A Shot in the Dark (1964)

Inspector Jacques Clouseau investigates the murder of Mr. Benjamin Ballon's driver at a country estate.

Director:

Blake Edwards

Writers:

Blake Edwards (screenplay), William Peter Blatty (screenplay)

Stars:

Peter Sellers, Elke Sommer, George Sanders

Nominated for 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Peter Sellers	...	Jacques Clouseau
Elke Sommer	...	Maria Gambrelli
George Sanders	...	Benjamin Ballon
Herbert Lom	...	Charles Dreyfus
Tracy Reed	...	Dominique Ballon
Graham Stark	...	Hercule LaJoy
Moira Redmond	...	Simone
Vanda Godsell	...	Madame LaFarge
Maurice Kaufmann	...	Pierre
Ann Lynn	...	Dudu
David Lodge	...	Georges
André Maranne	...	Francois
Martin Benson	...	Maurice
Burt Kwouk	...	Cato
Reginald Beckwith	...	Receptionist at nudist camp

Storyline

Ballon household: Benjamin Ballon and his wife Madame Ballon, Henri Lafarge the head Butler and his wife Madame Lafarge the Cook, Miguel Ostos the Head Chauffeur, Maria Gambrelli the third maid, Pierre the second Chauffeur and his wife Dudo the head Maid, Georges the Gardener and his wife Simone the second Maid, Maurice the second Butler. Affairs: Monsieur Ballon and Maria, Maria and Miguel, Henri and Dudo, Madame Ballon and Henri, Pierre and Simone. Who killed who: Madame Ballon accidentally shot Miguel because she suspected her husband of having an affair with Maria and wanted to kill him. Madame LaFarge killed Georges because he threatened to break up with her. Simone killed Dudo to eliminate her because she was in the way of her affair with Pierre. Monsieur Ballon killed Henri because he was having an affair with his wife. Blackmailers: Georges blackmailing Monsieur Ballon (Seen leaving Maria's room). Maurice blackmailing Madame Ballon. (Seen leaving Maria's room).

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Plot Keywords:

sequel | inspector | murder | detective | comic hero | 

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Taglines:

There was a young sleuth full of tricks, solving murders would give him such kicks, till a suspect he treasured was found to be measured 36-26-36!

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Genres:

Comedy | Mystery

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

29 January 1965 (UK)

Also Known As:

Ein Schuß im Dunkeln

Filming Locations:

Paris, France

Box Office

Gross USA:

$12,368,234

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$12,620,737, 31 December 2004

Company Credits

Production Co:

The Mirisch Corporation,Mirisch Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Walter Matthau, who played the role of Benjamin Ballon in the "A Shot in the Dark" play, was going to have a role in this film as a detective partner of Clouseau.

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Goofs

Clouseau falls into the fountain at the beginning. Yet when he puts a lit lighter into his wet coat it catches on fire.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Dreyfus: [answers phone] Commissioner Dreyfus... Ah, yes, my darling... I was just about to call you. I'm on my way. I've got the cheese and the beaujolais... What?
[laughs]
Dreyfus: ... My love. Kiss the children for me, hmm?
[intercom buzzes]
Dreyfus: Hold on.
[covers phone mouthpiece; answers intercom]
Dreyfus: Yes?
intercom: Your wife is on the other line.
Dreyfus: Tell her I'm out of town.

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Crazy Credits

The title sequence is of an animated Inspector Clouseau bumbling around, getting into scrapes.

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Connections

Referenced in Melrose Place: A Shot in the Dark (1997)

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Soundtracks

Shadows of Paris
Music by Henry Mancini
Lyrics by Robert Wells
Performed by Fran Jeffries

User Reviews

Considered The Best Of The Series

The second of the Pink Panther series, this is considered by most critics as the best of the lot, and for once I have to agree with them. It's almost a one-man show with Peter Sellers ("Inspector Jacques Clouseau") exhibiting his comedy talents, most of it the slapstick variety as he constantly runs into things and-or falls down. Some of that gets tiresome after a while but most of it works and gives the viewer a lot of laughs.

It was nice, after these years, to see the production in 2.35 widescreen. It made the photography a lot more impressive than the formatted-to-TV VHS. I had never realized how nice this movie looked. The sets in here - mainly George Sanders' apartment interior - were good, too, and Elke Sommer was always nice to ogle back in the '60s.

Sellers' boss, played by Herbert Lom, wasn't that funny but Burt Kwoul as "Kato," Clouseau's "trainee" is fun to watch in all his sneak attacks. Sanders was funny, too, and he didn't have to say a word to get a laugh. Just the deadpan looks on his face as he watched "Clouseau" bumble around were priceless.

This is a bit slow in the beginning, but once it picks up it's funny the rest of the way. From a film history angle, it was interesting to see how morals had begun to change and how rules were becoming relaxed. In here, director Blake Edwards went out of his way to show cleavage of Sommer and there was an implied sex scene you wouldn't have seen a decade earlier. Also, in the end - although played for laughs - it turns everyone was having an affair with somebody.