panther movies funny and even find stuff like Frank Spencer and Mr Bean funny (Rowan Atkinson undoubtedly stole a few ideas from this film but executed them far better) so i cant understand why I simply don't get this film at all.

This film has to be regarded as a hilarious one-man-act by Peter Sellers. I saw it on its first run UK cinema release in 1969 and I've seen it at least a dozen times since. I would gladly watch it another dozen times; it always makes me laugh. The supporting cast perform adequately but Peter Sellers does all the work. He is simply one of the all-time greatest masters of great comedy timing. I was surprised to read so many negative comments on this site in association with this film. I can only surmise that they have come from a younger generation who have had their sense of humour surgically removed due to a force fed diet of unamusing US sitcoms. If you can't laugh at this film you must be birdie-num-num!

How can you not like this film, it's so funny. Sellers is just superb.

I have just seen this film, and it is really funny. I am new to Mr. Sellers' filmography, and he's very funny and talented.

I wasn't till after I saw the Crime-Doc on TV about 60's "Moon River" singer Andy William's wife, Claudine Longet and her lover ski champion, Spider Williams would I have possibly recognized Peter Seller's mild love interest in The Party. Claudine is so nice to bumbling Hrundi. In truth, according to the documentary, Claudine in real life got what she wanted in Hollywood no matter what, but her role here is the opposite of type.

Are site gags funny for an-hour-an-a-half? Not always in The Party. How many ways can you embarrass yourself at an uncharacteristically stuffy Hollywood mogul's party? The answer is, endlessly. The bathroom scene with the toilet gives Sellers a wet laugh a second. Since there is a lake of water in every room, before long the cocktail dresses of 1968, and the tuxedo's of any era, end up in the soup. Ad laundry detergent and you have a bubble bath of sound stage proportions. Throw in a drunken waiter and a Gay mincing caterer, a control panel to open and shut floors, walls, and bars, and put on the ladies head falls upon falls plus toupee jokes. I think you're getting the idea.

Blake Edwards was trying to make a hip, swinging 60's comedy, but I think he missed the mark completely. If you are looking for sex, drugs, and LSD, this film looks more like Sinatra Vegas of an earlier era.

I really wish to have been invited. The film is great, and Sellers delivers a charming performance.

Since the first time in 1986 when l watched this comedy l was disappointed by the end, then l saw one more time on cable TV trying to see something more around 1998, nevetherless my opinion wasn't change, yesterday l pick up this DVD after twenty years to has the final opinion about this famous movie, the first half part is really good with some odds situations that are worth of note, which including the bathroom's scene, but the ending when all house is turns a total mess spoils the movie, more Blake Edwards isn't to any taste after all, so this movie is quite clear overrated to me, this kind of comedy didn't makes my head.

Resume:

First watch: 1986 / How many: 3 / Source: TV-Cable TV-DVD / Rating: 7.

This is simply great. I'm a huge fan of Peter Sellers and this film is one of his bests.

Blake Edwards, Henry Mancini and Peter Sellers team up again and it's a winner.

A Hindustani meets the high society of Hollywood, the chaos is programmed and the laughs hit hard.

A culture clash comedy from 1968 by the great Blake Edwards with a hilarious Peter Sellers in one of his funniest roles as Hrundi V. Bakshi.

It's still so much fun to watch this movie with its fine slapstick scenes and timinig, masterful camera work and perfect soundtrack by Henry Mancini.

The first 2/3rd of the movie are great, at the end in the final 1/3rd it loses some of its pace.

A great comedy. Always a good watch.

Highly recommended.

Perfect 1960s comedy. Peter Sellers at his best.

Cowboy dart gun scene is a real laugh. Birdie Num num. Hollywood elites.

Hippie linguistics, far out, groovy, a psychedelic elephant, take a look at what it meant to be high class in the '60s, the elite jet set meets The Three Stooges.

A magical time when movies were part slapstick, part contemporary comedy.

Silly and a bit dated, but worth a view for a trip back to the 60s.

Zanny fun Comedy For the sake of comedy. Watch the credits for a view of how they created them during this time period.

Also look up Peter Sellers, one of the actor greats.