Birdy Num Num: A Peter Sellers Top Five

​And, we’re back!
 
First things first, a special thanks to everyone who has visited read, and commented on the first chapter from the Sequel of Savage. It’s extremely gratifying to report that those two installments were the most popular of the entire history of my blog, bringing a plethora of new visitors. Thank you, thank you and, to you in the very back, thank you!
 
And now, onto new business. What better way to cleanse a blog pallet than to compile the top five films of Peter Sellers? Granted, there is a hell of a lot of great movies to choose from. And, this is only one guy’s lowly opinion, so we’ll just stick to the highlights. And I  swear to God, there’s not a Pink Panther film in the bunch. So, let’s get started and, as David Letterman was fond of saying, “Please, no wagering.”

​#5. The Mouse that Roared. 1959
 
Simple yet charming, this British production features a tour de-force performance from Sellers playing 3 separate roles (Duchess Gloriana XII; Count Rupert Mountjoy, the Prime Minister; and Tully Bascomb a chap leading the small invasion force to attack the United States).
Satiric, funny and sweet all at the same time, there is just way too much to love about this underrated little film. Oh, and it has Jean Seberg, so there is that.

​4. The Party (1968)
 
I think this is director Blake Edwards’ and Peter Sellers’ best film collaboration. A salute to the comedians of the silent past with very little dialogue throughout the entire picture. And, when you do get some dialogue, it’s of the rewarding “Birdy Num-Num” variety. There is a great documentary on the making of this classic which you can find on youTube. I definitely recommend it if you’re a fan. There are issues with this film, of course. But, if you can look past them, you’ll have one of my favorite films by a great comedic actor.

​#3 Lolita 1962
 
Kubrick for the win on this accessible version of the very controversial source novel. Sellers is in top form as one Clare Quilty, a bizarre, twitchy man competing for the affections of the underaged nymphet. This is an odd movie and Sellers’ performance only adds to all of the discomfort. While differing greatly from the source material, it’s still a gripping tale of a man on the verge of insanity.
 

​#2 Dr. Strangelove 1964
 
Another brilliantly satiric piece of filmmaking by none other than Stanley Kubrick. Sellers is  brilliant, again playing three roles. For me, shining even brighter than Dr. Strangelove himself is the harried representative from the RAF, Group Captain Lionel Mandrake. What makes this film work on such a high-level level is the addition of a razor-sharp script by Terry Southern, Peter George as well as Kubrick himself. Only adding to the masterpiece, the hilarious performances from George C. Scott and revered funny man Sterling Hayden.  We say it a lot, but this movie truly is a classic. 

​Being There 1979
 
As far as I am concerned, all of the above picks make-up an ace-high straight, the trump card being the incredibly moving Academy Award nominated performance based on the Jerzy Kosinski’s novel. Some say the only reason it did not win an Academy Award for Sellers was the blooper outtake tacked on the end credits of the film. Makes no difference to me.  This masterpiece, directed by Hal Ashby, has humor, pathos and satire blended perfectly. It is not only a striking commentary for television culture of 1978, but for 2020 as well. We have turned into a nation of illiterate Chauncey Gardeners, our need for television replaced with Social Media. Our benign, passive stupidity replaced with angry, uninformed self-righteousness. Sellers’ performance continues to resonate with me as one of the best (comedic or otherwise) of all time. This was a pet project for the actor and he struggled to make it for over a decade. It was definitely worth the wait.
 

​Okay, I am exhausted. Until next week, keep those cards and letters coming. Stay Safe!