The Party (alternative title: "Hollywood Party") is a 1968 comedy written and directed by Blake Edwards, starring Peter Sellers (in what was his only non-Pink Panther collaboration with Edwards) and Claudine Longet. The film has a very loose structure, and essentially serves as a series of set pieces for the comic talents of Sellers. The minimal plot involves Sellers playing a well-meaning, but hapless, Indian actor who is accidentally invited to a major Hollywood party, causing havoc. Sellers would play another Indian man in his hit film The Millionairess, and a similar (though self-important, unlike the humble role he plays here) klutz as Inspector Clouseau. The film remains popular among fans of Sellers as one of his most inventive comic roles, much of which was improvised at the time of filming.

The score of The Party was by Henry Mancini, including the song "Nothing to Lose". Mancini, commenting on audience reactions, noted, "That's what I get for writing a nice song for a comedy. Nobody's going to hear a note of it."

Hrundi V. Bakshi (Sellers) is a seemingly nameless and faceless Hindu actor brought to Hollywood for a role in a Gunga Din-like film. Unfortunately, he manages to blow up the set before the explosion can be filmed, ruining an entire day's filming. The director (Ellis) is fit to be tied, and wants him fired immediately. However, instead of being fired, Bakshi's name is accidentally written on the guest list of the studio boss's big party.

Upon arrival, he loses his shoe in the pond/stream that flows through the house and spends a significant amount of time attempting to retrieve it. As he offers to engage in banter, guests and host look on in puzzled confusion. The only ones at the party to pay him much notice, at first, are Michele (Longet) and a parakeet whom Bakshi talks gibberish to and overfeeds "birdy num nums". Other obstacles include intercoms, artwork, and an electric toilet paper roll. He leaves damaged appliances and havoc wherever he wanders. The wannabe-hippie children of the Hollywood execs eventually turn up to crash the party with a baby elephant covered in stereotypical 60s slogans. The action of the party then moves to the pool, where Bakshi asks that the baby elephant be washed off. Eventually the house is overcome with soap bubbles and ends the next morning with police arriving. Bakshi offers to drive Michele home (in his Morgan threewheeler car) and the film ends with a hint that this is the beginning of a romantic relationship.

On the surface, The Party may appear to be simply be a series of set pieces from the Blake Edwards/Peter Sellers combination. It might be seen on a deeper level, however, as a sendup contrasting the extreme shallowness of most of the guests with the rise of a more idealistic set in American culture, with elements of culture shock and eastern philosophy that was beginning to come into vogue in 1968.

External links

1968 films | Comedy films | Fish out of water films

Der Partyschreck | La Party | Hollywood Party | Oh, vilket party