A Shot in the Dark (1964)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

Blake Edwards

Writers:

Blake Edwards (screenplay) and
William Peter Blatty (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

23 June 1964 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Family | Mystery

Tagline:

It's Sellers the Sleuth... and there's nothing he won't do to track down a body -- dead or alive!

Plot:

As murder follows murder, beautiful Maria is the obvious suspect; bumbling Inspector Clouseau drives his boss mad by seeing her as plainly innocent.

Plot Keywords:

Clouseau | Inspector | Murder | Maid | Detective

Awards:

Nominated for BAFTA Film Award. Another 1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Peter Sellers	...	Jacques Clouseau
Elke Sommer	...	Maria Gambrelli
George Sanders	...	Benjamin Ballon
Herbert Lom	...	Charles Dreyfus
Tracy Reed	...	Dominique Ballon
Graham Stark	...	Hercule LaJoy
Moira Redmond	...	Simone
Vanda Godsell	...	Madame LaFarge
Maurice Kaufmann	...	Pierre
Ann Lynn	...	Dudu
David Lodge	...	Georges
André Maranne	...	Francois
Martin Benson	...	Maurice
Burt Kwouk	...	Kato
Reginald Beckwith	...	Receptionist
Douglas Wilmer	...	Henri LaFarge
Bryan Forbes	...	Camp Attendant (as Turk Thrust)
Andre Charisse	...	Game Warden (as André Charise)
Howard Greene	...	Gendarme
John Herrington	...	The Doctor
Jack Melford	...	The Psycho-Analyst
Victor Baring	...	Taxi Driver
Victor Beaumont	...	Gendarme
Tutte Lemkow	...	Kazak Dancer
Hurtado de Córdoba	...	Flamenco Dancers & Guitarist (as Hurtado De Cordoba Ballet)
Fred Hugh	...	Balding Customer
Rose Hill	...	Soprano
Tahitian Dance Group	...	Tahitian Dance Group
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jack Lambert	...	Man (uncredited)
Nosher Powell	...	Man (uncredited)

Directed by
Blake Edwards

Writing credits
Blake Edwards		(screenplay) and
William Peter Blatty		(screenplay)
Harry Kurnitz		(play)
Marcel Achard		(play)

Produced by
Blake Edwards	....	producer
Cecil F. Ford	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Henry Mancini

Cinematography by
Christopher Challis

Film Editing by
Bert Bates
Ralph E. Winters

Production Design by
Michael Stringer

Costume Design by
Margaret Furse

Production Management
Denis Johnson	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Derek Cracknell	....	assistant director
Terence Churcher	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Charles Bishop	....	draughtsman (uncredited)
Norman Dorme	....	assistant art director (uncredited)
Tony Rimmington	....	draughtsman (uncredited)

Sound Department
John Bramall	....	sound recordist
Teddy Mason	....	sound editor
J.B. Smith	....	sound recordist

Camera and Electrical Department
Austin Dempster	....	camera operator
Dennis Fraser	....	grip (uncredited)
Norman Gryspeerdt	....	still photographer (uncredited)
John Jordan	....	focus puller (uncredited)
Skeets Kelly	....	director of photography: second unit (uncredited)

Animation Department
George Dunning	....	animation director (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Peter Elliot	....	first assistant editor (uncredited)
Martyn K.E. Green	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Douglas Gamley	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Henry Mancini	....	conductor (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Eddie Frewin	....	transportation chief (uncredited)

Other crew
Leland Hayward	....	stage producer
Constance Willis	....	continuity (as Connie Willis)
Geoff Freeman	....	unit publicist (uncredited)
Maurice Landsberger	....	production accountant (uncredited)
Golda Offenheim	....	production secretary (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Mirisch Corporation, The (presents)

Distributors

• United Artists (1964) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1968) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Warner Home Video (1988) (UK) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1991) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• MGM Home Entertainment (Europe) (2003) (UK) (DVD)
• Compañía General de la Imagen (CGI) (2004) (Argentina) (theatrical) (re-release)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2004) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Arthaus (2004) (Mexico) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical)
• CBS/Fox (????) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• MGM Home Entertainment (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (1999) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD)

Other Companies

• DePatie-Freleng Enterprises (DFE)  titles (as DePatie-Freleng)
• George Dunning & Associates  animation production

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Canada:13+ (Quebec) (original rating) | Canada:G (Manitoba/Nova Scotia) | Canada:G (Quebec) (re-rating) (2003) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Portugal:M/12 | Iceland:L | New Zealand:PG | USA:Approved (certificate #20691) | Canada:G (video rating) | Netherlands:AL | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Brazil:12 | Finland:K-16 | Ireland:PG | Norway:11 (re-rating) | Norway:16 (original rating) | Singapore:PG | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) (1988) | USA:PG (re-rating) (1975) | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Luton Hoo Estate, Luton, Bedfordshire, England, UK

Company:

Mirisch Corporation, The

Trivia:

Body count: 8

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In the scene where Peter Sellers answers the door bell and finds a package (a clock with a bomb) you can see clearly that someone has left the keys in the door lock as he opens the door.

Quotes:

Clouseau: [after bumping into Hercule] You fool! I could have killed you with a karatay chop-uh!
[tries to leave and runs into him again]
Clouseau: You fool! You're off the case!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The 50 Greatest Comedy Films (2006) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Shadows of Paris

Classic Peter Sellers comedy

A Shot in the Dark saw the great Peter Sellers reprise what is probably his most iconic role as the inept Inspector Clouseau. It's always obvious why Sellers is so well remembered for this role, as he's absolutely great in it. His mannerisms and quirks help to add to the personality of the character, and despite the fact that this man is overblown to comic book proportions, Sellers succeeds in making the role believable and, more importantly, very fun to watch. The majority of the humour in the film is of the slapstick variety, and while that can be very funny if done the right way; it's not my favourite type of humour. That being said, A Shot in the Dark does many of it's gags correctly, and while the film isn't consistently hilarious; there's enough good humour to ensure a good time to whoever's watching it. Also abundant in this film is classic Brit-flick style, which is great in my opinion. From Hammer Horror to Ealing comedy, I'm a big fan of classic British movies and so this film fits into that nicely.

The plot follows the accident-prone detective as he investigates the case of 'a shot in the dark', which resulted in the death of a man at a country house. The facts add up rather quickly to the maid, Maria (Elke Sommer), who was found at the scene of the crime with a smoking gun in her hand. Things are never that simple when Clouseau is on the case, however, and, convinced that she is a decoy to protect someone higher up the food chain, he proceeds in investigating this open and shut case. Aside from Sellers, this movie also features the talents of Herbert Lom, Elke Sommer and George Sanders, among others. This makes up a good support cast for yours truly, as I'm a big fan of horror and all of these are names in the British section of that genre. The plot of A Shot in the Dark is relatively simply done, but it always manages to find time for gags and humorous set pieces, and even when it appears to be slowing down; you can always count on another laugh being just around the corner. I don't love this movie, but it's definitely very good and marks a highlight in British comedy during the sixties.