Son of the Pink Panther (1993)

Director:

Blake Edwards

Writers (WGA):

Maurice Richlin (characters) &
Blake Edwards (characters) ...
(more)

Release Date:

27 August 1993 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

Funny has a color all its own.

Plot:

Charles Dreyfus encounters Jacques Gambrelli, who reminds him painfully of Inspector Clouseau, the man who drove him insane. With good reason: Gambrelli is Clouseau's son.

Plot Keywords:

Clouseau | Police | Son | Policeman | Pink Panther

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Roberto Benigni	...	Gendarme Jacques Gambrelli
Herbert Lom	...	Police Commisioner Charles Dreyfus
Claudia Cardinale	...	Maria Gambrelli
Shabana Azmi	...	Queen
Debrah Farentino	...	Princess Yasmin
Jennifer Edwards	...	Yussa
Robert Davi	...	Hans Zarba
Mark Schneider	...	Arnon
Mike Starr	...	Hanif
Kenny Spalding	...	Garth
Anton Rodgers	...	Police Chief Charles Lazar
Burt Kwouk	...	Cato Fong
Graham Stark	...	Professor Auguste Balls
Oliver Cotton	...	King Haroak
Aharon Ipalé	...	Gen. Jaffar
Natasha Pavlovich	...	Rima
Henry Goodman	...	Andre (anchorman)
Dermot Crowley	...	Sergeant Francois Duval
Herb Tanney	...	Jean Claude (as Sputare Tanney)
Liz Smith	...	Marta Balls
Joe James	...	Doctor
Selva Rasalingam	...	Customs official (as Sylvestre Tobias)
Nadim Sawalha	...	Lugash agent
Jon Paul Morgan	...	Col. Al-Durai
Andrew Hawkins	...	French agent
Badi Uzzaman	...	Wasim
Mozaffar Shafeie	...	Omar
Arnold Yarrow	...	Uncle Idris
Harry Audley	...	Pilot
Jacinta Mulcahy	...	Louise Chauvin
Steven Crossley	...	Reporter
Elisabeth Barat	...	Female reporter
Bill Wallis	...	President
John Francis	...	Yacht captain
Simon De Selva	...	Co-pilot
Ahmed Khalil	...	Otter pilot
Joumana Al Awar	...	Queen's secretary
Hossam Ramzy	...	Burly Arab
Sheila Hyde	...	Wafiyyah
Tony Kirwood	...	Marcel Langois (scenes deleted)
Andy Scourfield	...	Clouseau's ghost (scenes deleted)
Elizabeth Banks	...	Nurse
Nicoletta Braschi	...	Jacqueline Gambrelli
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Henry Mancini	...	Himself (uncredited)
Bobby McFerrin	...	Himself (uncredited)

Directed by
Blake Edwards

Writing credits (WGA)
Maurice Richlin		(characters) &
Blake Edwards		(characters)
Blake Edwards		(story)
Blake Edwards		(screenplay) and
Madeline Sunshine		(screenplay) &
Steven Sunshine		(screenplay)

Produced by
Tony Adams	....	producer
Friend Michael Wells	....	producer: main title sequence (as Michael Wells)
Nigel Wooll	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Henry Mancini

Cinematography by
Dick Bush

Film Editing by
Robert Pergament

Casting by
Nancy Klopper

Production Design by
Peter Mullins

Art Direction by
David Minty
John Siddall
Leslie Tomkins

Set Decoration by
Peter Howitt

Makeup Department
Peter Frampton	....	chief makeup/prosthetics artist
Amanda Knight	....	makeup artist
Melissa Lackersteen	....	makeup artist
Daniel Parker	....	prosthetics
Martin Samuel	....	key hair stylist

Production Management
Frederick Bovis	....	production manager
Ian Hickinbotham	....	unit manager
Bruce Markoe	....	post-production supervisor
Jean Louis Nieuwbourg	....	unit production manager
Denise O'Dell	....	production supervisor
Hervé Ruet	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Valérie Aragües	....	second assistant director
Geoffrey Edwards	....	second unit director
Laurent Herbiet	....	co-first assistant director
Gil Kenny	....	trainee assistant director
Terry Needham	....	first assistant director
Adam Somner	....	co-second assistant director
Michael Stevenson	....	second assistant director

