In the film ‘The Magic Christian’, Sellers appeared as Sir Guy Grand and Ringo portrayed Sellers’ adopted son, Youngman Grand. Margaret Tarrant, in ‘Films and Filming’, wrote: “The surreal world of the Goons and the picaresque fantasy world of the Beatles are combined in an essentially genial indictment of British capitalist society," while another reviewer wrote: "Ringo Starr continues to exploit the melancholy wanderer’s role he made his own in ‘A Hard Day’s Night.’"

Ringo’s part had been specially written for the film (the character he played wasn’t in the original book), and his role was mainly that of an observer, watching the various stunts which Sellers sets up.

Peter Sellers and Ringo Starr became close friends during the making of the film and used to play practical jokes such as knotting together the belts of coats belonging to the film crew. When one of Ringo’s friends visited the set he couldn’t figure out why there were so many sniggers, until he discovered that a variety of objects, including match boxes and empty cigarettes packets, had been taped to his back.

When filming was completed the two of them hosted a joint party at the fashionable Les Ambassadeurs in London and John and Yoko and Paul and Linda attended, along with a host of film stars, including George Peppard, Michael Caine, Roger Moore, Richard Harris, Sean Connery, Christopher Lee, Spike Milligan and Stanley Baker. This took place on 4 May 1969 and later that month Sellers joined Ringo, George and their respective wives on the QE2, heading for New York.

Sellers agreed to sell his house Brookfield to Ringo for £70,000, even though he’d recently spend £50,000 on renovating it. John Lennon wanted to buy the house and offered him £150, 000, but Sellers decided to keep his word to Ringo.

While he was negotiating the sale at Brookfield, Ringo noticed a set of drums in the studio there and was told that Peter had started out on his career as a drummer. The fifteenth century oak-beamed house in Elstead, near Guildford in Surrey, had several acres of ground, its own lake, paddocks, walled gardens and barns, a gymnasium, changing rooms, sauna and a private cinema. Ringo was later to sell it to Stephen Stills.

Michael Sellers, Peter Sellers’ son, reminiscing in his book ‘P.S. I Love You’ (Collins 1981), mentioned that his father had once ordered a Beatles suit to be specially made for him. His father also revealed that he’d once been asked to invest in the Beatles career before they became famous, but had decided that the £2,000 required was a sum he didn’t want to risk at the time. However, he did agree to form a property development business with George Harrison, as they both had Dennis O’Brien acting as their business manager. Sellers, however, lost interest in the company because things seemed to be taking so much time, so he resigned his directorship.

Sellers used to visit George Harrison at Friar Park and had been introduced to Ravi Shankar by the Beatles. He was affected by George’s philosophy for a time and began to wear kaftans, practice yoga, chant, burn incense and eat macrobiotic food.

Sellers had given Ravi Shankar financial support early in their relationship and became disenchanted when, on asking if Ravi could perform a recital for some friends, was quoted a huge fee for the short evening’s entertainment.

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