The Party (1968)

Director:

Blake Edwards

Writers:

Blake Edwards (screenplay) &
Tom Waldman (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

4 April 1968 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

If you've ever been to a wilder party... you're under arrest.

Plot:

A clerical mistake results in a bumbling film extra being invited to an exclusive Hollywood party instead of being fired.

Plot Keywords:

Shoe | Elephant | Hollywood | Actor | Dog

Cast

Peter Sellers	...	Hrundi V. Bakshi
Claudine Longet	...	Michele Monet
Natalia Borisova	...	Ballerina
Jean Carson	...	Nanny
Marge Champion	...	Rosalind Dunphy
Al Checco	...	Bernard Stein
Corinne Cole	...	Janice Kane
Dick Crockett	...	Wells
Frances Davis	...	Maid
Danielle De Metz	...	Stella D'Angelo (as Danielle de Metz)
Herbert Ellis	...	Director (as Herb Ellis)
Paul Ferrara	...	Ronnie Smith
Steve Franken	...	Levinson
Kathe Green	...	Molly Clutterbuck
Allen Jung	...	Cook

Runtime:

99 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Italian

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Australia:PG | Australia:G (TV rating) | Portugal:M/12 | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Brazil:Livre | USA:TV-PG (TV rating) | Argentina:Atp | Canada:G | Finland:S | France:U | Norway:7 (DVD rating) | Spain:T | Sweden:11 | UK:PG | USA:PG | West Germany:6 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Mirisch Corporation, The

Trivia:

Production designer Fernando Carrere reused the fireplace he had designed for The Pink Panther (1963) in this film.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: In the scene mid-way through the film where the woman is playing guitar and singing, the sounds of the guitar strings are not in sync with her finger plucking. There are also sounds from other instruments like a flute playing along with the music yet she is performing solo with only the acoustic guitar.

Quotes:

Hrundi V. Bakshi: Hrundi V. Bakshi.
Michelle Monet: Pardon?
Hrundi V. Bakshi: That is what my name is called.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Namak Halaal (1982)

Soundtrack:

Nothing to Lose

An endearing comedy from the 1960s

`The Party' is one of the few comedies that I can watch repeatedly and still enjoy, to a great extent due to the charm of the character Peter Sellers creates. Hrundi V. Bakshi urgently needs to be appropriate and polite (he absolutely CANNOT be impolite), but his natural curiosity and unfamiliarity with his surroundings wreak havoc. He's really quite an admirable fellow, though. He's unfailingly considerate and reasonable, but brave and resourceful when coming to the aid of another, as in the case of producer C.S. Divot's (Gavin MacLeod) exploitation of Michelle Monet (Claudine Longet). I find it hard to accept the notion that the characterization is racist, as some contend, unless you consider the very act of a white person playing an Indian in dark makeup racist. It can't be denied that many westerners find the accent amusing (see Baboo in `Seinfeld,' or Apu in `The Simpsons'). Still, Sellers' characterization of Bakshi is no stereotype, and I don't feel that his portrayal brings discredit to anyone.

That aside, this is one damned funny film! As `anonymous' from Chicago has pointed out below, there are interesting aspects there for your consideration, if you choose to look for them. More than just a series of pratfalls and sight gags, `The Party' is a multi-faceted creation, as is its central character. If you haven't seen it, pour yourself a heaping bowl of birdie num-nums and give it a look. It's on DVD now, collectors.

I need only add that I am not your sugar.