The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Blake Edwards

Writers:

Frank Waldman (screenplay) and
Blake Edwards (screenplay)

Release Date:

17 December 1976 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime | Family | Mystery

Tagline:

Who is this man ? And what is he doing ? Who Cares. But don't miss my new movie...

Plot:

Charles Dreyfus escapes from the mental asylum and tries to kill Chief Inspector Jacques Clouseau. He doesn't succeed at first...

Plot Keywords:

Clouseau | Color In Title | Kidnapping | Laughing Gas | Policeman

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 2 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Peter Sellers	...	Chief Inspector Clouseau
Herbert Lom	...	Dreyfus
Lesley-Anne Down	...	Olga
Burt Kwouk	...	Cato Fong
Colin Blakely	...	Drummond
Leonard Rossiter	...	Quinlan
André Maranne	...	Francois (as Andre Maranne)
Byron Kane	...	Secretary of State
Howard K. Smith	...	Himself (scenes deleted)
Dick Crockett	...	The President
Richard Vernon	...	Fassbender
Briony McRoberts	...	Margo Fassbender
Dudley Sutton	...	McClaren
Murray Kash	...	Dr. Zelmo Flek (scenes deleted)
Hal Galili	...	Danny Salvo

Also Known As:

Inspector Clouseau Strikes Back (USA) (working title)
Inspector Clouseau and the Doomsday Machine (USA) (working title)
The Pink Panther Strikes Back (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:G (Nova Scotia/Quebec) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | Iceland:L | New Zealand:PG | Brazil:14 | Canada:PG (video rating) | Finland:K-16 | Ireland:PG | Netherlands:AL | Norway:12 (re-rating) | Norway:16 (original rating) | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:PG | West Germany:12 | Argentina:Atp | Singapore:PG | Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

Bavaria, Germany

Company:

Amjo Productions

Trivia:

Lesley-Anne Down was cast as Olga by mistake. Blake Edwards meant to audition Nicola Pagett, who played Elizabeth Bellamy on "Upstairs, Downstairs" (1971), but instead auditioned Ms. Down, who played Georgia Worsley on later episodes of that same series. Julie Andrews commented that she didn't look like the actress in the series, but Edwards wrote it off to lighting and make-up.

Goofs:

Continuity: As the three characters are plummeting into the river at the end of the film, it's obvious that Clouseau is being played by a stunt double. Peter Sellers' hairy back, so obvious in the previous scene, has been replaced by a perfectly smooth one.

Quotes:

Clouseau: Mark my words, François. Sinister forces are at work.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Life and Death of Peter Sellers (2004)

Soundtrack:

Thank Heaven For Little Girls

One of the better "Panther" escapades...

The Pink Panther Strikes Again **** / *****

Dir: Blake Edwards; Starring: Peter Sellers

Funny gazillionth sequel (not literally!) sees Chief Inspector Clouseau (Sellers in his iconic role) being chased down by an escaped madman with nervous ticks. Fun from start to finish, and I actually prefer it to the original "Pink Panther" film. It's zanier, fresher, and seems more like a wild spoof in the vein of "Austin Powers" rather than an outdated, unfunny bore like (I find) the first film.

Highlight: Clouseau trying out the "Hunchback" costume and inflating himself into the air. This was used again in one of the worst films of 2002, "The Master of Disguise," but this is inarguably much better.

**** / *****