The Unknown Peter Sellers

Starring:Peter Sellers, Joseph McGrath, David Lodge, Shirley MacLaine, Alexander Walker, Richard Lester, Harry Secombe, David Frost, Michael Palin, Fred Applegate
Director: David Leaf, John Scheinfeld
Studio: Winstar
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com
Most of the moviegoing public is familiar with Peter Sellers's classic roles in films such as Dr. Strangelove, The Pink Panther, Lolita, and A Shot in the Dark. However, plenty of examples exist of his earlier work that rarely see the light of day. The Unknown Peter Sellers traces the comic actor from his days entertaining RAF troops during World War II to the triumphs of his latter-day movie career. Sellers helped create the genre-breaking, anarchic radio comedy The Goon Show, as well as the equally off-the-wall BBC TV series A Show Called Fred. More obscure, however, are several films directed by or starring Sellers, ones that have only been seen by a handful of people. The tantalizing clips from Sellers's early career show his flair for physical comedy, one that owes much to silent stars such as Buster Keaton and Stan Laurel, and Monty Python's Michael Palin discusses Sellers's influence on his own 1960s TV series. Also included are snippets of Sellers teaming with director Richard Lester with the plotless, surreal short The Running, Jumping and Standing Still Movie, which was instrumental in Lester's selection for the Beatles' Hard Day's Night movie.

Amazon.com

Most of the moviegoing public is familiar with Peter Sellers's classic roles in films such as Dr. Strangelove, The Pink Panther, Lolita, and A Shot in the Dark. However, plenty of examples exist of his earlier work that rarely see the light of day. The Unknown Peter Sellers traces the comic actor from his days entertaining RAF troops during World War II to the triumphs of his latter-day movie career. Sellers helped create the genre-breaking, anarchic radio comedy The Goon Show, as well as the equally off-the-wall BBC TV series A Show Called Fred. More obscure, however, are several films directed by or starring Sellers, ones that have only been seen by a handful of people. The tantalizing clips from Sellers's early career show his flair for physical comedy, one that owes much to silent stars such as Buster Keaton and Stan Laurel, and Monty Python's Michael Palin discusses Sellers's influence on his own 1960s TV series. Also included are snippets of Sellers teaming with director Richard Lester with the plotless, surreal short The Running, Jumping and Standing Still Movie, which was instrumental in Lester's selection for the Beatles' Hard Day's Night movie.

Despite his phenomenal success as a versatile, inventive comic actor, Sellers's life was fraught with trouble, and The Unknown Peter Sellers doesn't gloss over any of it. This is essential viewing for fans of Peter Sellers, teasing the audience with glimpses of his early career and the films many may still never see. --Jerry Renshaw

Description

A fresh look at the remarkable artistry of Peter Sellers that includes clips, rare memorabilia and contemporary interviews with his co-stars, friends and family. DVD includes: Interactive Menus, Scene Access, Filmography, Never Before Seen Television Int

Customer Reviews:

Beyond the Pink Panther.......2005-11-07

"The Unknown Peter Sellers" is a fascinating documentary about the great comedic actor. This film is produced, written, and directed by John Scheinfeld and David Leaf. The filmmakers incorporate clips from Sellers' film and television work, as well as interviews with a number of individuals: biographer and film critic Alexander Walker, Sellers' "Being There" co-star Shirley MacLaine, Monty Python's Michael Palin, director Richard Lester, and more. MacLaine's memories of Sellers are particularly mesmerizing.

The documentary provides a general overview on the brilliant Seller's personal life and career. The film covers his family background, his extensive career in radio comedy, his television work, and the ups and downs of his career in theatrical films. We get insight into how Sellers developed the character of Inspector Clouseau, and learn what happened behind-the-scenes of his triple role in the classic "Dr. Strangelove." Also covered are Sellers' TV commercials and his artistic triumph in "Being There."

As the title indicates, this documentary emphasizes Sellers' lesser-known artistic achievements. The filmmakers cover television programs and films that I had never heard of, and include a sampling of clips from this remarkable body of "unknown" work. This material includes such oddities as a 1964 TV film, written by Rod Serling, entitled "Carol for Another Christmas." The narrator notes that this film aired once and "vanished"; included is a fascinating clip showing Sellers in character as a frighteningly intense cult leader.

The DVD includes some intriguing special features. I especially enjoyed Sellers' TV commercials for Barclay's Bank and TWA Airlines; in these ads the versatile Sellers gets to play some colorful characters, such as a hilarious Italian swinger. There is also a fun behind-the-scenes featurette about the making of the TWA ads. Another extra is an engrossing 1971 TV interview with Sellers. He talks about working on TV, the characters he portrayed in his radio career, and more. This interview offers a funny and touching view of Sellers; it's especially fun to watch him clowning and causing the interviewer to laugh. The DVD also includes a filmography of Sellers' work.

