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...

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Plot Keywords:

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

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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...

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Romance

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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

Peter Sellers and Blake Edwards agreed completely on the notion that comedy should be painful. Edwards had worked with director Leo McCarey early in his career, and he said McCarey had taught him an essential truth about comedy through his ability to extend tension in his comic scenes past the point at which audiences became uncomfortable. "He called it 'breaking the pain barrier'," Edwards recalled.

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Goofs

In one of the bedroom scenes, the Inspector places his robe on a chair next to the bed. In the next shot the robe is gone and returns again the following shot.

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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.

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Crazy Credits

Although the film's title actually refers to a jewel, the credits are presented in a cartoon sequence featuring a pink panther who interacts with the lettering in various ways -- spinning letters around, unscrambling words, inserting extra credits for himself, and so on. The cartoon panther has subsequently appeared in the same manner in several sequels to this film and eventually his own TV series The Pink Panther Show (1969).

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Connections

Referenced in The Angry Video Game Nerd: R.O.B. the Robot (2011)

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Soundtracks

It Had Better Be Tonight
("Meglio Stasera")
Music Henry Mancini
English Lyrics by Johnny Mercer
Italian Franco Migliacci
Sung by Fran Jeffries
Tenor sax solos by Plas Johnson

User Reviews

Birth of the "Panther"

The one that started it all and set `Clouseau' on the path to becoming Chief Inspector, `The Pink Panther,' directed by Blake Edwards, stars David Niven and Peter Sellers. This film is memorable for a number of reasons, primarily for being the first in a tremendously successful (and funny) series which would ultimately showcase one of the world's favorite cinematic policemen, the bumbling Jacques Clouseau (Sellers). it also introduced His Royal Pinkness, the Panther himself, to the format of the feature length motion picture. And can anyone remember a time before Henry Mancini's familiar theme existed?

Being the first, of course, makes this the prototype, and though it's a good movie, it's obvious that the formula for success which the following films in the series employed had not yet been honed to perfection. Consequently, though funny, the hilarity level of this one is comparatively low, though it does have it's moments, the best of which involve Clouseau.

From the day it premiered, it was readily apparent that what really made it a go was Sellers; and Edwards and his team have to be given credit for recognizing it immediately. Often a sequel fails because the filmmaker has attempted to capitalize on an element of the original that seemingly made it good, only to discover that what the poet once said is true: You can never go home again. Merely expanding the part that worked before doesn't insure success; usually, in fact, quite the opposite is true, as without fail it becomes a matter of overkill (The Penguin was no Joker, and those participating in `The Return of the Seven' weren't so `magnificent' after all). There are the exceptions, of course, like the `Stars Wars' saga, the `Indiana Jones' movies and, it goes without saying, the `Panther' films.

Edwards was clever enough to discern that key element in the original, and not only expand upon it for the sequels, but fine tune it as he did so. In developing his formula he seemed to possess an innate sense of what was funny, even from an objective point of view-- which is amazing, given that comedy is probably the most subjective of genres. And then again, he had the inimitable Sellers as his star, which was certainly no hindrance to their combined efforts.

It's interesting to watch this movie again, especially after seeing the rest of the series, as you're seeing Clouseau in his raw stage of development; the accent is not yet as pronounced as it will be later, and his `denseness' is not quite refined yet. But funny he is, even as he experiments, searching for that perfect comedic note (which he would finally find in `The Pink Panther Strikes Again'). Seller's performance is the highlight of the movie, and it gave birth to what would become one of the defining characters of his career. From the first moment Clouseau appears on screen, you know that you're about to be treated to something special. And Sellers never disappoints-- from that first frame on, he is a joy to watch.

David Niven, meanwhile, lends an air of sophistication to the proceedings as the suave and debonair, legendary jewel thief, Sir Charles Litton. Though not a unique character, Niven plays him well, exuding the kind of charm possibly only Cary Grant could have matched at the time. As usual, he brings a smooth presence to the screen, he plays comedy well and the facility with which he brings Litton to life is impressive. Watching Niven and Sellers together calls to mind the pairing of Michael Caine and Steve Martin some years later in `Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.'

The supporting cast includes Robert Wagner (George Litton), Capucine (Simone), Brenda De Banzie (Angela), Colin Gordon (Tucker) Fran Jeffries (Greek `Cousin') and the lovely Claudia Cardinale as Princess Dala. Sellers created a number of characters during his career that will live forever, but with `The Pink Panther' he carved out a special niche for himself when he created Clouseau. There's never been anyone else quite like Clouseau (or Sellers, for that matter), and it's doubtful there ever will be again. As for the movie itself, there's no denying it's place of significance in the history of the movies as the one that kicked off a series that made the world laugh-- and thanks to the magic of DVD/video, that laughter continues on, unabated, today-- with no end in sight. That's the magic of Sellers, and it's all a part of the magic of the movies. I rate this one 7/10.