Trail of the Pink Panther (1982)

User Rating:

4.5/10   

Director:

Blake Edwards

Writers:

Blake Edwards (story)
Frank Waldman (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

17 December 1982 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime

Tagline:

There is only one Inspector Clouseau. His adventure continues...

Plot:

Sixth in Blake Edwards' Pink Panther series. The Pink Panther diamond is stolen once again from Lugash...

Plot Keywords:

Animated Title Sequence | Presumed Dead | Famous Score | Clouseau | Clip Show

Cast

Peter Sellers	...	Chief Insp. Jacques Clouseau (archive footage)
David Niven	...	Sir Charles Litton
Herbert Lom	...	Chief Insp. Charles Dreyfus
Richard Mulligan	...	Clouseau's Father
Joanna Lumley	...	Marie Jouvet
Capucine	...	Lady Simone Litton
Robert Loggia	...	Bruno Langois
Harvey Korman	...	Prof. Auguste Balls
Burt Kwouk	...	Cato Fong
Graham Stark	...	Hercule Lajoy
Peter Arne	...	Col. Bufoni
André Maranne	...	Sergeant Francois Duval
Ronald Fraser	...	Dr. Longet
Leonard Rossiter	...	Super-Intendant Quinlan (archive footage)
Marne Maitland	...	Deputy Comissioner Lasorde
Harold Kasket	...	President Sandover Haleesh
Liz Smith	...	Marta Balls (archive footage)
Danny Schiller	...	Cunny (archive footage)
Denise Crosby	...	Denise
William Hootkins	...	Taxi Driver
Kathleen St. John	...	Nanna
Harold Berens	...	Hotel Clerk
Daniel Peacock	...	Clouseau, age 18
Lucca Mezzofanti	...	Clouseau, age 8
Madlena Nedeva	...	Mme. Dreyfuss
Arthur Howard	...	Arthur
Weston Gavin	...	1st Mafia Boss
Marc Smith	...	2nd Mafia Boss
John Cassady	...	3rd Mafia Boss
Gary Whelan	...	4th Mafia Boss
Joe Praml	...	5th Mafia Boss
Christopher Reich	...	Gino Rossi
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Dudley Sutton	...	Hugh McClaren (archive footage)
Julie Andrews	...	Charwoman (uncredited)
Colin Blakely	...	Section Director Alec Drummond (uncredited)
Claudia Cardinale	...	Princess Dala (archive footage) (uncredited)
Daniel Farrell	...	Jacques Clouseau (in WWII footage) (uncredited)
Rich Little	...	Sir Charles Litton (voice) (uncredited)
Robert Wagner	...	George Lytton (archive footage) (uncredited)

Directed by
Blake Edwards

Writing credits
Blake Edwards		(story)
Frank Waldman		(screenplay) &
Tom Waldman		(screenplay) and
Blake Edwards		(screenplay) &
Geoffrey Edwards		(screenplay)

Produced by
Tony Adams	....	producer
Blake Edwards	....	producer
Jonathan D. Krane	....	executive producer
Gerald T. Nutting	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Henry Mancini

Cinematography by
Dick Bush

Film Editing by
Alan Jones

Casting by
Mary Selway

Production Design by
Peter Mullins

Art Direction by
Tim Hutchinson		(supervising art director)
John Siddall
Alan Tomkins

Set Decoration by
Jack Stephens

Costume Design by
Patricia Edwards

Makeup Department
Paul Engelen	....	makeup artist
Harry Frampton	....	makeup artist
Peter Frampton	....	makeup artist
John Isaacs	....	hair design consultant
Joyce James	....	key hair stylist
Bobbie Smith	....	key hair stylist
Daphne Vollmer	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Denis Johnson	....	production manager
Denis Johnson Jr.	....	production supervisor
Bernard Mazauric	....	production manager: French unit

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Michel Cheyko	....	first assistant director: France
Ray Corbett	....	first assistant director
Peter Kohn	....	second assistant director
Terry Marcel	....	second unit director
Callum McDougall	....	third assistant director
Michael Murray	....	first assistant director: second unit
Kieron Phipps	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Andrew Ackland-Snow	....	draughtsman
Ron Baker	....	construction buyer
Tony Graysmark	....	construction manager
Bernie Hearn	....	stand-by props
Dave Jordan	....	property master
Damien Lanfranchi	....	art department coordinator: France
Vic Simpson	....	construction manager
Joe Swift	....	propman: second unit
Tony Wheeler	....	chargehand propman: second unit

Sound Department
Ken Barker	....	chief dubbing mixer
Roy Charman	....	sound mixer
Danny Daniel	....	sound mixer: second unit
Gordon Daniels	....	sound editor
John Hayward	....	dubbing mixer
Richard Langford	....	dubbing mixer
Teddy Mason	....	sound editor (as Ted Mason)
George Rice	....	sound engineer
Bob Risk	....	assistant sound editor
Jim Roddan	....	sound editor
John Salter	....	boom operator

Special Effects by
John Evans	....	special effects supervisor: second unit
George Gibbs	....	special effects supervisor
Michael White	....	special effects technician

Visual Effects by
Martin Body	....	matte camera (uncredited)
Peter Melrose	....	matte painting (uncredited)

Stunts
Roy Alon	....	stunts
Joe Dunne	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
David Appleby	....	still photographer
Derek V. Browne	....	camera operator: second unit (as Derek Browne)
Robin Browne	....	photographer: second unit
Mike Bulley	....	clapper loader: second unit
Frank Connor	....	still photographer: second unit
Tony Cridlin	....	camera grip
John Harris	....	camera operator
Mike Heaviside	....	vtr operator
Steve Keith-Roach	....	clapper loader
Roger McDonald	....	focus puller: second unit
Bill Osbourne	....	camera grip: second unit
George Pearman	....	electrical supervisor: second unit
Mike Roberts	....	camera operator: second unit (as Michael Roberts)
Robert Webster	....	electrical supervisor
David Wynn-Jones	....	focus puller

