The life of accomplished film actor Peter Sellers has been one of the most infamous in Hollywood history. Known most for his creation of Chief Inspector Clouseau in The Pink Panther movies, Sellers was also the star of classic films such as Being There, Dr. Strangelove, and Lolita. The Oscar-nominated actor struggled with depression and addiction throughout his career and often clashed with fellow actors and directors. One such director is Peter Medak, who outlines his tumultuous working relationship with Sellers in his new documentary The Ghost of Peter Sellers.
In 1973, Medak enlisted Sellers to star in his pirate comedy movie Ghost in the Noonday Sun, where the two had a disastrous working experience that Medak is still reeling from to this day. The trailer for the documentary shows Medak emotional over the experience, detailing Sellers using drugs and faking a heart attack during the filming. The final product stayed locked away until over a decade after the shoot concluded, it was unceremoniously dumped on home video.
See the trailer below.
Staking his claim in a rich screen history that no filmmaker ever sets out to be a part of — nonfiction features about movies that went wildly awry — acclaimed director Medak (The Ruling Class) digs deep into his own psyche while unearthing long-buried archival materials. He seeks closure on how his Columbia Pictures 17th-century-set pirate comedy Ghost in the Noonday Sun sank almost without a trace in 1973 despite — and/or because of — its mercurial-genius star Peter Sellers, personally exchanging candid and cathartic accounts of the shoot with key participants. Four decades on, Medak retraces his steps in sun-baked Cyprus, where Sellers acted out and up again and again; the latter’s best mate Spike Milligan added to the creative ferment and chaos; and shooting on the water swamped logistics. Haunting the director still is his deep compassion for the legendary Sellers, who would be gone forever a few years after filming.
The Ghost of Peter Sellers arrives digitally on June 23rd.