Review of A Shot in the Dark (1964) by Filipeneto — 23 Apr 2022

An excellent comedy.

I was very happy with this movie. It is the second in the “Pink Panther” franchise, and it is curious that it was not made with the intention of being part of it, but only a work of adaptation for the cinema of material that had been successful in the theater. Released a few months after the first film, it gave more relevance to the character of Inspector Clouseau and bet heavily on non-sense humor. The result is a better and more entertaining film than its predecessor.

The very entertaining plot of this film is based on an investigation into a murder. Clouseau will immediately bet that the prime suspect is, after all, innocent, and intent on covering up and aiding the real killer. He then decides to follow her everywhere, including to nudist colonies. In the meantime, he will manage to drive the rest of the French police out of their minds, and be arrested several times and in the most unusual ways.

The film is not perfect: the plot, I have to admit, is sparse, serving only to support a succession of comic routines that, in fact, make the film worthwhile. The absurd jokes and silly situations work very well, especially when coupled with the remarkable performance and effort of the protagonist, Peter Sellers. The actor is perfectly at ease and uses all his capacity for comic improvisation, being very well assisted by Elke Sommer, who gives life to the main suspect, Maria Gambrelli. George Sanders and Herbert Lom also leave us an excellent work here.

Technically, it's a regular film in most respects, from cinematography to scenery and costumes to editing. The soundtrack brings some interesting melodies, as is the case of “Shadows of Paris” and the opening credits song, which are another of the points that value this film.