The Return of the Pink Panther (1975)

Inspector Clouseau is put on the case when the Pink Panther diamond is stolen, with the Phantom's trademark glove the only clue.

Director:

Blake Edwards

Writers:

Frank Waldman (screenplay), Blake Edwards (screenplay)

Stars:

Peter Sellers, Christopher Plummer, Catherine Schell

Nominated for 3 Golden Globes. Another 2 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Peter Sellers	...	Insp. Jacques Clouseau
Christopher Plummer	...	Sir Charles Litton
Catherine Schell	...	Lady Claudine Litton
Herbert Lom	...	Chief Insp. Charles Dreyfus
Peter Arne	...	Colonel Sharki
Peter Jeffrey	...	General Wadafi
Grégoire Aslan	...	Chief of Lugash Police (as Gregoire Aslan)
David Lodge	...	Mac
Graham Stark	...	Pepi
Eric Pohlmann	...	Fat Man
André Maranne	...	Sgt. François Chevalier
Burt Kwouk	...	Cato Fong
Victor Spinetti	...	Hotel Concierge
John Bluthal	...	Blind Beggar
Mike Grady	...	Bell Boy

Storyline

That famous jewel, The Pink Panther, has once again been stolen and Inspector Clouseau is called in to catch the thief. The Inspector is convinced that 'The Phantom' has returned and utilises all of his resources - himself and his oriental manservant - to reveal the true identity of 'The Phantom'.

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Plot Keywords:

assassination attempt | bread | clumsiness | doorbell | watermelon | 

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Taglines:

You may rest assured that there's trouble, because Inspector Clouseau is on the case. (That's the trouble.)

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Mystery

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Certificate:

G

Details

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 May 1975 (USA)

Also Known As:

El regreso de la pantera rosa

Filming Locations:

Djemaa el Fna, Marrakech, Morocco

Box Office

Budget:

$5,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$41,833,347

Company Credits

Production Co:

ITC Films, Jewel Productions, Pimlico Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

113 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In this film, Peter Sellers plays Clouseau with an exaggerated French accent, including running gags involving his mispronunciation of words. In his previous performances, he used a straightforward accent. Clouseau is also portrayed as considerably more inept than he was in his previous appearances.

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Goofs

As Charles runs away from the fat man to avoid capture by his guards, he first runs up the stairs where you see a fake punch against one guard then he hides and hits the second guard. Then you see Charles sprint along the balcony to run towards the rope so he can escape to the lower floor. When Charles starts running on the balcony he hides behind a pillar and a stuntman continues the run thereafter. If you watch closely the stuntman runs too early. As the stuntman slides down the rope you can clearly see the secondary safety rope behind him.

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Quotes

Dreyfus: [Offscreen, Dreyfus accidentally fires a gun that he thought did not work. Francois rushes into Dreyfus's office to see what has happened] Don't just stand there, idiot. Call a doctor. And then help me find my nose.

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Crazy Credits

During the closing credits, the straightjacket-bound Dreyfus is shown watching and commenting on the words, particularly when Peter Sellers' credit comes up as "Clouseau." Dreyfus also writes "The End" on the wall of his padded cell with his feet.

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Connections

Spoofs Casablanca (1942)

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Soundtracks

The Ride of the Valkyries
(from The Valkyries) (uncredited)
Music by Richard Wagner

User Reviews

Guaranteed to Tickle You Pink

Although it's already Peter Sellers' third outing in the series, "The Return of the Pink Panther" sets the tone for all of the Pink Panther movies still to come. Fast, furious, wacky, and hilarious.

In fact, this movie is, in many respects, the movie the first should have been. The plot once again revolves around the Pink Panther diamond. The chief suspect is once again Sir Charles "The Phantom" Lytton. And, of course, Peter Sellers is once again on the case as the one-of-a-kind Jacques Clouseau.

Class act David Niven has been replaced by the equally classy Christopher Plummer ("Murder by Decree", "The Sound of Music", "Dragnet"). His portrayal of Sir Charles is more dashing and youthful than Niven's. In this film, his character is also more likable, simply because he's working alongside Clouseau rather than against him.

And Inspector Clouseau, the underdog, is now, finally, the hero. He's been demoted to bumbling Parisian street cop by his slightly crooked boss, Chief Inspector Dreyfus (played hilariously for the second time by Herbert Lom.) Then the president of Lugash specifically requests Clouseau be restated in order to find the Pink Panther diamond, which has been stolen from a museum. The return of the Pink Panther diamond is Clouseau's responsibility.

The film is divided between Clouseau's quest to find Sir Charles, whom he blames for the Panther's disappearance, and Sir Charles' quest to find the Panther and by doing so clear his name. Clouseau's adventure is filled with more slapstick than in either of the previous two films, and good slapstick, at that. Peter Sellers plays Clouseau in the way that only he could, with results that are guaranteed to make any comedy fan laugh. Meanwhile, Sir Charles' side of the story is filled with action and international intrigue, in a plot that's absurd and confusing, but to be expected from a Pink Panther film. Graham Stark, who played Clouseau's partner in "A Shot in the Dark", now appears as Sir Charles' put-upon underworld informant.

All is finally right with the Pink Panther universe. Sir Charles is finally likable. It's okay to empathize towards Clouseau. And there's humor in the romantic cat-and-mouse game between Sir Charles' new bride and Clouseau. Lady Lytton is played by Catherine Schell ("On Her Majesty's Secret Service"), and is, interestingly enough, not the ex-Mrs. Clouseau, one of the earliest cracks in the series' fragile continuity. However, it's amusing to see Lady Lytton take advantage of Clouseau and those around her, whereas in the first movie it just seemed unfair when Clouseau's wife treated him the same way.