The Pink Panther (1963)

The bumbling Inspector Clouseau travels to Rome to catch a notorious jewel thief known as "The Phantom" before he conducts his most daring heist yet: a princess' priceless diamond with one slight imperfection, known as "The Pink Panther".

Director:

Blake Edwards

Writers:

Maurice Richlin (screenplay), Blake Edwards (screenplay)

Stars:

David Niven, Peter Sellers, Robert Wagner

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 2 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
David Niven	...	Sir Charles Lytton
Peter Sellers	...	Insp. Jacques Clouseau
Robert Wagner	...	George Lytton
Capucine	...	Simone Clouseau
Brenda de Banzie	...	Angela Dunning
Colin Gordon	...	Tucker
John Le Mesurier	...	Defence Barrister (as John LeMesurier)
James Lanphier	...	Saloud
Guy Thomajan	...	Artoff
Michael Trubshawe	...	Felix Townes
Riccardo Billi	...	Aristotle Sarajos
Meri Welles	...	Monica Fawn (as Meri Wells)
Martin Miller	...	Pierre Luigi - Photographer
Fran Jeffries	...	Greek 'cousin'
Claudia Cardinale	...	The Princess

Storyline

The trademark of The Phantom, a renowned jewel thief, is a glove left at the scene of the crime. Inspector Clouseau, an expert on The Phantom's exploits, feels sure that he knows where The Phantom will strike next and leaves Paris for Switzerland, where the famous Lugashi jewel 'The Pink Panther' is going to be. However, he does not know who The Phantom really is, or for that matter who anyone else really is...

---

Plot Keywords:

jewel thief | diamond | bumbling | inspector | framed for robbery | 

---

Taglines:

The star-studded international cast of the year sparkling in the wackiest, most wonderful sport - on the glamorous Italian Riviera where the jet-set swings, sways and plays...

---

Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Romance

---

Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

MGM Official site of the 40th Anniversary

Country:

USA

Language:

English Italian

Release Date:

20 March 1964 (USA)

Also Known As:

La pantera rosa

Filming Locations:

Hotel Cristallo, Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy

Box Office

Gross USA:

$10,878,107

Company Credits

Production Co:

Mirisch G-E Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

115 min

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (Westrex Recording System) Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

David Niven was hoping the Pink Panther would help launch a series of films for him akin to the Thin Man Series. Due to the focus of future films being placed on Peter Sellers' Inspector Clouseau, this never came to fruition. Niven would go on to play a parody of Thin Man Nick Charles, named Dick Charleston, in Neil Simon's Murder by Death (1976), a film which ironically also starred Sellers.

---

Goofs

At the start of his first visit with the Princess, Sir Charles Lytton is using his cane on the left. Within minutes, he's switched it to his right. This could just indicate that he's playing up the injury to spend time with her.

---

Quotes

[first lines]
Gem dealer 1: As in every stone of this size, there is a flaw.
Sultan: A flaw?
Gem dealer 2: The slightest flaw, your excellency.
Gem dealer 1: If you look deep into the stone, you will perceive the tiniest discoloration. It resembles an animal.
Sultan: An animal?
Gem dealer 1: A little panther.
Sultan: Yes! A pink panther. Come here, Dala. A gift to your father from his grateful people. Some day it will be yours. The most fabulous diamond in all the world. Come closer.

---

Crazy Credits

At the end of the film the cartoon pink panther makes a brief appearance in a live-action scene holding up a sign reading THEND, which he then corrects to THE END.

---

Connections

Referenced in SSI: Sex Squad Investigation (2006)

---

Soundtracks

The Pink Panther Theme
Written by Henry Mancini
Tenor Sax solo by Plas Johnson

User Reviews

That Famous Pink Jewel Flaw

For those of you who think The Pink Panther is a cartoon character from a good animated series, our pink feline started out as a flaw in a fabulous diamond. If you looked deep into the rock, you could see the shape of the pink one whose cartoon character started the credits on this film.

The film The Pink Panther could best be compared to, believe it or not, is The Road to Singapore. That film was probably the weakest of the Road series, but it showed that Bing Crosby and Bob Hope had a real screen chemistry and sequels were demanded.

But the guy who made the movie going public demand the sequels here was Peter Sellers. Take Sellers out of the film and you have an average caper film held together by the considerable charm of David Niven and the rest of the cast. The movie stars David Niven, but the man who stole it completely was Peter Sellers with his indelible character of that bumbling train wreck of a Surete detective Inspector Clouseau.

Niven is the famous Sir Charles Lytton, playboy to the world, but really a legendary jewel thief known as the Phantom. He's after the famous diamond with the Pink Panther flaw that's owned by exiled princess Claudia Cardinale. Clouseau is on the case, but he doesn't know that his wife Capucine his having an affair with Niven and keeps him in the loop on the investigation. In addition Niven has a nephew who doesn't know about his double life played by Robert Wagner who'd like to embark on that kind of life himself.

People should keep several feet away from Sellers because the man is a walking train wreck. But for all his bumbling and for all of his cheating wife giving Niven inside information, he actually does have a brain, a facet of the Clouseau character in this film that a lot of people overlook. The final chase scene is something out of Mack Sennett.

Peter Sellers made four succeeding Pink Panther movies and in the second one he got a good comic foil in the person of his frazzled supervisor Herbert Lom. But that comes later.

The Pink Panther is an average caper film that has two distinguishing things. One of the most enduring and familiar film scores in movie history by Henry Mancini and it's the start of a string of films like the Road picture series centered around Peter Sellers's most enduring character creation.