The Party

THE PARTY is a movie whose title gives away the plot. Ooops! Should I have said "spoiler warning" before I wrote that?

The fact is, this movie is a showcase for Peter Seller's comedic talents. Just as in the PINK PANTHER movies, he plays a fish out of water (here an Indian rather than a Frenchman). There's a bit of a dramatic arc to the movie, which is why this isn't just sketch comedy, but the real point is to see how funny improvised pantomime can be. Yes, a few minutes could have been edited out of the ending where the slapstick level rises dramatically, but that was the style back then.

Reasons to watch this film:

a) To see a 3-wheeled Morgan.

b) To see how Sellers be amazing funny without pulling faces (a la Jim Carrey) or even dialogue. Seller's character is a real person and not an over-the-top characterization. This is the type of film that Charlie Chaplin could have made 50 years prior to it's release.

c) To see a stylized version of 60's fashion. Blake would shoot another extended party sequence 10 years later in SOB (1981) and it's interesting to compare the passage of time via fashion and social behavior.

d) To learn comedic timing from one of the masters: Peter Sellers. This movie would simply not be possible without him in it. Watch and see how much humor he can derive from such simple actions as retrieving a shoe, flushing a toilet, or finding a men's room. This is the reason why you can have surprisingly long takes (and in master shots no less!): Sellers knowns how to pace the timing and doesn't need the film editors to do so.

e) To see Gavin MacLeod before he became a TV star on Mary Tyler Moore and the Love Boat. (And he plays a nasty guy here!)

f) To remind yourself that sometimes very subtle gestures can be the most funny.

This movie plays like an old-time silent film and you might be inspired to look at the works of Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, or Harold Lloyd if you like this movie.

I've watched this movie about a thousand times and I have never get bored of doing it, it's just so hilariously funny, that I could go on watching it over and over again, forever.

Peter Sellers, the master of comedy himself, stars as Hrundi Bakshi, in this un-timely film. He's invited by mistake to a lavish dinner party and from then on, all goes wrong, with the aid of a drunken waiter, played with great comedy skill by Steve Franken. Pretty french actress and singer Claudine Longet, plays a basically nice & good natured starlet, who's taken to the party by a lecherous producer (Gavin McLeod), eventually befriending our hero.

Lots of gags in this sarcastic and ironic look at Hollywood parties and its characters (the fading cowboy star, the italian/latin bombshell, the starlets, the highbrow senator's wife, the affected phony princess, the stuffy party hostess, etc.)

You must watch the dvd, the film being shown in its original widescreen format is a must-see, `cos you won't miss any details of what's going on!

Blake Edwards is an underappreciated director - perhaps because he has made so many bad films at the end of his career. Yet he remains one of the great cinematic voices of the sixties and seventies. Any Austin Powers fan would do well to watch his films, which are the real deal. Edwards captured the spirit of the swinging sixties the way few others have. And he and Stanley Kubrick were the only two American directors who were able to properly utilize Peter Sellers.

I wonder how this movie will play to politically correct crowds. Much of the humor derives from Sellers' doing an Indian accent. Blake Edwards Breakfast at Tiffany's is criticized for the somewhat hateful caricature of a Chinese man played by Mickey Rooney. In this film however, Sellers' makes us laugh at the character without robbing him of his dignity - he is, after all, the romantic lead.

In the end, what this film really is is Edwards' homage to silent film. Yes, there is talking but most of the humor is physical and much of the dialogue is obscured by music. For any fans of the Pink Panther series, this film would be a welcome addition.

I first saw this movie about 15 years ago. Being a fan of the late Peter Sellers and having seen his other Pink Panther movies, I knew that this one would be a blast. During the time that my mother passed away in 1995, our family was feeling very low in spirits. After her funeral, and we were all together, I decided to pop this movie into my VCR. The sadness soon turned to hilarious laughter! It certainly made up for a time when our family needed to sheds tears of laughter instead of tears of pain. Now, whenever we have family get togethers each and every single time, watching this movie together as a family is a must, no ifs and or buts about it. And those that have been introduced into my family in terms of marriage, must watch along with us. They love it! I also have friends who tell others about this crazy movie, and often asked to see it when they visit me. One thing for sure. You'll never look at a party the same way again. After seeing Hrundi having a good time by himself, I know I can do the same. I don't need a tag along now!!! I don't own it on DVD yet, but I can hardly wait to receive my copy. Thank you Amazon.com.
Wanda

The funniest film I've ever seen. Sellers performance is magnificient.I have seen the video ten years ago but I'm still laughing.I may say that this film is the best film in my archieve.Watch the scenes when he's in the pool and the dialogs with the old lady! Peter Sellers is my favorite actor , I admire him all the time.

