Ghost in the Noonday Sun

This is one of Peter Sellers' lesser-known movies. And I wouldn't say it's one of his best. It's not the same quality as classics like "The Pink Panther" or "Dr. Strangelove." This movie is just a silly pirate farce. Not bad, but could have been better.

I just saw the Ghost of Peter Sellers, a documentary about this ill fated film. Its the best documentary I've seen about a movie going wrong. As a filmmaker, I think every director should watch it. Its even better than Lost in la Mancha, because it was directed by the same director who shot the dreadful movie, Peter Medak.

I'm a big fan of Peter Sellers. I watched this one because I just didn't want to die before seeing all of his movies. The only reason why we are on this page right now is because Peter Sellers is in it. This movie wouldn't have been finished if he wasn't a big name. I've lost 92 minutes of my life, but at least I am not curious anymore. If you are not a big fan, don't bother and save yourself - it isn't even grotesque. It is bad. Really bad.

Peter Sellers plays Dick Scratcher (ha,ha), a cook for a pirate ship who takes over as captain after he murders the previous one. Although he's witnessed a treasure being buried, he begins losing his memory and the treasure map he obtains becomes blank. Thus, Dick is forced to find someone who can see and communicate with ghosts (do you place an ad for that?) and help lead a path to the treasure. It's mind boggling how anyone could have bankrolled this pointless film. Former Goon Spike Milligan replaced Medak as director, and given Medak's talents in the film The Ruling Class, you can probably guess which of the grainy, poorly lit scenes had Milligan in the director's chair. Peter Boyle makes a brief appearance in the film's first 10 minutes as the doomed pirate captain. He's probably quite thankful that Young Frankenstein was released the same year this was filmed and canned, so that he can keep this off his resume. Franciosa looks dashing as the handsome power-behind-Scratcher but he and Seller both look pretty desperate, with even Sellers' makeup and hair looking quite terrible. They had to know this movie was bombing even as they were filming it. With lines like these, I can understand any possible unease:

PIERRE: (about to be hanged) You'll pay for this.

SCRATCHER: No, I won't. I'll do it for free.

And that's one of the GOOD jokes. It's amazing to me that much of Sellers prolific material is still in the vaults, but this was made available on VHS more than 15 years ago! How about someone stepping up to the plate and releasing in the US the well-received British TV program "A Show Called Fred" starring Sellers, Milligan, and directed by the great Richard Lester?

A pirate treasure 'comedy' featuring Peter Sellers as a cook who kills his captain after learning where his treasure is buried and then has to rely on the ghost of the man he's just killed as his memory is fading. He assumes captaincy of the ship and sails to Ireland by mistake and thereafter to other places having such larks and finally he picks up Spike Milligan and they get to the treasure island.

This film never got a theatrical release and the reason is simple, it's awful. All documentation around the making of this and director Medak's later documentary 'The Ghost of Peter Sellers' makes it pretty clear that this is down to Sellers. A legend and some time comic genius, it should not be forgotten that along with his many towering performances he was perfectly capable of making utter rot and this is one of those films. Standing around in daft costumes and mumbling in stupid, often illegible voices does not great comedy make. Sellers knew this and threw tantrums throughout and frequently just didn't turn up - full of self doubt then and totally unprofessional.

I'll be honest, I did chuckle at a few one liners and the cast including James Villiers and Clive Revill are fun, but ultimately 99% if this is just dreadful. Avoid.