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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.

Biographers put their hope and trust in hundreds of friends and strangers, some of whom become friends, and who collectively turn the author's wishful thoughts into a book.

It was an honor to interview such generous and articulate people as Rod Amateau, Ian Carmichael, Hilda Parkin Durante, Peter Eyre, Kenneth Geist, Max Geldray, Gail Gerber, Kenneth Griffith, John Guillermin, the late Sir Alec Guinness, Gene Gutowski, the late John P. Hamilton, Anthony Harvey, Burt Kwouk, David Lodge, Herbert Lom, Salem Ludwig, Malcolm McDowell, Joseph McGrath, Dr. Jonathan Miller, Hans Moellinger, Angela Morley, Kathleen Parrish, the late Robert Parrish, Sian Phillips, Larry Pizer, Roman Polanski, Alvin Rakoff, Clive Rees, the late Walter Shenson, and Dame Maggie Smith. For reasons that will be obvious to anyone who has followed the course of Peter Sellers's reputation after his death, his immediate family declined to speak to me about him; I think I understand why, and I hope I have not hurt them further.

I drew quotations from Peter Sellers, Anne Levy, Michael Sellers, Victoria Sellers, Britt Ekland, and others from a variety of sources, most significantly Alexander Walker's invaluable Peter Sellers Peter Sellers; Michael Sellers's equally worthy P.S. I Love You P.S. I Love You; Graham Stark's informative and funny memoir, Remembering Peter Sellers Remembering Peter Sellers; Peter Evans's fine (and unduly criticized) The Mask Behind the Mask: A Life of Peter Sellers The Mask Behind the Mask: A Life of Peter Sellers, and Britt Ekland's engrossing autobiography, True Britt True Britt. I drew additional quotations from Peter Sellers and his friends and colleagues from three fine documentaries: John Scheinfeld and David Leaf's The Unknown Peter Sellers The Unknown Peter Sellers; the three-part The Peter Sellers Story, The Peter Sellers Story, which was produced by Arena and aired on BBC2; and which was produced by Arena and aired on BBC2; and Sellers' Best?: An Introduction to the Channel Four Season of Peter Sellers' Films Sellers' Best?: An Introduction to the Channel Four Season of Peter Sellers' Films, which aired on Channel Four. And I owe every person named in this book's admittedly lengthy bibliography my deepest gratitude.

Assistance, contacts, advice, factual corrections, interview transcriptions, and absolute kindness came my way from Mary Alexander, Nigel Algar, Lance Aston, David Boxwell, Darla Bruno and her fabulous fan website, Ron Caldwell, Aaron Clauset, Alice Crary, Paul Cullum and Mean Mean magazine, Bruce Finlayson, Phil Geldray; Donna Gianarelli, Phoebe McReynolds, and the faculty of the Colorado College English Department; Barry Goralnick, Adele Greene, Sally Harrison, Walter and Dianne Harrison; Gary Hill, Janice Roland, and the staff of Falco Ink; Costas Karakatsanis, Marshall Kean, Rick Kot, Charles Kreloff, Dick Ray, Tom Rhoads, Ira Robbins, George Robinson, Pierre Salinger, Linda Sarro and the faculty and staff of Haverford College; Draper Shreeve, Sandra Skuse, Joe Smith, Ted Sorensen, Nile Southern, Peter Steinberg, Thom Taylor, Thomas S. Wilson, Bill and Sandy Woncheck, and Jim Yoakum and the Graham Chapman Archives. magazine, Bruce Finlayson, Phil Geldray; Donna Gianarelli, Phoebe McReynolds, and the faculty of the Colorado College English Department; Barry Goralnick, Adele Greene, Sally Harrison, Walter and Dianne Harrison; Gary Hill, Janice Roland, and the staff of Falco Ink; Costas Karakatsanis, Marshall Kean, Rick Kot, Charles Kreloff, Dick Ray, Tom Rhoads, Ira Robbins, George Robinson, Pierre Salinger, Linda Sarro and the faculty and staff of Haverford College; Draper Shreeve, Sandra Skuse, Joe Smith, Ted Sorensen, Nile Southern, Peter Steinberg, Thom Taylor, Thomas S. Wilson, Bill and Sandy Woncheck, and Jim Yoakum and the Graham Chapman Archives.

Greg Meyer is the best, most thorough, and most responsible research assistant any writer could have, let alone an egocentric and anxious biographer like me. I owe him more gratitude than I could possibly afford. Adam Orman, Michael Kaniecki, and John Freed provided equally reliable research assistance as well, but it's easier for me to thank them because they worked fewer hours.

