Showing posts with label Herbert Lom. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Herbert Lom. Show all posts

Sunday, 13 November 2022

1976, Film: The Pink Panther Strikes Again

The American-British comedy film "The Pink Panther Strikes Again" was released on 15 December 1976 (United States) and 22 December 1976 (United Kingdom). The film, directed by Blake Edwards, was written by himself together with Frank Waldman. Main stars are Peter Sellers, Herbert Lom, Colin Blakely, Leonard Rossiter, Lesley-Anne Down, Burt Kwouk and André Maranne. The music was composed by Henry Mancini. "The Pink Panther Strikes Again" is the fifth film in The Pink Panther series, its plot picks up three years after "The Return of the Pink Panther".

"The Pink Panther Strikes Again" poster

Synopsis
After three years in a psychiatric hospital, former Chief Inspector of the Sûreté Charles Dreyfus (Herbert Lom), has recovered from his obsession to kill Jacques Clouseau (Peter Sellers) and is about to be released; Clouseau, who has since replaced Dreyfus as Chief Inspector, arrives unannounced to speak on behalf of his former boss, and within minutes drives Dreyfus insane again...

Herbert Lom as Former Chief Inspector Charles Dreyfus and
Peter Sellers as Chief Inspector Jacques Clouseau

Main cast

  • Peter Sellers as Chief Inspector Jacques Clouseau
  • Herbert Lom as Former Chief Inspector Charles Dreyfus
  • Colin Blakely as Inspector Alec Drummond
  • Leonard Rossiter as Superintendent Quinlan
  • Lesley-Anne Down as Olga Bariosova
  • Michael Robbins as Ainsley Jarvis
  • Richard Vernon as Professor Hugo Fassbender
  • Briony McRoberts as Margo Fassbender
  • Burt Kwouk as Cato Fong
  • André Maranne as François
  • Vanda Godsell as Mrs. Leverlilly
  • Tony Sympson as Mr. Shork
  • Patsy Smart as Mrs. Japonica
  • Norman Burton as Mr. Bullock
  • Dudley Sutton as Inspector McLaren
  • Dick Crockett as the President of the United States (Gerald Ford)
  • Byron Kane as the US Secretary of State (Henry Kissinger)
  • Paul Maxwell as CIA Director
  • Gordon Rollings as Inmate
  • John Clive as Chuck
  • Damaris Hayman as Fiona
  • Deep Roy as Diminutive Assassin
Peter Sellers as Chief Inspector Jacques Clouseau and
Chrome the parrot
Peter Sellers as Chief Inspector Jacques Clouseau and
Lesley-Anne Down as Olga Bariosova

Trivia

  • Michael Robbins' singing as the female Ainsley Jarvis was dubbed by Julie Andrews.
  • Lesley-Anne Down was cast as Olga by mistake. Blake Edwards meant to audition Nicola Pagett, but auditioned Lesley-Anne Down, both acted in “Upstairs, Downstairs” at the time.
  • Omar Sharif appeared briefly and uncredited as the Egyptian assassin.
  • Peter Sellers' stunt double, Joe Dunne, performed in all of the scenes that required any action, owing to Sellers' fragile heart condition.
  • Cyd Child, who did the stunts for Diana Rigg and Linda Thorson in “The Avengers” (1966-1969), appeared with her parrot "Chrome". The bird originally belonged to Diana Rigg, but she didn't have enough time to spend with him, so she gave him to Cyd Child.
  • Tom Jones sang the Oscar-nominated song "Come to Me".
  • Blake Edwards made a cameo appearance in the background of the nightclub scene.
Peter Sellers as Chief Inspector Jacques Clouseau in Quasimodo disguise
Peter Sellers as Chief Inspector Jacques Clouseau and
Michael Robbins as Ainsley Jarvis

Awards

  • Evening Standard British Film Awards for Best Comedy: Blake Edwards
  • Writers Guild of America Awards for Best Comedy Adapted from Another Medium: Frank Waldman and Blake Edwards


"The Pink Panther Strikes Again" Trailer

Saturday, 29 October 2016

1964, Film: “A Shot in the Dark”

The British-American coproduction "A Shot in the Dark" was released on 23 June 1964 in New York City. The comedy, based on Harry Kurnitz adaption from the 1961 French play "L'Idiote" by Marcel Achard, was directed by Blake Edwards. The main cast includes Peter Sellers, Herbert Lom, Burt Kwouk, George Sanders and Elke Sommer. The music was written by Henry Mancini.

