A Shot In the Dark (1964)

 

If there is one thing people took away from 'The Pink Panther'-film, it was Peter Sellers' portrayal of the bumbling police officer Jacques Clouseau. So it stood to reason that a sort of follow-up would be made, but this time with Clouseau front and centre and it is absolutely glorious. Based on a stage play that is part murder mystery and part comedy of errors, 'A Shot In the Dark' is one of those incredibly funny comedies that remains timeless, thanks in a very large part to Sellers' genius.

It is very funny, y'all.

In the very large residence of mr Ballon, a wealthy industrialist, a murder has happened. Miguel, the driver, has been shot dead and the maid Maria found with the weapon in her hands. But thanks to a wonderful opening sequence, we as the audience already know that pretty much everyone here does some secret stuff and probably everyone is having an affair with everyone else. 

But the police do not know this, obviously. Due to a mistake, Inspector Clouseau is sent, something that really gets up the nostrils of his superior, Captain Dreyfus. Clouseau is instantly smitten with Maria (not surprising, as she is played by Elke Sommer) and even though all the evidence points to her being the culprit, Clouseau maintains that someone else is responsible. This becomes harder to prove, as the bodycount starts to stack up. 

Meanwhile, Dreyfus is slowly losing his mind over the cockups that Clouseau does and from the pressure from higher up to keep Clouseau on the case. Someone thinks that a bumbling officer is perfect, so there are secrets to be revealed. But what are they? And will Clouseau crack the case? 

It's easy to see that this is Peter Sellers at his best. His timing is absolutely spot on and his delivery and physical comedy are so on point, a great many comedians need to take lessons. The great thing is, Clouseau is not an idiot just for the sake of being an idiot. He is in fact a good man, just one who is incredibly clumsy and easily fooled.He is not stupid, which makes him more endearing to the audience. He means so well, yet the world at times seems bent on making him look like a buffoon through no fault of his own. 

Well, mostly.

Even though the film is an absolute riot, there are some minor issues. The final reveal comes way too sudden and there is no buildup whatsoever. The sideplot of someone trying to kill off Clouseau would have also worked better if it wasn't so obvious who was planning these attacks. But these are truly nitpicks.

Is this a comedy one needs to have seen? 

Well, yes.