Seven - minus one - days of.. ..Peter Sellers (3)

Yes.. here it is! The 3rd post of six about Peter Sellers.. And again I did not make it in time - so I have to try to maybe post another Peter Sellers post today.. Well.. I could imagine doing more dreadful things..

And as you by now were all expecting - you did, didn't you?? - is the film I am writing now

WHAT'S NEW PUSSYCAT? (USA, 1965) by Clive Donner and Richard Talmadge.

I love the taglines of this poster - and I hope you noticed them: 

"Pussycats will purr-r-r-r and tigers will r-r-roar..." 

and under that list of the cast: 

"They're all together again! (for the first time!)"

It was the first film Woody Allen wrote - and the first he appeared in - and also the first film I ever saw him in (which is of course the most important info for you here.. No doubt in that..).

~ Peter O'Toole - really in trouble.. ~

Paris, France: Michael James (Peter O'Toole) has a serious problem: Women go after him.. Well.. that's not the actual problem since he enjoys that.. The problem is: His girlfriend Carole (Romy Schneider) would like to marry him - but he is afraid he is not strong enough to resist.. So he tries to get helpt from psychoanalyst Dr. Fassbender (Peter Sellers)..  But also the Doctor has his troubles since he is madly in love with one of his patients Renée LeFébvre (Capucine who was with Peter Sellers in THE PINK PANTER (1963), too -and who's birth name actually is Germaine LeFébvre..) - much to the chagrin of his Valkyrie wife.. And then there is Michael's not so successful friend Victor (Woody Allen) - who would love to make a pass on Carol.. Not helpful for Michael is that neurotic stripper Liz Bien (Paula Prentiss again in a film with Peter Sellers..) and parachutist Rita (Ursula Andress) take some interest in him - and he really has troubles to say no.. And Carole isn't actually naive.. 

~ Do not know what to do? .. ~

~ Oh come on, Peter O'Toole! Don't play hard to get with Paula Prentiss.. ~

I absolutely love the cast of this film! When I was talking with Monty about it he noticed that it had with Mr. Sellers and Mr. O'Toole two Peters in the lead.. He is right.. But they are so amazingly different from type and (film-) character.. And yes.. I actually prefer Peter Sellers - though his hairstyle here is one of the most awful I ever saw.. I am really not too much into long hair on men....

~ Peter ² - or: Another friendship baptized with some liquor.. ~

Of course I am very pleased to have one of my number one actresses - my beloved Romy Schneider in one of the most important female parts of this film.. I really, really love her - and her Carole really isn't the typical prissy fiancée.. Besides that she makes one of the most funny and dangerous looiking  stunts when her characater passes out highly drunk.. Oh - and in the moment she finds Capucine sprawling in Peter O'Tooles bed.. Her look is so utterly ironic - I think it might be the most funny scene in the whole film...

~ a most attractive and funny cast this is.. ~

Anyway the actresses in this film are outstanding as we have the wonderful Capucine and Ursula Andress - incredibly sexy - and I might repeat myself: but I think Paula Prentiss might be one of the funniest women ever.. Come to think of it: All the female characters in this film are really funny..

~ Guess what she is wearin? ... that's right - a cap.... .... ~

When you watch this film - please, watch out for Richard Burton who will talk to Peter O'Toole in the bar scene - and one of my favourite French singers Françoise Hardy has a small part in the last scene when Peter Sellers tries to make a pass on her..

This film actually is a bit semi-autobiographical since it is based a bit on Warren Beatty - he used the line "What's new, Pussycat?" very often it seems - he was to play the lead part - but backed out when his part was getting smaller and his then girl friend Leslie Caron was not casted.. Well.. for me since I am not so fond of Warren Beatty I think it's great that he stepped out on this one.. I actually cannot really see his charme anyway.. 

~ Having troubles with females, too - Woody Allen with Romy Schneider.. ~

Woody Allen as Victor is quite funny, too.. Poor chum.. Wanting to get some loving.. and always has to take  backseat to Peter O'Toole.. The scene of Victor's birthday party was actually filmed on Woody Allen's 29th birthday.. my, my.. time flies..

And maybe now it is time for another confession.. (Honestly - I confess so much on this blog that I think I will have to think about re-naming it into something like: "Confessions of a German Fräulein".. hm.. a new series ahead?): Peter O'Toole is not actually my cup of tea - lookwise.. I am simply not soo much into those pretty boys.. - but in the moment he first appears in the screen I hear myself gasp  - every time I watch this film....

~ "Look, I know you'll think this is crazy.. but.. er.. when the light hits me from a certain direction..
- I'm handsome..." .... yes.. very good light in this film.. ~

And yes: I was a bit shocked when Peter O'Toole announced this week that he retires from movie making..

~ Capucine - absolutely stunning.. ~

Of course the dialogues are very funny - it is a Woody Allen film after all..

Have some examples...

Liz Bien (hehehe.. I adore that name..) and Michael James having a little dialogue:

Liz: "You're right. I must face my problems. I can't go through life being a semi-virgin."

Michael: "What - in the name of all that is gracious - is a 'semi-virgin'??"

Liz: "Here I'm a virgin. In America I'm not."

Michael: "What do they do? Stamp it on your passport?"

~~~~

Victor: "We played strip chess. She had me down to my shorts and I fainted from tension."

~~~~

Dr. Fassbender (yes.. I am pleased with that name..) esplains to Michael how it could happen that they meet in a strip club:

Dr. Fassbender: "I.. uhm.. decided to follow you here."

Michael: "... If you followed me here - how did you contrive to be here before me??"

Dr. Fassbender: "I followed you.. ... ..very fast."

~~~~

I also love one sentence which Peter Sellers ad-libbed as he refered to Ursula Andress, who was in DR. NO  (1962) saying that she knew James Bond.. It made her laugh, too... 

~ ... na caption needed, I guess.. ~

You will hear a lot of accents in this film - and I hope that mine sounds a little bit like Romy Schneider's and not like Dr. Fassbender's.. 

Though in my opinion in the end it's almost a bit too much of crazy slapstick in this film I highly recommend it - and seeing how much fun Romy Schneider had playing this makes good for all the silliness in my opinion.. Well.. when she is happy I am happy too, I guess...

So - if you like to take a deep breath and take the plunge to watch 108 minutes of complete craziness..

Thank you so very much for listening

Irene

~ not exactely the expression I meant.. but well..  ~