Main Cast: Peter Sellers, Anthony Franciosa, Spike Milligan, Clive Revill, Peter Boyle
Release Year: 1974
Country: UK
Run Time: 93 minutes
Plot
Released several years after it was filmed, this standard Peter Sellers comedy focuses on Dick Scratcher (Sellers), a bumbling, roughly-hewn chief cook on a pirate ship trying to keep an unsteady control of things after he murders the captain. Once the captain is dead, Scratcher is the only one who knows where the pirate's stash lies hidden and that is the source of his control over everyone, even the second mate Pierre (Anthony Franciosa). Into this precariously balanced situation comes little Jeremiah (Richard Willis) who wants to learn all about sailing the high seas and becomes a third factor in the struggle for control of the ship and the hidden treasure. Meanwhile, Bill Bombay (Spike Milligan), another pirate captain, is also out for the same treasure, complicating everything. Both Sellers and Milligan launch into improvised routines -- but in general, the acting is frenetic and underpar while the story runs aground instead of pulling into port with a reasonable ending. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
Peter Medak - Director, Ray Lovejoy - Editor, Ben Kadish - Executive Producer, Denis King - Composer (Music Score), John Howell - Production Designer, Larry Pizer - Cinematographer, Michael Reed - Cinematographer, Gareth Wigan - Producer, Thomas Clyde - Producer, Spike Milligan - Dialogue Writer, Evan Jones - Screenwriter
Ghost in the Noonday Sun is a 1973comedy film, directed by Peter Medak, starring Peter Sellers and Spike Milligan. The script was written by Evan Jones and Ernest Tidyman (uncredited) with "additional dialogue" attributed to Spike Milligan. It was produced by Thomas Clyde & Gareth Wigan with cinematography by Michael Reed & Larry Pizer.
Bumbling pirate crewman (Sellers) kills his captain after learning where he has hidden buried treasure. However as he begins to lose his memory, he relies more and more on the ghost of the man he's murdered to help him find the treasure. This film provided a brief reunion of sorts for Sellers who appears in one sequence with his onetime Goon colleague Spike Milligan. Both Sellers and Milligan launch into an improvised routine which is unfortunately poor and undeserving of their talent.
During filming Sellers quickly lost interest in the project and would often pretend to be sick, only to be later spotted water-skiing the same day. Co-star Tony Franciosa allegedly came within a hair's breadth of punching Sellers lights out on set because of a "he's more handsome than me" jealousy attack. Sellers allegedly launched a racist niggling campaign which got so bad Spike Milligan was flown in, initially to act as Sellers minder and later to pep up the script. Released several years after filming was completed the film still never received a fully fledged theatrical release.
