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A Shot in the Dark (1964)

Rate: 7
Viewed: 6/18

ShotDark
6/18: A Shot in the Dark is a more improved and funnier picture than the prequel The Pink Panther.

During the 37th Academy Awards, when David Niven walked on the stage to present an award, the The Pink Panther theme was being played. He requested it to be changed, stating, "That was not really my film." His sentiment is absolutely true. It was Peter Sellers' despite his supporting role. Hence, he got the lead and the most screen time for the sequel with a completely revamped cast.

Hence, it's better than the original for two reasons: unpredictable physical comedy and very good writing. Interestingly, for the screenplay, Blake Edwards collaborated with William Peter Blatty who would publish a novel in 1971 entitled The Exorcist.

Some of the best moments are Clouseau's fly being ripped off from the key that's still attached to the drawer, his hand stuck in the spinning globe which led him to say, "Look, I've got Africa all over my hand now," and his brilliant deduction: "Then I submit, Inspector Ballon, that you arrived home, found Miguel with Maria Gambrelli, and killed him in a rit of fealous jage!"

Another thing I like is how everybody is at ease. Nobody exaggerates anything or tries to create comedy in an obvious way like the other film. That's why I laughed many times because I didn't expect them, so I frequently rewinded the funny parts. Unfortunately, there's a long lull during the second half which puts a big damper on my predicted rating of '9'. The jokes need to be nonstop in order to sustain the lively pace. If that's not possible, it'll be a good idea to cut down the running length by eliminating the nudist colony skit.

It's too bad the Pink Panther character wasn't used for the opening credits again. That's a big mistake. Instead, Inspector Clouseau is featured which is okay by me. By the way, I have to say he's an idiot which explains why the original French play was called L'Idiote.

All in all, because of Peter Sellers who's at his funniest, A Shot in the Dark is way better than The Pink Panther.