Seven - minus one - days of Peter Sellers (6)

Yay - here it is: the last post for my short Peter Sellers series.. I really have had fun doing this.. And yes.. I am obsessed with him.. And this series actually didn't help - to be honest.. Not that I would want help in that.. I actually like being obsessive.. When I do things I like to do them with as much verve as possible - and until they put me into the nuthouse I am going to do and enjoy that. (Nevertheless it would be awfully sweet of you to visit me there..)

Sometimes it appears like Peter Sellers started his career in the 1960's when he had his biggest film hits.. Until now I featured here on this blog only his films from that era - but he also was very busy during the 1950s.. He did some great comedies back then which had a bit of that wonderful black humour in it which I love so much.. well.. yes.. ok.. I love almost every kind of humour.. What I can not stand is Schadenfreude ( I think you might know this word..) - there are some classic comedies I cannot watch because of that.. I feel so very sorry for the characters - though it is meant to be funny.. - well.. but what I could watch and what I actually did watch and enjoy is the film I am talking about now:

THE NAKED TRUTH (UK, 1957) by Mario Zampi.

Nigel Dennis (Dennis Price - who is not related to Vincent Price - but also very nice to look at and a reliable actor.. and: yes - he is another one I like..) is publisher of a scandal magazine with the most tasteful name "Naked Truth" - and blackmails several people of London's society because of this knowledge of their "dark" secrets. Because none of them actually wants to (or can) pay him they try to ged rid of him - the ultimate way.. - which fails several times - but then they start to organize..

~ Lord Henry Mayley (Terry-Thomas) reading scandalous news... ~

I love this film - it really is full of black humour...

The characters are very well casted in my opinion.. Peter Sellers is one of Mr. Dennis' victims Sonny MacGregor - a television entertainer and a bit overavid actor.. and for each attempt to kill Mr. Dennis he appears in another disguise..

~ Sonny MacGreggor (Peter Sellers) and some of his characters.. ~

Then we have novelist Flora Ransom (Peggy Mount - as always just hilarious) who tries to do her murder like she would have written it.. I think she has the most funny lines in this film.. like when she tells her daughter Ethel (as always a very cute Joan Sims) about her past:

"I was young, beautiful - it was easy.. ..and so was I... ..ahem..."

~ Ethel Ransom (Joan Sims) and her mother Flora Ransom (Peggy Mount)
up to nothing good for Mr. Dennis.. ~

and Lord Henry Mayley (Terry-Thomas) who during his mission to get intouch with the other victim's of Mr. Dennis becomes several times a victim himself by the failed homicides.. One of my favourite quotes by him would be:

"I've always considered murder to be rather un-English. I mean, one's got to draw the line somewhere, hasn't one?"

~ Sonny and Lord Henry Mayley working out an alibi.. ~

For the eye we have Shirley Eaton as another blackmailed victim of Mr. Dennis.. She might be best-known for an appearance in GOLDFINGER (UK, 1964) - wearing not much more but golden colour.. 

~ a very young Kenneth Griffith and Peter Sellers.. ~

Amd for those of you who are fans of more recent British Comedies you might like to watch out for Kenneth Griffith - who until his death in 2006 made quite a career in playing grumpy old men as in FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL (UK, 1994) or THE ENGLISHMAN WHO WENT UP A HILL BUT CAME DOWN A MOUNTAIN (UK, 1995).

All in all a classic British cast in 91 minutes of a cute little black comedy.. 

So - that was my little series about Peter Sellers - and there are so many films left I would love to talk about.. maybe another time.. 

If there are suggestions on a special actor/actress/theme you would like me to write about - just say so.. For sure I have Romy Schneider, Marlon Brando and Brigitte Bardot waiting in line.. 

Thank you very much for listening

Irene