Animation Department
Art Leonardi	....	animator: title sequence (as Arthur Leonardi)

Casting Department
Lucy Boulting	....	casting assistant
Caroline Mazauric	....	casting: France

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jackie Cummins	....	wardrobe mistress
Martin Dias	....	wardrobe master
Tiny Nicholls	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
David Beesley	....	assistant editor
Neil Farrell	....	assistant editor
Nigel Galt	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Robert Hathaway	....	music editor (as Bob Hathaway)
Henry Mancini	....	conductor

Transportation Department
Billy G. Arter	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Trish Caroselli	....	assistant to producers
Marilyn Clarke	....	continuity assistant
Bryan Coates	....	location manager: second unit
Jennifer Collen-Smith	....	publicity assistant
Geoff Freeman	....	unit publicist
Lindsey Jones	....	publicity director
Lesley Keane	....	assistant: Mr. Adams
Elaine Schreyeck	....	continuity
Doreen Soan	....	continuity: second unit
Bernard Spence	....	production accountant
Francine Taylor	....	assistant: Mr. Edwards
Joyce Turner	....	production assistant

Thanks
Peter Sellers	....	dedicatee (as Peter)

Production Companies

• Titan Productions
• United Artists
• Amjo Productions
• Blake Edwards
• Lakeline Productions Ltd.

Distributors

• MGM/UA Entertainment Company (1982) (USA) (theatrical)
• CBS Television (1987) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (Europe) (2004) (UK) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Distribution Company
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (????) (USA) (VHS)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1982) (UK) (theatrical)

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Canada:G (Nova Scotia/Quebec) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | Iceland:L | Finland:K-8 | Ireland:PG | Norway:12 (1982) | Singapore:NC-16 | Sweden:11 | UK:PG | USA:PG | West Germany:12 | UK:A (cut) | Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

Paris, France

Company:

Titan Productions

Trivia:

Peter Sellers' third wife, Lynne Frederick, won a $1.475 million lawsuit against the makers of this film. She said the film insulted the memory of her late husband.

Quotes:

Marie Jouvet: So far, the incident hasn't even been investigated. And if Bruno Langlois is in the mood to deny the allegation, I will be happy to repeat it on the witness stand.

Movie Connections:

Edited from The Return of the Pink Panther (1975)

Soundtrack:

I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Out Of My Hair

One of the weirdest movies ever made

Trail Of the Pink Panther is one of the strangest motion pictures ever made. Few movies (Game Of Death II and Plan 9 From Outer Space are perhaps the only other examples) have the dubious honour of featuring a star who died before shooting even BEGAN. As a tribute to the late great Peter Sellers, Trail is something of a failure...as an

exercise in creative editing, it is however a masterwork. Trail is a game of two halves...the Sellers half and the awful half. As is well-known, deleted scenes from the three previous Pink Panther movies (Return, Strikes Back, Revenge) were cobbled together to fake a new appearance by Sellers in this flick. To be honest, this snow job is executed with considerable skill...one could almost believe that Sellers had died midway through production. [In fact, this was almost the case; Sellers died mere weeks before shooting was due to begin on Romance Of The Pink Panther. To be made without the involvement of Blake Edwards in any manner, Romance would almost certainly have turned out to be an even bigger disaster than Trail eventually became.] I said you could almost believe it; because when the outtakes run dry, the movie loses any point or direction and wanders aimlessly for 40-odd minutes. Joanna Lumley, sporting a French accent even more hideous than Sellers', travels from place to place interviewing those who knew Clouseau. All pretence at the ostensible plot (the latest theft of the Pink Panther Diamond) goes out the window, in place of flashback clips and extremely dull comedy sequences. While Herbert Lom gives it his usual best (his attempts to conceal his joy at Clouseau's demise are as always sublimely hilarious) and the odd new scene raises a slight smile at best, the words SELLERS IS GONE, YOU MAY AS WELL SWITCH THE DVD OFF seem to flash before our eyes and cannot be ignored. Richard Mulligan's cameo as Clouseau's father is either amusing or painful, depending on your tolerance level for blatant and witless Sellers aping. But, while Peter IS there, there's plenty to enjoy. Highlights include a disastrous series of errors at an English hotel, Clouseau's fiery car lighter blunder, a painful visit to an aircraft toilet (all excised from Strikes Back) and an alternate take of the famous August Balls Costume Shop scene. Harvey Korman, who was replaced by Graham Stark as Balls in the take used, reprises his role here in new footage. David Niven, who played 'The Phantom' in the very first Panther movie, appears again alongside screen wife Capucine. Niven was dying at the time his scenes were shot, and over the violent protests of his family his lines were dubbed by impressionist Rich Little. Niven has very little to do here; he has a slightly larger part (his very last) in the follow-up, Curse Of The Pink Panther. Trail and Curse were filmed back-to-back, and in the main feature the same cast. Curse, while having a complete plot, lacks even Seller's posthumous presence to elevate the tired sight gags and double entendres Blake Edwards puts Sellers replacement Ted Wass

through. If United Artists hoped that this 'new' Sellers Panther movie would recoup some of the gigantic losses suffered as a result of Heaven's Gate, they were to be sorely disappointed. Both Trail and Curse bombed, and only Trail's curiosity value has saved it from complete oblivion. As it is, this is a weird and curiously compelling last bow from a true master of comedy. Goodbye, Peter, you crazy diamond.