I have admired Sellers' work since I was a child, and this superb documentary left me admiring this great talent even more. He truly was a one-of-a-kind performing artist whose best work remains as entertaining and as relevant as ever. This documentary is the perfect companion to the award-winning biographical drama "The Life and Death of Peter Sellers," in which Geoffrey Rush brilliantly plays Sellers.

Things you never knew.......2005-07-28

I found this video interesting showing a side of Peter Sellers I never knew before. Due to his complex characters and his little known real persona it was sad to see the life he led, despite his renown humour that he was unable to find his real happiness due to the stranger intense relationship between him and his mother.

This video is worth watching and then watching later the movie "The Life and Times of Peter Sellers" encompasses the real story of Peter Sellers.

A fascinatingly complex human being of unrecognized skill.......2005-04-11

It would seem the aim of The Unknown Peter Sellers is to give a very broad overview of Sellers' career and to reveal both his versatility and a range of work that the average fan is unaware of. In this, it is most successful and very definitely NOT A WASTE of time. True, there are lots of snippets and fleeting images, and as a strict biography--it clearly is not--it leaves out major pieces of the puzzle (his first and third wives, among them). But as the only comprehensive look at Sellers' career available in U.S. dvd release, it is required viewing for the serious Sellers fan, and an enjoyable and impressive summary for newcomers to his work. There are rarities here I've not found elsewhere thus far...like the breathtaking scene from "Carol for Another Christmas," the first project Peter did (with Rod Serling) following his massive heart attack in 1964; early photos of Peter as a young lad and a teenager, scenes from "The Running, Jumping and Standing Still Film," Sellers' weekend hobby shoot that nearly won him an Academy Award.

Many of the source interviews used here (David Frost, Shirley MacLaine, Michael Palin) also appear, in different edits, on the recent 40th Anniversary edition of Dr. Strangelove in a piece called Best Sellers or Peter Sellers and Dr. Strangelove, but the Strangelove featurette includes interviews from Roger Ebert, Spike Lee and James Harris, Kubrick's business partner, as well as a split-screen interview with Sellers in character as President Merkin Muffley; and as one would expect, it focuses more specifically on that film. The BBC dvd mentioned by one reviewer, which is actually called "The Peter Sellers Story...As He Filmed It" is indeed the crown jewel of the lot, and was just reissued as of Oct. 2005. See the Amazon.co.uk site for it. As a biography of Peters' life, it is a more complete telling than The Unknown ...Sellers, and uses exclusive imagery from Sellers' own home movies, including a trip to Disneyland with George Harrison and Ravi Shankar, clowning around with his royal pals Princess Margaret and Lord Snowdon, as well as voiceovers from Sellers' various wives. The 1971 interview that comes on Unknown was for Irish television, and has indeed been edited as it appears here...it appears more complete with the interviewer's questions and responses on the BBC disc (even with Sellers, very sweetly, saying "Bless you" to a crew member who sneezes off-camera), along with the TWA commercials. Though the three overlap to some extent, The Unknown Peter Sellers, Dr. Strangelove 40th anniv. Edition and The PS Story...As He Filmed It all contain items unique to themselves. The BBC disc is really for diehard fans. I highly recommend this one as a great synopsis of this extraordinary man's career.

Still Waiting For The Rerelease Of Sellers On Sellers.......2004-12-14

The DVD release of Sellers On Sellers (for $34 yet) has been halted due to court actions by the Sellers estate against the BBC. According to most sources, this is the Sellers "inside bio" to get.

It supposedly has at least 90 minutes of great stuff featuring lots of Sellers home movies. Hopefully the BBC will pay off the Sellers estate so they can get this great DVD back on the market again.

And when and if it does get rereleased, hopefully it'll also be less than $34 - but hey, maybe it won't be, because the BBC will understandably be passing along their payoff to the Sellers estate to their customers. The thing is, though, because it's Sellers, it just might be worth the extra price for a change.

A Good Documentary On A Genuine Comic Genius.......2004-08-06

I disagree with some viewers who believe that this biography is a waste of time. Although I would have liked more rare footage and particularly more special features devoted to relatively unknown works like "A Show Called Fred", I still thought that the picture painted of Sellers was accurate and interesting.

The documentary is an hour long and traces Sellers life and career without succumbing to the temptation of focusing excessively on the "Pink Panther" series and the Clouseau character. Don't get me wrong, I adore the "Panthers", but there is so much more to know about this extraordinary man.

The special features are a bit weak. There is an interview from 1971 that is unedited and frequently a bit boring, although there are several brilliant witticisms included that make it worthwhile. Also included are TV ads Sellers made for a bank and an airline. Unfortunately the bank spots, which I thought were flimsy, were his last work ever on film, which makes them worth watching, but are sad, nonetheless.

This is an interesting documentary and I think any fan of Sellers would enjoy watching it; I know that I did.