At one level, this movie is about a South Asian actor with the hysterically funny misfortunes of Inspector Clouseau. Peter Sellers carries much of the film with his great comedic abilities (with some side-splitting help from the kitchen staff, the waiter, and a cowboy star named Wyoming Bill Kelso), but there's more to it than that.

Where Sellers plays Inspector Clouseau in the Pink Panther films as a bumbling idiot, Sellers' character here (Hrundi Bakshi) is ultimately a very kind and remarkably sweet fellow who has stumbled into a party where he just doesn't fit in with the pompous Hollywood powerbrokers. He tries desperately to mix and mingle, but fails miserably for the most part. There's clumsiness (both physical and social) to be sure, but it's generally played as horribly bad luck mixed with naivite (rather than Clouseau's arrogant idiocy). That said, watching this party is a riot.

If you've ever lived abroad and struggled to "fit in" mingling at social events where you are the only foreigner (or simply hesitated to ask someone where their bathroom is), you might just see yourself in Peter Sellers' role.

It would be easy to dismiss Peter Sellers' character here, bumbling Indian actor Hrundi V. Bakshi, as a Hindu Clouseau. There is a certain sweetness and innocence to Bakshi as opposed to the pompously deluded Clouseau. What these two characters do share is an inspired sense for physical comedy. Bakshi is definitely one of Sellers' more inspired creations. Director Blake Edwards creates a sumptuous comic confection, a sedate Hollywood dinner party that escalates into outright mayhem. The sight gags come at you fast and furious and they make sense. At first I was taken aback by Edwards' use of Merv Griffin "B" listers in his cast (Claudine Longet, Andy Williams' ex-wife, Gavin McLeod of "Love Boat" fame, Carol Wayne, the weathergirl from the Carson show) though Steve Franken does an amusing turn as a besotted waiter as does Denny Miller as a movie cowboy. But then it dawned on me that real Hollywood types wouldn't take part in such an enterprise that tweaks their vanity. I can't see why because this is such a good-natured affair. Highly recommended for fans of good visual comedy.

This was definitely one of the funniest movies I have ever seen. I am of East Indian origin, but was not offended in the least. Peter Sellers did a remarkable job in portraying an Indian actor in Hollywood, meek and naive. He really never fits in but manages interact with the crowd. Extremely funny. I can watch it over and over and always crack up laughing.

If you are of Indian (as in the country of India) descent, and easily offended, don't watch this movie. In it, Peter Sellers does for the reputation of Indians what he did for the French when he invented Inspector Closeau. Otherwise, it's a riot.

In this case, his character (Hrundi V. Bakshi) is a pleasant film actor who creates disaster wherever he goes. After being fired from a movie for some pretty good causes, he is accidentally invited to a party at the house of the film's producer.

After that, everything that can go wrong does, aided by the house's fancy automation, the river in the living room, and a painted elephant that must, of course, be washed in the swimming pool.

This 1968 film includes early appearances by Claudine Longet (before there was any gunfire), Gavin MacLeod (before he became captain of the Love Boat), and Carol Wayne (before she became Johnny Carson's "afternoon movie lady"). Steven Franken turns in a great performance as a waiter at the party who deals with the situation by drinking all alcohol that crosses his path.

Eventually, it all turn out OK, as Hrundi (Sellers) winds up with the girl (Longet).

Peter Sellers was at his best when playing zany dim wits capable of wreaking mass havoc through the subtlest acts of clumsiness... obviously the charactor that best comes to mind being Inspector Clouseau of the Pink Panther series... however, when it comes to zany 1960's madball off the wall slapstick films, THE PARTY has to top the list... and even moreso, what director other than Blake Edwards has that zany ability to turn acts of utter stupidity into such a high artform ? Most interesting is how one routine after another is painstakingly set up, and like a great solo builds from nothingness to utter madness... Perhaps only one other comedian in the history of cinema could have ever rivaled Sellers in such a part... the great Harold Lloyd... but it is doubtful that Lloyd even in his talking days could have taken an utterance such as "Birdie Num Num" and made it so funny... As for the scene at the dinner table, and his quest for a bathroom... there are no words to describe it... This film is one of the great comedy masterpieces of the 20th century, in terms of acting, directing and everything else ! ! ! As further note, as a Jazz musician, the presence of the groovy Jazz combo as well as the Henry Mancini numbers were well worth the view !