A Shot in the Dark Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

A Shot in the Dark Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov January 2, 2026

Blake Edwards' "A Shot in the Dark" (1964) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the release include archival program with producer Walter Mirisch; archival audio commentary by critic Jason Simos of The Peter Sellers Appreciation Society; rare outtakes with Peter Sellers; and vintage trailers. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

One shot, one kill

Even though Blake Edwards delivered A Shot in the Dark only a year after The Pink Panther and the two offer very similar entertainment, these films differ in some quite significant ways.

The most consequential change is the major adjustment in the profile of Peter Sellers’ character, Inspector Clouseau, who now openly dominates the narrative. For example, as in The Pink Panther, Clouseau is again stuck in a complicated case, this time looking for an elusive killer, improvising as often as he can and claiming that he is simply following his incredible instincts. However, the various newcomers in his orbit are not all more pragmatic and intellectually superior human beings. His trusted assistant, Hercule (Graham Stark), routinely exhibits the IQ of a toddler, while his occasional valet and martial arts instructor, Kato (Burt Kwouk), is a caricature of a dimwitted comic villain with a split personality. Clouseau also routinely reports to an emotionally very unstable superior, Chief Inspector Charles Dreyfus (Herbert Lom), whose various antics are fairly similar to the ones that the previous version of Clouseau leaves a lasting impression with in The Pink Panther.

After launching his investigation in the home of the notorious millionaire Benjamin Ballon (George Sanders), Clouseau also discovers romance. Most of the second and the entire third acts are dedicated to Clouseau’s relentless efforts to prove that the object of his affection, the beautiful maid Maria Gambrelli (Elke Sommer), is not the killer. However, these efforts are just a façade hiding his true feelings about her, or at least initially, until she shows moderate interest in him as well. The transformation that Clouseau undergoes after that is entirely new. (The closest variation of it that emerges in The Pink Panther is associated with David Niven’s character).

Unfortunately, the new, more confident version of Clouseau does not produce more and better laughs. In fact, it is fairly easy to argue that the opposite is true.

The big weakness of the new Clouseau is his inability to maintain the same energy and wit, in particular, without a formidable opponent like The Phantom. In The Pink Panther, Clouseau feeds off The Phantom and several other characters and dominates almost as if by accident. But it is not an accident, it is a brilliant trick, and the previous version of Clouseau was ideal for it. Now, Clouseau moves through longer but shakier situations, demanding far more from him, and, ultimately, making his clumsiness appear less effective.

Edwards’ direction is also less effective. In several sections, there is obvious filler material that either should have been reshot or significantly edited and cut. In the most problematic of this material, Sellers appears to be improvising on the fly but is struggling, while elsewhere, ensemble performances are mistimed.

Cinematographer Christopher Challis replaced Philip Lathrop, but the overall quality of the visuals remained the same. A Shot in the Dark simply lacks some of the naturally beautiful outdoor footage that Edwards and Lathrop were able to film in Italy.

A Shot in the Dark Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, A Shot in the Dark arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

The release introduces an exclusive new 4K restoration of A Shot in the Dark sourced from the original camera negative. The 4K restoration will also be available on 4K Blu-ray in this combo pack release a week from now.

The various improvements are either very similar or identical to the ones introduced by the new 4K restoration of The Pink Panther. However, there are two areas where the new presentation of A Shot in the Dark differs. First, in the second and third acts, I noticed a couple of frame bumps. They are small and quick, but I did not see any while viewing the 4K restoration of The Pink Panther. Second, I spotted small blemishes and a few tiny marks. They are not distracting, but all could have been removed with modern digital tools. The rest is excellent. All visuals boast wonderful delineation, clarity, and depth, and on a large screen, they all maintain very pleasing tightness. Color reproduction and balance are fantastic. All primaries and supporting nuances are perfectly set and very, very healthy. Unsurprisingly, the dynamic range of the visuals is vastly improved, making the previous presentation of A Shot in the Dark look quite anemic. Darker shadow nuances are managed very well, but several areas are quite delicate, so I will make sure to reexamine them in native 4K, as I feel they can be challenging there and create some issues. There are absolutely no traces of problematic digital corrections, like degraining, sharpening, contrast boosting, etc. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

A Shot in the Dark Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 tracks. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

I started viewing A Shot in the Dark with the DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track. Later, I switched to the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track for some of the mass footage. I suspect that most viewers will want to use the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track because it does open up the film rather well in places where it makes sense. However, the quality of the exchanges and some of the areas where Henry Mancini's music is prominent are identical on both tracks. So, it is probably best that you experiment and choose the track that you prefer. I did not encounter any troubling age-related anomalies to report.

A Shot in the Dark Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary - this archival audio commentary was recorded by Jason Simos of The Peter Sellers Appreciation Society. The majority of the comments address the narrative construction and Blake Edwards' various lensing choices in key sequences, the unique qualities of Peter Sellers' transformation, some hilarious references throughout the film, and the use of Henry Mancini's music. Simos also has some quite interesting, and true, observations about Herbert Lom and his performance. For example, Simos correctly states that Lom was the biggest acting partner Sellers had.

• Back to the Start: Origin of The Pink Panther with Walter Mirisch - in this archival program, producer Walter Mirisch recalls his initial encounter with Blake Edwards and their professional relationship, and discusses their collaborations on The Pink Panther films. Mirisch clarifies that Edwards had virtually total freedom when he began directing, and that Peter Sellers' domination after the original film, which was defined by his improvisational work, was inevitable. In English, not subtitled. (24 min).

• The Dick Cavett Show - presented here is footage from an archival episode of The Dick Cavett show with Blake Edwards and Julie Andrews. Edwards quickly, and jokingly, addresses his collaboration with Peter Sellers on A Shot in the Dark. The rest is a collage of outtakes featuring some of Sellers' improvisational work in key sequences. In English, not subtitled. (8 min).

• Trailers - presented here are several vintage trailers for A Shot in the Dark. In English, not subtitled. (10 min).

• Cover - a reversible cover with vintage poster art for A Shot in the Dark.

A Shot in the Dark Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

After The Pink Panther, the evolution of Peter Sellers' character, Inspector Clouseau, was inevitable. The new version of Clouseau had to dominate again, but do so with an unmissable confidence, spending significantly more time in front of Blake Edwards' camera. While this was the correct development, I think some of the material with Sellers' longer improvisations drags a bit, leaving the impression that the new version of Clouseau is a work in progress. Kino Lorber's release brings an excellent, exclusive new 4K restoration of A Shot in the Dark, which will also be made available on 4K Blu-ray in this combo pack release. RECOMMENDED.