Blake Edwards Talks About Peter Sellers

[@7550375503]

An honest account regarding the brilliant Sellers.

[@martm216]

Blake Edwards was a great director and film maker. He provided a great framework for Sellers to work within. The Pink Panther films were as much the work of Blake Edwards as they were of Peter Sellers.

[@arthagnan020]

totally agree with you Martin Mitchell

[@martm216]

@@arthagnan020 thanks 🙂

[@johncronin9540]

One has to also give credit to the other actors working with him. When an actor ad libs, and is as funny as Sellers undoubtedly was, it’s hard for the other actors to not break character, start losing it, and ruining the take. So they have to be able to adapt to the ad libbing, and go with it. Easier said than done. If you watch Dr. Strangelove, in one scene, you can see the actor portraying the Soviet Ambassador trying desperately not to laugh behind Sellers performing the Strangelove character.

[@martm216]

@@johncronin9540 yes, the film was well cast. George C Scott in particular was superb. Sellers by all accounts was not easy to work with. I read somewhere that he was jealous that Scott was stealing some of the scenes.

[@oludotunjohnshowemimo434]

The legendary creator of The Pink Panther, the late, great Blake Edward's.

[@lawrencedoliveiro9104]

The two of them worked really well together. Catch _The Party_ , if you haven’t already done so -- about half of that was improvised during shooting. Classic and funny.

[@raymondlang]

Ultimate classic, and so too I'm Alright Jack.

[@susiefraser9182]

Birdy num nums

[@paulccrimmins]

the Party is the funniest film I've ever seen. Hilarious ! 😂

[@alexalex13131]

Blake understood comedy rhythms and more importantly had the technical expertise to translate them to film.

[@vinceveedal]

A lot of people have said Peter Sellers was insane. It's said in every video about him.

[@forensicdar]

Rob Torcks He's He often mentioned his mad, mad self-destructive ways too. He was mad, but he was a mad legend.

[@gumunduringigumundsson9344]

You are individual white and grey brainmatter which at birth is more or less standard .. then a lot happens and each brain gets that more unique as entropy does its thing. Insane or sane.. lezdom is sane so why not Peter Sellers?

[@2flyabove]

I wonder to what degree Sellers' madness was due to taking drugs?!

[@srb-ef3zs]

exploited too, by many in Hollywood wishing to profit from his madness and geniusness!

[@johncronin9540]

That may be true, but the term “insane” is not a term psychiatrists and psychologists employ. He likely did have mental health issues, but was, to a certain degree, functional, in that he was able to function professionally. I do seem to remember that things were not so functional in his personal life, which was sad.

[@DJ-bj8ku]

Madness and genius are connected. So instead of mocking him, a skilled interviewer would’ve probed deeply into how Sellers’ madness created great art.

[@vksasdgaming9472]

There was no Peter Sellers except as physical entity. That entity had person of Peter Sellers surgically removed like some people have their teeth surgically removed. He was a canvas for others to project something else.

[@kymbrenton]

Sellers learn these things because he was a yogi he learnt these things through Ravi Shankar along with George Harrison. If your interested George Harrison was interviewed about Peter Sellers available on u-tube

[@johncronin9540]

I don’t see any mocking of him, your point is a valid one. But his problems made living with him extremely difficult. And he worked extensively with Blake Edwards through all those Pink Panther movies, so he had a close connection with Edwards, who sounds sympathetic in this interview, of which we are seeing only a glimpse. We don’t know where the interview went from there.

[@Bertiesghost]

@@kymbrenton Sellers and John Lennon were quite similar they were both hard to live with and sometimes cruel and insensitive but incredibly talented and open minded. It’s quite spooky they both died within six months of each other.

[@JulioLeonFandinho]

"madness and genius are connected" typical gratuitous crap statement that means absolutely nothing

[@MrMrh1958]

Genius borders madness!😂

[@your_royal_highness]

I was a contractor in my younger days and had to opportunity to go into the homes of wealthy people. I discovered that the difference between crazy and eccentric was merely resources. Money kept them out of institutions in many cases

[@vantheman1238]

I believe that Peter was joking and that he was such a great actor he knew he could kid Blake Edwards. In fact he did it to Edwards constantly. How do I know this…….Peter talks to me about it everyday.

