Shavelson’s worst mistake with On the Double was giving in to Kaye’s constant overplaying (sorry to keep dumping on the man – I’m sure he was a sweet gentleman, but his work here is awful). So many of Kaye’s scenes outstay their welcome by several minutes, making them painful to witness. Ironically, Blake Edwards and Peter Sellers took on a similar theme (bumbling idiot crashing high society) with the Pink Panther series and the uproarious The Party just a few years later. Their stuff is much more stylish and worthwhile than this regrettable mess.
Matt Hinrichs