The Bobo (1967)

Did you people see the same film I saw?

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

Peter Sellers was a real enigma. For every wonderful film he made, he made an insipid film. It's weird, but for every film like "Dr. Strangelove" or "The Lady Killers", he made a dud like "The Party" or "The Prisoner of Zenda". So, over the years I have learned to hold judgment--not to necessarily expect anything--just sit back and hope it will be a good film. Perhaps he was a bad judge of scripts or had a bad agent, but too many of his films simply made no sense for his career and "The Bobo" is yet another one of them. Audiences expecting a comedy were shocked, as there's practically nothing funny about this film--just a very, very, very long and dry chameleon-like portrayal of yet another character by Sellers. Yes, he managed to produce a nice Spanish accent and create an interesting character...but not much else. Overall, the film is pretty dull and there really never is any sort of payoff--and I felt like I wasted my time holding on until the end. A sad and disappointing film made doubly worse because audiences expected to see SOMETHING from the husband-wife pairing of Peter Sellers and Britt Ekland...and they were pretty good together in "After the Fox". Here....nothing.

"The Bobo" is NOT a laugh-out-loud Peter Sellers comedy. "The Bobo" IS likely Sellers most romantic film, a gentle love story well played by Sellers and then-wife Britt Ekland.Sellers plays Juan Batista, the "boob," of the title, a no-talent matador who aspires to be a singer. The owner of a large theater, (Adolfo Celi) offers Sellars a wager. Sellars can perform several weeks in his theater if he seduce Olympia (Ekland), the most desirable courtesan in Barcelona, who has rejected all of Celli's advances."The Bobo" has great music and scenery. Sellers and Ekland, unlike many real life couples, have great chemistry. The weakest element of the film is the comedy. However, the romance soars.WARNING: SPOILER While it seems most critics condemn the bittersweet ending, it seems entirely appropriate to me. Both Juan and Olympia are wiser for their experience, and have shared a bittersweet romance that will carry them into their years. Perhaps, someday they will meet again, and, who knows? After all, even courtesans retire.END SPOILER I give "The Bobo" a "7".

Great movie which deserves to be available in DVD asap, if you know what I mean, and I think you do. Brit is probably the best looking blonde on the planet.This movie is unusual in that it has two levels of humor at least. Each viewing reveals more details and cultural humor regarding the "foreign" viewpoint. The Flamenco Dancer is great - she beats those on Collins Street hands down - in my opinion. This movie used to be shown on Television and was often listed locally as "The Blue Matador". The Scenery appears to be authentic, as opposed to being shot primarily in a studio. The color is excellent as is the focus of the VHS version. Very sharp and very clear photography. And it is a movie which can be viewed alone or in a group. The entire movie is UPBEAT.

I think this is one of Peter Sellers' best movies, along with "Dr. Strangelove...", "Only Two Can Play," "Two-Way Stretch," "A Shot in the Dark," "After the Fox," and of course the original Pink Panther...Sellers is charmingly funny and Britt Eklund is deliciously stunning, and perfect for her role as a femme fatale who toys with men only to succumb to Sellers' rather pathetic efforts at courtship.There are a number of creative and funny scenes but the "Hermitage" restaurant scene during Sellers' and Eklund's first "date" is especially maginative and hilarious...not to be missed.Not a shoot-'em-up, but a rather lovely film with a great cast and great production values.