Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #837 in DVD
• Released on: 2004-09-27
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Number of discs: 2
• Formats: PAL, Special Edition
• Original language: English, Italian
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 95 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Though this film is a relatively minor one in the massive canon of Peter Sellers, it has moments of absolute hilarity. Written and directed by Blake Edwards, one of Sellers' most fertile collaborators, the film stars Sellers as a would-be actor from India (let them try to get away with that today) who is a walking disaster area. After ruining a day's shooting as an extra on a film, he finds himself unintentionally invited to a big Hollywood party. That's pretty much it as far as plot goes, but Edwards and Sellers know how to milk a simple idea for an unending string of slapstick gags. The result is a film that is episodic and sketchy but also frequently loony in an inspired way. --Marshall Fine

Synopsis
In one of their few non-Clouseau efforts, Blake Edwards and Peter Sellers preserve the spirit of the French bumbler in the person of Hrundi V. Bakshi, an accident-prone Indian actor. Brought to Hollywood to play the title role in SON OF GUNGA DIN, Bakshi destroys the film's most elaborate set with his bungling and is banned from the set by Edward Clutterbuck (J. Edward McKinley), the film's producer. But because of an error by the producer's secretary, Bakshi's name is added to the guest list of his next party, an A-list affair. Shortly after arriving, Bakshi begins accidentally dismantling Clutterbuck's carefully staged event, destroying a flower bed, knocking a servant through a bay window, and triggering the lawn sprinklers, soaking the producer's pretentious guests. When the producer's daughter, Molly (Kathe Green), and a group of her friends arrive with a Day-Glo-painted elephant, Baskhi is shocked by the sacrilege and insists on washing the pachyderm in one of the house's indoor pools. As the other guests begin to join in the fun, pandemonium erupts. Sellers is typically brilliant in a film abounding in sidesplitting sight gags.

Customer Reviews

Cinematic brilliance
Sellers was a true comic genius, especially when compared with others who have attracted similar praise more recently. This film is a fine display of his talents.

one of the best P Sellers movies
This must be without the best portrayal of an Indian character in the film industry. At the same time the movie utilised some ground breaking technical techniques (as explained on the second DVD) that were used ever since as a standard (such as instant video reviewing of scenes, provision of only a loose scripting framework with much of the moves and dialogue developing on set, and more).

If you need a guaranteed laugh this is the movie for you. Mr Bean is a pale shadow in comparison (and that is not saying that you have to like Mr Bean to like this movie ...)

Flawed, but Outstanding (spoilers)
The Party is my all-time favourite Peter Sellers movie. That it succeeds at all is a tribute to Peter Sellers & Blake Edwards collaboration...it was originally meant to be a silent film, but apparently Sellers turned up on Day 1 of filming and said, "I can't do it as a silent movie. You'll have to write a script." Edwards considered this, and replied, "We'll improvise it." IMPROV! Virtually the WHOLE film was IMPROV! Astonishing! *** The Party had everything...social & political comment; running gags; culture clash; a teenage daughter rebelling, by bringing a baby Elephant home to her parents' fancy party...East vs. West, in terms of eastern philosophies versus western individualism, the daughter bringing home an Elephant (that had been painted all over with wacky slogans) - was met with Sellers' character, Hurindi V.Bakshi, her "It's insulting to my country - wash it off! Wash it all off!" So they wash it off, using way too much dish washing liquid...and the bubbles spread throughout the house, until you can no longer see the floor...

The Party was somewhat uneven; that was its only flaw. However, the slapstick, physical comedy had perfect timing, and was brilliantly funny. I love it!