"A Shot in the Dark" is the second film in The Pink Panther series after “The Pink Panther” from 1963. Peter Sellers plays the clumsy French Sûreté Inspector Jacques Clouseau of the French Sûreté. New in this film is Clouseau's exaggerated French accent, his boss Commissioner Dreyfus played by Herbert Lom and his loyal servant Cato played by Burt Kwouk.
Burt Kwouk as Kato and Peter Sellers as Jacques Clouseau
Herbert Lom as Charles Dreyfus and Peter Sellers as Jacques Clouseau
André Maranne as François, Herbert Lom as Charles Dreyfus and Reginald Beckwith
George Sanders as Benjamin Ballon and Tracy Reed as Dominique Ballon
Synopsis
When M. Ballon's (George Sanders) spanish driver, Miguel Ostos, is found shot dead, Inspector Jacques Clouseau (Peter Sellers) is called to investigate the crime. All evidence points to Maria Gambrelli (Elke Sommer), the maid, to be the murderer. But Clouseau, being attracted to the beautiful girl, is convinced of her innocence...
George Sanders as Benjamin Ballon and Peter Sellers as Jacques Clouseau
Peter Sellers as Jacques Clouseau
Peter Sellers as Jacques Clouseau and Graham Stark as Hercule Lajoy
Elke Sommer as Maria Gambrelli
Main cast
  • Peter Sellers as Jacques Clouseau
  • Elke Sommer as Maria Gambrelli
  • George Sanders as Benjamin Ballon
  • Herbert Lom as Charles Dreyfus
  • Tracy Reed as Dominique Ballon
  • Graham Stark as Hercule Lajoy
  • Moira Redmond as Simone
  • Vanda Godsell as Madame LaFarge
  • Maurice Kaufmann as Pierre
  • Ann Lynn as Dudu
  • David Lodge as Georges
  • André Maranne as François
  • Martin Benson as Maurice
  • Burt Kwouk as Kato
Elke Sommer as Maria Gambrelli, Burt Kwouk as Kato and Peter Sellers as Jacques Clouseau
Elke Sommer as Maria Gambrelli in the Radford Mini Cooper
Elke Sommer as Maria Gambrelli and Peter Sellers as Jacques Clouseau
Elke Sommer as Maria Gambrelli
Trivia
  • The adaption by Harry Kurnitz did not include Clouseau, the whole screenplay was rewritten by Blake Edwards and William Peter Blatty.
  • Maria Gambrelli was originally to be played by Sophia Loren, but she became ill. The second choice was Romy Schneider, but she had another commitment.
  • The 1963 Morris Mini Cooper by Radford that Peter Sellers drives in the movie was his own car. The special Cooper Radford conversion costed more than a contemporary Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud.

Trailer "A Shot in the Dark" (1964)

Monday, 14 January 2013

1963, Television: “The Human Jungle”

"The Human Jungle", a British TV series about a psychiatrist, made for ABC Television by the small production company “Independent Artists” premièred on ITV March 30, 1963. The series was created by Ronald J Khan and produced by Julian Wintle and Leslie Parkyn. The theme music, composed by Bernard Ebbinghouse was recorded by John Barry and his Orchestra. The series starred Herbert Lom as psychiatrist Dr. Roger Corder. A number of guest stars appeared as his patients, including Joan Collins, Jane Merrow, Warren Mitchell, Ian Bannen, Annette Andre and Susan George.

Two series were produced between 1963 and 1964, with a total of 26 episodes. The first series was made at Beaconsfield studios, which closed down causing the second series to be filmed at Elstree Studios.
Herbert Lom as Dr. Roger Corder
Herbert Lom as Dr. Roger Corder and Joan Collins as Liz Kross
Main Cast
  • Herbert Lom as Dr. Roger Corder
  • Michael Johnson as Dr. Jimmy Davis
  • Sally Smith as Jennifer Corder, his teenage daughter
  • Mary Yeomans as Nancy Hamilton, his secretary
  • Mary Steele as Jane Harris, his personal assistant
Herbert Lom as Dr. Roger Corder and Joan Collins as Liz Kross
Synopsis
Most episodes focused on a specific patient, whose psychological ailment Dr. Corder would treat and, invariably, cure...

Opening Credits