Film: 'A Shot In The Dark' (1964)

It's the second of the 'Pink Panther' movies, and reputedly the best. It probably is the best, since it establishes all of the formula they would return to in later movies, doesn't have 'Pink Panther' in the title, and reinvents the first movie by moving Inspector Clouseau to centre stage, establishing a supporting cast, and building on the foundation they laid for him in the first film. Yes, it's a great little movie, which is only marred by being slightly too long.

This is a very clever film. Do not be mistaken into thinking 'A Shot In The Dark' is just random silly nonsense, for it isn't. It's not smutty innuendo either, thankfully, popping up before that spread homogenously into all British comedies. 'A Shot In The Dark' is something entirely of its own design, a genre smash between physical, verbal and situation comedy, which occasionally jumps into a dramatic moment or two. There are quiet moments, where the film restrains itself from doing the most stupid thing, and it feels good. It wonderfully doesn't seem to know it's setting up a much later movie series, which maybe it wasn't intended to do.

This film is also a masterclass for using Peter Sellers in a disciplined and wonderful way. He is kept to his strengths, and the film benefits as a result, instead of being bogged down by superfluous schtick as Clouseau investigates a servant's murder in a millionaire's house, while his superior Dreyfuss swiftly unravels into a homicidal maniac due to pressures from all sides. It's a very disciplined film in practically every way, leaving great credit in its wake for writer/director Blake Edwards. Ah, Blake Edwards, the man behind radio's 'Richard Diamond, Private Detective'. Happy times.

'A Shot In The Dark' will probably land in the DVD collection pretty soon, and the unseen precursor movie 'The Pink Panther' too. The others will probably not. The good points of this movie are its discipline, a great Henry Mancini score, a top cast, originality, and a very well conceived and structured plot. Some people might find it a bit slow, which is partly a symptom of the difference between our times and 1964, and of it being a smidge too long. However, it's a very good and original comedy, which is a rare thing indeed.

O.