Like most fans, I was introduced to Peter Sellers through his slapstick work, most notably the bumbling Inspector Clouseau; the spastic Dr. Strangelove; and Hyrundi V. Bakshi, the wise but clumsy Indian who managed to carry an entire movie based on a exaggerated ethnic stereotype; Questionable perhaps, but hilarious nonetheless.

    But then as I got older, I started noticing the subtleties of Sellers’ other performances. Juan Batista, the hopeless romantic in The Bobo; Henry Orient, the suave lothario in The World of Henry the Orient; Fred Kite, the middle aged but oh-so-clever shop steward in I’m Alright Jack; and Lionel Meadows, the dark and immoral mob boss in Never Let Go increased and articulated my appreciation of Sellers’ and his vast collection of characters, quirks, and mannerisms.

    Then came Being There.

    I think I was twelve or thirteen when I first saw it. It was right at the age when my appreciation of different types film, i.e. independent and subversive, was just starting to blossom. The combination of Hal Ashby’s smooth and atmospheric directing and the deadpan but delicate personality of Chance the Gardener revealed to me how a film could unravel of its own accord, rather than be pushed along by unnatural edits, montages, and forced performances. This movie stayed with me for a long time, and perhaps the fact that it was Sellers’ last important work made it all the more relevant.

    All I’ve tried to do here is invoke a memory of him for those wishing to revive one. Regardless of books written about his life and films depicting his questionable relationships with family members and friends, I’ve only set out to give you a little vacuum of Peter Sellers and his numerous creations.

    So look around, listen to some sounds, view some pictures, and reacquaint yourself with the film you vaguely remember loving when you were 6. I’m sure there’s no doubt you can find it again.

John