Art Department
John Allenby	....	property master
Michael Boone	....	draughtsman
Graham Caulfield	....	drapes
Dean Coldham	....	plasterer
Tony Graysmark	....	construction manager
Carol Kupisz	....	art department assistant
Paul Purdy	....	set dresser
Mark Reynolds	....	props
Denis Rich	....	storyboard artist
Hervé Schrub	....	prop buyer
Chris Seddon	....	drapes master
Adrian Start	....	supervisor painter

Sound Department
Kevin Bartnof	....	foley artist
Tony Bell	....	sound maintenance engineer
Bill W. Benton	....	sound re-recording mixer
Rick Canelli	....	adr recordist
Linda Corbin	....	foley mixer
Carlos Delarios	....	sound re-recording mixer
Christopher Flick	....	supervising foley editor
Linda Folk	....	adr editor
Wayne Heitman	....	sound re-recording mixer
Ellen Heuer	....	foley artist
Mark A. Mangini	....	supervising sound editor
Thomas J. O'Connell	....	adr mixer
Kay Rose	....	supervising sound editor
Geoffrey G. Rubay	....	sound editor
Victoria Rose Sampson	....	supervising adr editor
Dan Sharp	....	sound re-recordist
Lionel Strutt	....	adr mixer
Carolyn Tapp	....	foley recordist
Ken Weston	....	sound mixer
John Roesch	....	foley artist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Bela Brozsek	....	special effects
Chris Corbould	....	special effects senior technician
Michael Dawson	....	special effects administrator
Andy Williams	....	senior special effects technician
Joss Williams	....	special effects supervisor
Teddy T. Yang	....	title effects

Visual Effects by
Allen Battino	....	visual effects supervisor
Alan Church	....	optical cameraman
Michael Rivero	....	digital effects: opening titles
Diane Wright	....	production manager: digtial ink & paint, Sidley Wright & Associates
Steve Wright	....	digital effects supervisor: opening titles, Sidley Wright & Assoc.
Jeff W. Smith	....	digital effects artist (uncredited)

Stunts
Stuart Clark	....	utility stunts (as Stuart Clarke)
Gerry Crampton	....	stunts
Graeme Crowther	....	stunts
Joe Dunne	....	stunt coordinator
Donna Evans	....	stunts
Dorothy Ford	....	stunts
David Forman	....	stunts
Nick Gillard	....	stunts
Romo Gorrara	....	stunts
Paul Heasman	....	stunts
Mark Henson	....	stunts
Nick Hobbs	....	stunts
Sy Hollands	....	stunts (as Sy Holland)
Eddie Kidd	....	stunts
Tom Lucy	....	stunts
Mark McBride	....	stunts
Mark Anthony Newman	....	stunts (as Mark Newman)
Andreas Petrides	....	stunts
Terence Plummer	....	stunts (as Terry Plummer)
Gary Powell	....	stunts
Greg Powell	....	assistant stunt coordinator
Doug Robinson	....	stunts
Bill M. Ryusaki	....	stunts (as Bill Ryusaki)
Kimberly L. Ryusaki	....	stunts (as Kim Ryusaki)
Lee Sheward	....	stunts
Eddie Stacey	....	stunts
Rocky Taylor	....	stunts
Tip Tipping	....	stunts
Nick Wilkinson	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Mike Bartlett	....	Steadicam operator
Adam Biddle	....	clapper loader
Eric Bornes	....	assistant camera
Peter Butler	....	key grip
Giles Christopher	....	clapper loader
Chuck Finch	....	gaffer
Adam Greenberg	....	director of photography: main title sequence
Graham Hall	....	focus puller
Tino Hendes	....	Steadicam assistant
Simon Hume	....	focus puller
Burton 'Joe' Kuchera	....	electrician
Colin Manning	....	key grip
Billy Merrell	....	best boy
Darren Quinn	....	assistant grip
Mike Roberts	....	camera operator (as Michael Roberts)
Jimmy Turrell	....	camera operator

Animation Department
Chris Hummel	....	animator: main title animation
Jeffrey Tinnell	....	animation sequence producer

