PETER SELLERS (1925 - 1980)

Peter Sellers as Inspector Clouseau

PETER SELLERS (1925 - 1980).

Peter Sellers -- terrible to think that this genius died at only 55 years of age when there was so much else that he could have done. Sellers started out as a radio and TV comedy star, and appeared in early pictures as a kind of portly schnook. Losing weight, he was transformed into a leading man with the likes of no less than Sophia Loren and others. He became known as a brilliant comic actor, but he was just as good in his rare dramatic roles, and the height of his fame came when he played Inspector Clouseau in a number of Pink Panther movies. Sellers could be difficult in his private life, having mercurial relationships with his wives and children, although he was also said to be a loyal friend and often committed acts of extreme generosity.  In any case, the most important thing about the man is his talent, which is on display in so many movies, including some of which we examine this week. For a large number of Sellers' films that have already been reviewed on this blog, type his name in the search bar on the upper left hand corner. Thank you!

MR. STRANGELOVE: A BIOGRAPHY OF PETER SELLERS

MR. STRANGELOVE: A BIOGRAPHY OF PETER SELLERS. Ed Sikov. Hyperion; 2002.

"He was amoral, dangerous, vindictive, totally selfish, and yet had the charm of the devil." -- Sellers' first wife.

Mr. Strangelove adeptly traces the career and personal life of one of the cinema's funniest men, the brilliant Peter Sellers. There is his early association with Spike Milligan, with whom he did radio and TV programs; his relationship with his ever-loving if too controlling mother, Peg, as well as his several wives (including actress Britt Ekland) and children; and of course the many, many movies he appeared in. Sellers was like many powerful, successful film figures -- a man who could be monstrous one minute, even with his own children, and then turn around and be remarkably generous. Doted on by his mother, Sellers became self-absorbed at an early age, but many of his companions make clear that he could also be a very good friend. His career took precedence over everything else, as it does with so many driven film stars. Mr.. Strangelove also goes behind the scenes of Sellers' movies, both famous and obscure, such as The Pink Panther films, Dr. Strangelove, The Magic  Christian, Being There, Murder By Death, The Wrong Box, and many, many more. Sikov perhaps spends too much time on Milligan and the Goons (a comedic group/program of which Sellers was a part early in his career); otherwise this is a solid bio.

Verdict: Interesting look at a comic genius. ***.