The Unknown Lives of Great Comedians 4-Pack

Average customer rating:

The Unknown Lives of Great Comedians 4-Pack
Starring: Peter Sellers , Marx Brothers , Jonathan Winters , and Jimmy Durante
Manufacturer: Winstar
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

( U ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Documentary | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Special Interests | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Jonathan Winters: Rare and Riotous
The Unknown: Jimmy Durante - The Great Schnozzola

ASIN: B000059XVB
Release Date: 2001-04-10

Description

One copy each of The Unknown Marx Brothers , The Unknown Peter Sellers , The Unknown Jonathan Winters and The Unknown Jimmy Durante shrink-wrapped together.

Average customer rating:

Tepid filler with scattered brilliance-better rented than bought
Wanting More
A Look into a unusual mind
Winters wonderful, frustrating documentary
Johnny Winters One of the All Time Greats

The Unknown Collection - 3 pack
Starring: Alexander Walker , Peter Sellers , David Lodge , David Frost , and Joseph McGrath
Director: David Leaf , and John Scheinfeld
Manufacturer: Winstar
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

Documentary | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

( U ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Jonathan Winters: Rare and Riotous
hungry i Reunion - Mort Sahl, Jonathan Winters
The Best of Ernie Kovacs
Crank(y) Calls
Jonathan Winters: Madman of Comedy

ASIN: B00004U0FO
Release Date: 2000-09-05

Amazon.com

Jonathan Winters, a comedian whose improvisational style began breaking all the rules back in the 1950s, looks back on his long, strange career in this documentary filled with some of his most inspired bits. In a clip from a TV appearance in the early 1960s, Winters enters a room filled with hats ranging from medieval crowns to space helmets. In the course of several minutes he changes hats at a furious pace, and as each hat goes onto his head, Winters also assumes the facial expressions and voice of a new character. It's a very funny and very weird bit that few other comics could pull off. Robin Williams, who has always been lavish in his praise of Winters, appears in typically manic interview segments to comment on him as a performer. Winters's wife and children also provide their perspective, and Winters provides insight into how he comes up with his bizarre performances and some memories on the ups and downs of his career, which includes a dark period when he checked himself into a mental hospital. The biographical material is interesting, but of course the real gems in this production are the many clips of Winters performing. He is seen morphing into characters on television programs dating back to the early 1950s, and in one odd segment, he improvises routines in the aisles of a hardware store. --Robert J. McNamara

Customer Reviews:

Tepid filler with scattered brilliance-better rented than bought.......2007-02-15

They short changed the reason we all get this video: Jonathan's performances. Granted, the docufiller is interesting, but belongs in a section titled "Bonus Feature", or "Bio" rather than fragmenting some entertaining out takes.

Probably didn't want to pay all the royalties to get more performances included...

Recommend as a rental rather than a purchase.

Wanting More.......2004-08-19

Jonathan Winters is probably my all-time favorite comedian! I liked this video but wish it had been longer and that many, many more of his comedy routines had been included. The clips were too scattered and too brief, and it just whetted my appetite for more and was frustrating. Appearances by Andy Williams and Robin Williams didn't add much. I did enjoy learning a little about Winters' personal life over the years, and seeing him as he was a couple years ago. I must say I was very glad to locate ANY video about him, but it would be wonderful if someone could put together a complete set of ALL of his routines! That would be fantastic!

A Look into a unusual mind.......2001-07-02

This is a video which is sometimes shown on PBS. It is biographical in nature and truly shows the breadth of his comedy. You'll see Winters as you've probably never seen him before. There is improvisational humor galore and there's also black humor (The Execution). It is very amusing to see the "Straight Men" so totally lost and just enjoying "the master" at work.

Winters wonderful, frustrating documentary.......2001-07-02

Jonathan Winters is really a treasure and it is amazing how many people do not know about him. He is clearly Robin Williams's progenitor, starting out in his television career with sound effects and impersonations, but eventually moving into original characters and amazing improvisations, often based on random objects thrown to him.

This documentary, however, is constantly teasing the viewer who is eager to watch the master. Seldom does a segment or vignette go uninterrupted by cuts from interviews which are sparse, heavy on adoration and low on information. The subjects of these interviews are limited to Andy Williams, Robin Williams (who seems to have little to say about his hero), and family members who tell few stories. Winters himself makes a statement about his nervous breakdown and hospitalization that is firm and uninformative. There is talk about the work on IT'S A MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD and MORK AND MINDY but no clips. Even when we watch him at play in public places, the camera holds so closely on him, rarely showing the setting or the people he is catching off-guard, that the spontaneity of what we are witnessing is hidden.

A little of Winters is vastly better than none, but this disappoints as a documentary.

Johnny Winters One of the All Time Greats.......2000-11-27

I watched him growing up and seeing this tape on PBS brought back memories of the best improvisational comedian of all time. Robin Williams will tell you, this man inspired him to be, what I would argue to be, the second best of all time...not bad because Williams is very good. The early shows with Jack Paar and Andy Williams are truly classic, and demonstrate the comic genius of Johnny or as he is better known, Jonathan.

DVD:

DVD

DVD

DVD

The Homecoming

Charlie Chaplin, Vol. 1

Island Of Lost Souls / Mystery Of The Wax Museum [1932]

DVD: Birdy the Mighty - Double Trouble

High Fidelity