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I recall this film when I saw it once on television in the early 1970s. While I see it has gotten many favorable write-ups on this thread, I have to admit it disappointed me. It was that long, long (too long) series of third rate films that Sellers got involved in after his peak in the middle 1960s, when only an occasional film ("The Wrong Box", "There's A Girl In My Soup") reminded people of the comic and acting genius he was. In my memory the only good performance was that of Victor Mature as the aging actor, who is best recalled by the public in that he is always in a role wearing a trench coat. The highpoint of Mature's performance is when he, Balsam, and several others are stuck in a car that is stalled on a railway track, with a train bearing down on it - and Mature is screaming the most. Finally the train passes them and they are safe. Everyone is just silent and sweaty from their near-thing ordeal, and Mature suddenly smiles and acts as though he could have told them not to worry.
But the best line I remember deals with Sellers and fellow conman Akim Tamiroff. Sellers has to introduce Tamiroff (named "Mr. Okra") to Mature, Balsam, Britt Eckland, and the others on the film set. He says, with great formality, "This is Mr. Okra...inventor of "Okrascope"." I am still waiting to see what "Okrascope" was.
score 5/10
theowinthrop 20 March 2005
Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw1043163/ |
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4-4-2021 00:05:27