[@Ricky40369]

Blake was an absolute genius. I adore everything he did around 1959 and 1960. Then it stopped.

[@SmokeyJoe4991]

Hahah

[@musicmixesforyourheartsoul4129]

@Ricky40369 You say that after 1959-60 his geniousity "...it stopped"! But here is what happened AFTER 1960, where - according to you - his genious skills had vanished into thin air: He WON 3 OFTA Film Hall of Fame Award + he WON 1 San Sebastián International Film Festival Prize + he WON 1 National Board of Review Prize + he WON 1 Special Achievement Award of London Critics Circle Film Awards + he WON 1 Goldon Globe Award + he WON 1 Fotogramas de Plata Award + he WON 1 Evening Standard British Film Awards + he WON The Jury Prize of The Independent Video Film Festival of KZbin Art Club Pavlos Paraschakis + nominated for 5 Golden Globe Awards + nominated for 5 Laurel Awards + nominated for 3 BAFTA Awards + nominated for 3 OFTA Film Hall of Fame + nominated for 2 Oscar Academy Awards + nominated for 1 Primetime Emmy Award + nominated for 1 National Society of Film Critics Awards, USA + nominated for 1 New York Film Critics Circle Awards + nominated for 1 Photoplay Award ...so it seems that it is your logic and common sense that stopped after 1960 :)

[@misfit2022]

If being a little eccentric helps bring out performances like Being There then I am all for it.

[@CorridorJ]

Don’t think his family agrees with you

[@alexdavies7394]

Blake Edwards offers a lot of insight into Peter Sellers the man, insecurities included! This can be found in the book: "Peter Sellers: A Film History."

[@georgeshelton6281]

What's something the fictitious American president Bobby didn't say; when he attended Ben Randy's funeral, in North Carolina? He didn't say to all of the people that knew Ben Randy; throughout the years, "following our own philosophies can set us apart from our friends."

[@georgeshelton6281]

You know very well that I will always best remember Peter Sellers; as Chance Johnson the gardener, never as Inspector Clouseau from the live action 'Pink Panther' comedy series.

[@fredferd965]

Good heavens! Blake Edwards is telling us that Peter Sellers really WAS cleuseau!!!!!!!!!! Oh, wow!!!!

[@pcoldlight5631]

Brilliant observation. Thank you.

[@allys744]

I love that “I talked to God story”

[@ssnoc]

Crazy like a fox ... the guy made Hollywood hundreds of millions of dollars - he was a sharp businessman and created a very intriguing personality for himself - thats genius not craziness.

[@jessiejames7492]

he was a narcissist. his giggling fits and funny antics was a way to get attention. and the more people laughed the more he liked it.

[@Jantonov1]

That can be said of every lonely person with comedic talent in show business.

[@PauloPereira-jj4jv]

@@Jantonov1 ... narcisism is a specific "mental illness", although psichyatrists don't use this word anymore. A very serious mental condition. And not every artist, of course, is a narcisist.

[@Jantonov1]

@@PauloPereira-jj4jv I was really just responding to the op. Funny people using their comedic gift to garner unending attention is pretty common for a lot of comedians. It's lonely being funny. Especially if you have other underlying issues. Sellers happened to have many such conditions.

[@PauloPereira-jj4jv]

@@Jantonov1 .. yes, he could be that kind of person. You can see he really loved to be noticed. Not to mention his personal life problems, as we know. It's a shame, since he was a very talented man...

[@mibeatleman6767]

A interesting bit of trivia about Peter Sellers, Sellers had a phobia of the color purple.

[@nedmerrill6228]

He would have run if he met Prince.

[@Ometecuhtli]

Wasn't that after a series of heart strokes?

[@termsofusepolice]

I think it was mainly just a, very justifiable, dislike of Oprah Winfrey.

[@MapleSyrupPoet]

Insightful 😊

[@charleswinokoor6023]

Rose was capable of doing a good interview, but for some reason he couldn’t resist laughing gratuitously to the point of distraction.