Casting Department
Barbara Harris	....	adr voice casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Annie Crawford	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Andrew MacRitchie	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Sharal Churchill	....	music consultant
Jack Hayes	....	orchestrator
Stephen A. Hope	....	music editor
Henry Mancini	....	conductor
Henry Mancini	....	orchestrator
Sidney Sax	....	orchestra contractor
Sidney Sax	....	orchestra leader
Alan Snelling	....	music engineer
Alan Snelling	....	music mixer
Chris Tergesen	....	music engineer
Phil Todd	....	musician

Transportation Department
Steven Lewis	....	action vehicle mechanic
Richard Todd	....	action vehicle mechanic

Other crew
Gavin Charlton	....	sous chef
Nikki Clapp	....	script supervisor
Geoffrey Edwards	....	director: main title sequence
Sue Field	....	script supervisor: second unit
Marie-Noelle Hauville	....	production accountant
Jim Jaffe	....	product placement
Lindsey Jones	....	unit publicist
Janine Modder	....	production coordinator (as Janine Lodge)
Rachel Neale	....	location manager
Jean Louis Nieuwbourg	....	location manager: France
Neil Robinson	....	dialogue coach
Jeffrey Tinnell	....	producer: main title sequence
Lisa Vick	....	production assistant
Chris Warren	....	video coordinator
Roger Yuan	....	karate trainer
Roger Yuan	....	kick-box trainer

Production Companies

• Filmauro
• International Traders
• United Artists

Distributors

• MGM Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2009) (USA) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2009) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray) (collector's edition)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical) (35mm print Panavision)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1993) (USA) (theatrical)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1994) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1994) (USA) (laserdisc)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (Spain)

Special Effects

• Desert Music Pictures (main title sequence)

Other Companies

• Mobile Mouthful  catering (UK)
• National Philharmonic Orchestra  orchestra

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated PG for comic violence and some mild sensuality

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

Italy | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | Singapore:PG | Australia:PG | Iceland:12 | New Zealand:PG | Netherlands:6 | Brazil:Livre | Argentina:Atp | Norway:10 | Spain:T | UK:PG | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Jordan

Company:

Filmauro

Trivia:

About a third of the film was directed by Geoffrey Edwards.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Commisioner Dreyfus accidentally ejects himself from his hospital bed, person being ejected is a clearly a stunt double, with darker hair, and more of it.

Quotes:

Professor Auguste Balls:If you need a disguise, look no farther, you've got Balls.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Making Life Beautiful (1999) (TV)

A WORTHY SUCCESSOR TO PETER SELLERS' LEGACY

While riding the subway eight years ago, I saw the billboards for "Son of the Pink Panther" and I really didn't think much about it then. I had yet to become a fan of Blake Edwards' work, and I really hadn't seen any of the previous Panther films.

Flash forward to 1999. Turner Classic Movies had shown the first six entries in the Panther series and I had watched them in chronological order, which I think is a good idea for anyone to do. I had seen "Curse" on tape and I decided to check out "Son of the Pink Panther" just out of curiosity. I had read some reviews, which were pretty dismal. So I had no reason to expect anything great.

Imagine my surprise when I found myself laughing a lot during the 95 minute running time of "Son". This was a clever, funny and very original entry in the long-running "Panther" series. Blake Edwards' instinct was right on the money when he cast Italian comedian Roberto Benigni in the role of Clouseau's illegitimate son. Benigni displays all the traits that made Peter Sellers such a great talent. He plays the comic scenes very straight which sells it so much better than if he had played it slyly. And the films he has made since ("The Monster", "Night on Earth" and "Life Is Beautiful", which was sort of his own "Being There") just confirms my initial reaction. And of course, what is a Panther film without Dreyfus, played as always by Herbert Lom, who works well with Benigni in many memorable sequences.

If I have a complaint about "Son", it is that it tends to get too preoccupied with the plot. The best Panther films didn't depend on plot as much as characterization and "Son" suffers because of it as did Edwards' previous disappointment "Switch". But "Son" has a manic comic energy and polish that "Switch" lacked and the payoffs work as in "Switch" they did not.

"Son of the Pink Panther" is a better film than "Curse", "Revenge" and the original film, but not "Strikes Again", "Return" and "A Shot in the Dark" (of which this film has its roots in) Sadly, Edwards retired from theatrical features after this although he still works in TV. He showed so much vigor and life in "Son" that makes me want to see him make another Panther film, especially with Roberto Benigni. I'm still waiting.

***1/2 out of 4 stars