For making their extraordinary knowledge available, let alone their facilities, I thank Sandra Archer, Barbara Hall, and the other librarians and staff at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Margaret Herrick Library; the librarians and staff of American Film Institute's Louis B. Mayer Library; the special collections librarians at the University of Southern California and the University of California at Los Angeles; the New York Public Library; the librarians and film archivists at the British Film Institute; the librarians at the Theatre Museum in London; Fred Zentner and Dejan Zamurovic at the Cinema Bookshop in London; and, as always, Ron Mandelbaum and the guys at Photofest in New York.

Any contest for the title "World's Greatest Peter Sellers Fan" must result in a tie between Maxine Ventham and Dimitris Verionis. Both of these marvelous and appreciative people provided access to rare materials and important contacts. They gave me support and solid friendship when I needed it most, not to mention critical observations about their favorite performer. Maxine and Dimitris are devoted to the life and work of Peter Sellers, and they each helped me to understand him much better than I could have on my own. There may be observations in this book that will upset those with whom they put me in contact. I can only say that I never meant this book to be mean. upset those with whom they put me in contact. I can only say that I never meant this book to be mean.

I trusted my friends Christopher Bram and Matthew Mirapaul enough to let them read my first draft. They gently steered me away from my worst impulses; they suggested improvements kindly; and they told me they thought the book was funny, which is what I hope Peter Sellers himself would have appreciated. It was Chris who kicked me out of my writer's block by suggesting that I write Peter's life story as a sympathetic black comedy; Matthew suggested the title.

I love my agent, Edward Hibbert, as well I should, since I owe him my career. What could be better than to have a brilliant actor as your agent? Fans of Frasier Frasier know Edward as Gil Chesterton, the British food critic; I, however, am most fond of his stage performances as Lady Bracknell in know Edward as Gil Chesterton, the British food critic; I, however, am most fond of his stage performances as Lady Bracknell in The Importance of Being Earnest The Importance of Being Earnest and Frederick Fellowes in the Broadway smash and Frederick Fellowes in the Broadway smash Noises Off Noises Off. Edward's associates at Donadio and Olson-Neil Olson, Ira Silverberg, and Jesse Dorris-are kind enough to advise me, take my phone calls when Edward is out of town or in rehearsal, and hold my hand as often as I beg them to do so.

This book's genesis occurred in the offices of Hyperion when Jennifer Barth, the editor of my earlier biography on Billy Wilder, and Alison Lowenstein, her assistant, were discussing ideas for my next book. They, not I, came up with Peter Sellers, and I think they made a very good decision.

Peternelle van Arsdale edited this book with a fine eye and a sharp pencil, two things every author needs. She's the greatest, and I'm forever in her debt. Thanks to Natalie Kaire, this book sailed smoothly through its transition from manuscript to print, and I am thrilled with the way it turned out. Thanks also to Donna M. Ellis, senior production editor; Laura Starrett, copy editor; and Phil Rose, art director.

My parents, Irving and Betty Sikov; my partner, Bruce Schackman; and all of my extended family make me appreciate, each day, how lucky I am in every way-not least of which is that none of us are famous.

Mr. Strangelove A Biography of Peter Sellers Ed Sikov

The first American biography of one of film's greatest comedians, MR. STRANGELOVE is the story of a screamingly funny, desperately unhappy soul-a man who thought he was empty. Sellers, who could mimic anyone and don any mask at will, was privately convinced that his personality had no core-that there was no personal substance under the put-on characters he so readily and hilariously assumed. "The Goon Show" made him famous; "I Love You, Alice B. Toklas" and "What's New, Pussycat?" turned him into a 60s flower-power icon that still resonates today. And yet Sellers, whose blistering improvisations could ruin takes by sending the casts and crews of his films into peals of uncontrollable laughter while the camera was running-remained confused and lonely, difficult to work with, volatile one minute and hopelessly lethargic the next.

In this exhaustively researched book based on tons of interviews, Dudley Moore, John Cleese, Christopher Plummer, Goldie Hawn, Shirley MacLaine, Sophia Loren and many others recount colorful stories of working with this comic genius. From his adolescence in Catholic school (Sellers was Jewish), through his joining up with the Royal Air force, and his catapulting to fame due at least in part to one of the most fiercely driven stage mothers in the history of performing arts, MR. STRANGELOVE traces the development of Seller's unique humor. Perhaps most valuable to his rabid fans are the in-depth behind-the-scenes accounts of his work with Stanley Kubrick, Blake Edwards, and Billy Wilder, among others. And endlessly fascinating are the women Sellers chose to fall in love with, marry and divorce.

No film comedian has had more influence over today's comic stars than Peter Sellers, the man who broke all the rules of comedy. Thanks to him, those rules have never been reassembled. Written by Ed Sikov, respected film historian and highly praised author of ON SUNSET BOULEVARD, this is a riveting look at Peter Sellers's work and his mysterious inner life, a portrait that will engross his endlessly renewing legions of fans.