[@MacJaxonManOfAction]

And interrupting ad nauseum.

[@johncronin9540]

Well, Rose has his own personal issues. But we’re seeing such a small segment of the interview.

[@danielc1978]

Rose was one of the worst interviewers; he always interrupted the interviewees and would insert himself inappropriately into the conversations (no pun intended....)

[@blackbird5634]

If Sellers' own words are to be trusted he HATED Edwards and the Pink Panther series after the 2nd movie. And the fact that he was a genius, and one of a kind, didn't suggest to Edwards that he was putting a straight jacket on an artist.

[@shedinthehead]

Also sometimes it’s just being British, we can be quite mad and quite normal, mostly at the same time

[@federicomonti6146]

P.S. was definitely affected from a bipolar disorder, that actually bring to a personality disorder and to addictions. It worsen getting elder, especially if not treated. I struggle with this condition since when I was 18, 44 now, and I recognized his condition just reading his bio from wikipedia and I've then found confirms of this all around the web. Sadly his wife confirmed he had no treatment and this brought to his earl death, as happened to Jaco Pastorius or Kurt Kobain. For these people, like me, drugs are not recreational as for the others, we choose marijuana or stimulants just to be normal: I couldn't have had an enginery graduation withouth smoking a bunch of pot just before the examinations, other times cocaine was the only thing that let me get up from bed after weeks in it. when I've got the right diagnosis and the right drugs these ups and downs definitely reduced and I finally went stable and started living normally. More or less... 🙂

[@johncarey4186]

The Universe is His show.

[@CesarClouds]

R.I.P.

[@dennisdivine7448]

It sounds as if Peter Sellars suffered from serious mental health issues in his prime. As he became increasingly unstable personally and professionally in later years, one has to wonder if he was being neurologically challenged from the series of heart attacks he suffered through the '60s and '70s, making him even worse.

[@andrewd.conard5088]

That and recreational drug use.

[@CorridorJ]

Think he had a underlining personality disorder

[@Tom-kt8lu]

Edwards was a greater genius.

[@nevillecawasbardoliwallaob2736]

Interesting !

[@hazelrah321]

Millions of people talk to God every day around the world - that's not "crazy". When people claim that God talked back....maybe.

[@xdisruptor6630]

Blake looks like Tim Cook

[@bluegtturbo]

So... Maybe God did actually tell him... We don't know... 😁 It doesn't mean he's crazy!

[@VGLV888]

✅☑️

[@glasshalffull8471]

I'm pretty Gods not in the film business these days, possibly hasn't been involved for quite some time, he would hate streaming services, but that's just my opinion, don't get me started on woke Disney.

[@tomkent4656]

Sellers could be a nasty piece of work. Basically, he hated people!

[@YouzTube99]

@tom kent: Starting with himself.

[@gumunduringigumundsson9344]

Don´t we all, especially our selves. From time to time. Less and less with age preferably indeed. ;)

[@tomkent4656]

@@gumunduringigumundsson9344 But we're not all narcissistic sociopaths!

[@gumunduringigumundsson9344]

@@tomkent4656 who aint paint if paint is way of describing that that we all do sometimes do that.. he probably enjoyed to make his paint extra noticable probably just to annoy those that get annoyed by it. Auto ignore should be on those with too much paint too often.. right?

[@seandarcy7651]

Heard similar things about Mr Edwards from Tony Curtis

[@Bertiesghost]

Sellers had 15 heart attacks during his life

[@krisscanlon4051]

Crazy certifiable lol wow

[@filmbuff-ru4xt]

I don't call mental health problems a laughing matter somehow!

[@chasleask8533]

filmbuff 2013 oh yes, they are.

[@alexdavies1662]

+Chas Leask - Sorry but I find myself agreeing with classicfilm. I lived with people who had mental health problems and humour is the LAST word I'd use to describe the effect it had.

[@alexdavies1662]

+Chas Leask - Filmbuff is right. Mental health problems are nothing to smile about - especially if you have lived with it.

