Mood:
cheekyTopic: "Chauncey Gardner"(7)
Peter Sellers was a comic genius. Remembered primarily as the indefatigable Inspector Clouseau of Pink Panther fame, Frodo believes that his film performances culminated, interestingly enough, in Washington, D.C., the setting for a cinematic portrayal which was profound, if not prescient.
He just suddenly appeared, not knowing who he was, where he had been, or where he was going. He stumbled through the high-crime area adjacent to Capitol Hill, innocently approaching the residents therein for information, if not directions. Listening intently, he absorbed bits of information which he then used to respond to further inquiries. Nearly everyone he came upon saw him as a non-threatening nincompoop, and, slowly, he seemed to present himself as one who was both uncomplicated and pleasant.
Somehow, and Frodo cannot remember exactly how, he began to present himself with the cognomen "Chauncey." He became "Chauncey, the gardener" because someone believed him to be the guy recently hired to weed the garden. The surname "Gardener" was assigned by Melvyn Douglas, whose attempted translation of doubletalk again produced answers which were proffered to supplant what the politician wanted to hear.
What brings this all to mind is that Frodo suddenly realized there were weak-minds all around him looking for someone different, someone who was pleasant, and who made things seem uncomplicated. They called him Herman Cain.
At the end of the movie, Chauncey is seen strolling above the sidewalk heading for Heaven knows where. He, if life does follow art, probably left behind another book contract and a string of motivational speeches. Just enough so that some people could hear exactly what they wanted to hear, even if it proved not to be true at all.
