"Peter the Great's greatest": Sellers' best film?

[Cato]

Peter Sellers had quite the distinguished film acting career, all in all. But what do you think was his very best work - the best film in which he starred?

Would it be a PP film, perhaps ASITD would be the top dog of these, or maybe you'd say TPP63 or TRetOTPP? What about his Kubrickian back catalogue, namely Lolita or his three-character-led Dr Strangelove? There's his pre-Hollywood work too, of course, including the excellent Ealing effort The Ladykillers with Alec Guiness, as well as his BAFTA-winning turn in I'm Alll Right Jack, and, last but not least, there's his reputedly last, great turn as Chance the Gardener in the lauded Being There.

Personally speaking, I suspect Being There must be pretty high - it's unfortunately still on my list of really-must-see movies though, so I couldn't say yea or nay right now. Therefore, I'm plumping for... well, let's just say that it's definitely between Strangelove and ASITD, for me...

But what about you...?

[Clouseau]

i think there are too many of Sellers' films that i haven't seen for me to give a good answer on this one... and like you, i'd say Being There is one of those "must-see"s that i just haven't gotten around to yet, but very much hope to see soon...

[Cato]

Anyone else?

Come on, some more of you out there must have an opinion on this one!

[ben]

"Being There" is not what you expect, but if you have the right frame of mind, it will make you do more than just laugh. It will seriously make you think as well. It is a beautiful film. The character of Chance.. honestly, you will forget that it's Peter Sellers acting. I know that's how it is for alot of his films but Peter made Chance a completely different man if that makes sense..

The Pink Panther movies...amazing

I don't know. I couldn't say a favourite.

[Dreyfus]

Well all the Peter Sellers films i have seen have been great. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb and The very first Pink Panther are probably his best in my opinion. I've never seen Being There though.

[georgelytton]

There are quite a few.

From the Pink Panthers, I'd say SHOT, RETURN and STRIKES AGAIN are his best, because in one he got the niche of the character, in the other he excelled in its perfection. In both the movies are good and Clouseau is best realized. His portrayals in the original PANTHER and REVENGE are also good, almost as good, and that should say something.

Overall, I think he was just plain great in all Panthers.

HOFFMAN is a film that is fairly close to Sellers' own personality. As close as it could ever be. Theatre quality, this film is fine, but somwhat falters because of that theatre style of staging and performing. Still, Sellers is great, throughout, and for that alone, this film is a gem.

DR. STRANGELOVE is Kubrick's only comedy, and with Sellers he ensured its eternity. Sellers' versatily is evident in every frame. Probably Peter Sellers's best performance in a film, ever.

The overlooked, but recently discovered BLOCKHOUSE is another gem, a WWII film about a number of people imprisoned underground for years. The most naturalistic and "real" film I've seen, in a long time. Sellers gives a completely different performance here, as a man whose smarts sometime abandon him, from being able to count the days and months they were imprisoned in there, to be completely lost, in the dark, before falling victim of his of his own fears.

PARTY was also great... His Indian portrayal led many to think Apu in THE SIMPSONS was a derivation from Seller's Hrundi, even when he clealry wasn't (and according to Apu's voicemaster, Hank Azaria). What makes this performance work, is Sellers's astounding mimickry - he's as perfect an Indian as any could ever be. And he acts beside that! Just plain funny.

You see theres a variety in both roles and movies.

However, his best movie, followed closely by DR. STRANGELOVE, would have to be BEING THERE. The role of a lifetime, and a brilliant satire. With certainty, his greatest performance.

Also, the perfect swan song to Peter Sellers' career, all too well, because "life, is a state of mind."

[Maria Gambrelli]

Many people are not familiar with his work prior to the first Panther. He starred in many typical British b/w comedies and gave wonderful performances. One of his best ever, besides Chance and Strangelove threesomes, was in «I'm all right, Jack» (1959). All what he stands for in the world of comedy is shown through his ingenious interpretation of Fred Kite, the shop steward.

Many other masterpieces of the era include «The mouse that roared» (1959), «Only two can play» (1962), «The wrong arm of the law» (1963) or «Heavens Above» (1963). Later flicks worth mentioning are Woody Allen's «What's new, Pussycat?» (1964), «The Party» (1968), «I love you, Alice B. Toklas» (1968) and «Murder by death» (1976). There is also one project dear to his heart and on the trace of his goonish ancestry, a very surreal British comedy called «The Magic Christian» (1969). There it is, if you want to see Sellers'es way of havin' a blast.

It's interesting to mention, the only explicitly negative character he played was in «Never let go» (1960). That was his first and last silver-screen bastard, and, to be honest, Sellers is hard to be seen as a bad guy in the movies. Otherwise...well.

My personal fave is «Hoffman» (1970). A chamber-like drama, more of a theater piece than a movie. And when you see that one, you certainly feel sorry he didn't undertake more of the heavy-weight tasks.

[Clouseau]

i do very much love Dr. Strangelove, and i saw The Mouse That Roared on TCM just tonight for the first time (thought it was pretty good!), but neither really stands up to the likes of ASITD and RetOTPP in my book... there are stil so many of Sellers' films i need to see, though...

[georgelytton]

My personal fave is «Hoffman» (1970). A chamber-like drama, more of a theater piece than a movie. And when you see that one, you certainly feel sorry he didn't undertake more of the heavy-weight tasks.

As i said, theatre quality of a movie.

And I believe that, if Sellers survived his heart attack, as he would've grown older, we would probably have seen him more in movies with serious roles for him.

Great movie, BTW.

[Clouseau]

i've been seeing more and more of Sellers' films lately, and one that hasn't been mentioned here that i kinda like is The Smallest Show On Earth (1958)... though it's one of his earlier films, Sellers plays an old man in this film, and if you didn't know it was him, you'd never guess... he's only a supporting character, but i find the film to be genuinely funny... still doesn't stand up to the likes of A Shot in the Dark or The Return of the Pink Panther, but i was very glad to have seen it...

my search for Sellers' greatest film continues!

[Clouseau]

i'm still a ways from having seen all of Peter's films, but i've seen considerably more of them over the last few months... i have to say that my initial evaluation of The Mouse That Roared, above, was premature, because i now find it to be one of my personal favorites... while there are several that i like so far (Being There, Dr. Strangelove, Heaven's Above, RetOTPP), i think currently for me, The Mouse That Roared and A Shot in the Dark are the two i favor the most... there is still quite a list of his films i have not seen, for sure, but having seen several now, i thought it a good idea to post some sort of an update...

[pinkadilly]

apparently there are a lot more peter sellers movies i still need to see!