[@chasleask8533]

filmbuff 2013 yer gotta larf incha.

[@colderbeer]

So what?

[@georgeshelton6281]

Even though the 1980 Rated PG comedy movie called 'Being There;' was a good movie perhaps a sad one, what the one thing that bothered me the most was that, as Chance Johnson was listening and watching TV of what came about. I was seeing a short cartoon program; of all of these white guys, singing the song called it's called pardon my soul.

[@someotherdude]

Wow Charlie Rose interrupts just as the guest is delivering the punchline.... now that is obnoxious

[@georgeshelton6281]

Need I explain it more? Here's where this short cartoon flick features; the black male cartoon character that, sounded like Michael Jackson. He said to all of these white folks in town; "try to come and stop me." He said it when he was becoming the unbeatable NBA player. And he was growing to be a giant.

[@ModMokkaMatti]

Madness, absolute madness you speak... Are you sure you're commenting to the proper post?

[@georgeshelton6281]

@@ModMokkaMatti It's not a joke of what I've seen and heard; while Chance Johnson/Peter Sellers was listening and watching TV, it's the truth. I still remember when I was listening and watching this 1980 Rated PG comedy movie called 'Being There.' Maybe you don't remember; what you don't realize is that, the Lord God is using the past.

[@georgeshelton6281]

@@ModMokkaMatti It's true that I heard these white guys singing, pardon my soul.

[@ramieltufail1711]

He calls Sellers a genious and then goes on to call him crazy and mad. Wow.

[@degsbabe]

You don't think they go hand in hand sometimes? Ask Picasso, Van Gogh, Warhol, Kaufman.....Milligan. Sweet madness.

[@nkt1]

No, he called him a genius.

[@jessiejames7492]

not all of us understand genius .. so we call them mad..

[@robertherndon4351]

"Insanity is to art what garlic is to salad."

[@dizzyology7514]

@@robertherndon4351 In other words, you don't absolutely need to have it, but if just the right amount blends harmoniously with the other ingredients it gives the resulting dish a piquant flavor that can't be obtained in any other way. Nice analogy. Oh, and one other little thing: if you share a bed with someone else, be sure you're on the same page about the stuff. :-)

[@MagicComicMoments-eo8ez]

not sure about this, what blake says is true, yes peter, was hard man to work with at times, so was blake, that show buss, yes peter, had split personailty, bipolla, which did not help. if you got him on bad day,

[@garykirk5924]

Pretty shitty to speak ill of the dead , especially when they considered you to be their friend and you profited well very from their talent

[@colderbeer]

Oh come on ...you are taking his comments out of context.....Edwards LOVED Peter Sellers.

[@gamleskalle1]

No, fed up with only talk well bout the dead.

[@adrianguinn3331]

the truth is not speaking ill of the dead. if you dont want someone to tell stories about who you were when you were alive then dont do the things you dont want people to know. the rest of us dont owe you allegiance when you're dead lol what superstitious hogwash lol

[@kurikokaleidoscope]

Fair comment

[@glasshalffull8471]

God should just stick with right wing politics.

[@ModMokkaMatti]

"god" should just go back to being a little asterix, lost in the vast sea of more important things.

[@hunterluxton5976]

Sellers was just a mimic, nothing special. Blake agrees with the Rose that Sellers was a genius to be gracious and not show any loathing or contempt. He despised him deep down as he knew his talent was very limited. Sellers is known for 2 things Indpector Clauseau and the Goons. Barry Crier and Spike Milligan were the chief writers, Sellers was marginal.

[@wavelengthrecords-1]

Ridiculous. And you're known for nothing.

[@thewkovacs316]

youre kidding....right?

[@paolamura3497]

And what a mimic then!

[@paulcampbell1596]

Sellers best work was before Hollywood got hold of him all the powerful Ealing studios British comedies from the late 1950s he worked with all the great British eccentrics from that period Terry Thomas and Alec Guinness and the like.... movies like "I'm all right Jack" "Two Way Stretch" to "The Lavender hill mob" were phenomenon, so you are clueless Luxton....do your homework before you comment.

[@davestraughan]

Jesus really?