Read Ebook {PDF EPUB} Return of the by Frank Waldman Film Collection. Review by Clarence Beaks The crowning achievement of neither director or star Peter Sellers, The Pink Panther series was nevertheless a massively popular and (most crucial to its longevity) profitable comedic playground in which these two men could ply their considerable slapstick talents. Though there's not a consistently "great" film in the bunch (only A Shot in the Dark and Return of the Pink Panther , which is omitted from this DVD collection due to a rights issue, come close), the films are, at their best, handsomely produced confections — the filmic equivalent of a warm and gregarious dinner guest. Unfortunately, they also became a creative crutch for both artists, enabling Sellers' worst tendencies toward unfunny excess and Edwards' willingness to phone it in for a paycheck. By the late '70s, these comedic giants rode this cash- cow to respective career nadirs — a result of either over-familiarity with the material or, more likely, each other. As has been recounted in many entertainment biographies (as well as alluded to on this collection's documentary), the relationship between the two was a tempestuous one, forever threatening to derail the productions and drive the perpetually sick Sellers to an early grave (he would eventually succumb to the heart disease that kept him in ill health for much of his life two years after completing the series' fifth installment). By Sellers last complete performance as Clouseau (the sixth film, Trail of the Pink Panther is a hastily edited together pastiche of the actor's outtakes plopped into a shaky narrative regarding 's sudden disappearance), Edwards seemed to be humoring his mercurial star, allowing him to indulge in painfully lame physical shtick and poorly conceived characters hardly worthy of his particular genius. Minus the aforementioned Return , as well as Edwards' two successive attempts to resuscitate the franchise, Curse of the Pink Panther and Son of the Pink Panther , with Ted Wass (!) and Roberto Benigni respectively (had he only waited a few years, he might've had a shot with that one), The Pink Panther Film Collection at least offers a pretty clear picture of how Edwards/Sellers managed to enthrall generations of filmgoers and television viewers (the pictures were network "Movie of the Week" mainstays throughout the late '70s and early '80s). Though eventually a sad case of diminishing returns in terms of entertainment value, the series also charts the public's shifting taste for more sophisticated comedy to a preference for broader, physical-based shenanigans with an often puerile undercurrent. The Fortunate Accident. The Pink Panther (1963) began life as a star-studded caper comedy intended to be anchored by David Niven as the debonair jewel thief Sir Charles Lytton, aka "The Phantom," a man audacious enough to carry on an affair with the wife of his tireless, if thoroughly inept, pursuer, Inspector Jacques Clouseau. And had Peter Ustinov, originally cast as Clouseau (and, coincidentally, batman to the higher-ranking Niven in World War II), not backed out of the production, following Ava Gardner's lead (who had been cast as Clouseau's philandering spouse), it's entirely possible that there would have been no Pink Panther franchise (though a great thespian, Ustinov was hardly anyone's idea of an explosive comedic talent). But when Peter Sellers came on board as the incompetent inspector, the picture was suddenly given a raucously funny performer who easily could run away with the proceedings. By sheer force of personality, Sellers is absolutely focal point of The Pink Panther , but Edwards, exhibiting his under-appreciated command of the widescreen, never lets the actor dominate the picture. The narrative is still driven by Lytton, who has his mind set on purloining the titular Lugashi jewel, named for the panther-shaped flaw at its center, from its possessor, the ravishing Princess Dala (Claudia Cardinale). He intends to do this at a picturesque ski resort in Switzerland, where, as always, he will use his dashing societal status as cover to get close to the young princess. Hot on the Phantom's trail is Clouseau, who arrives at the resort with his unfaithful wife (Capucine), thus lending Lytton unwitting assistance in his scheme. But Lytton is beset by unexpected interference in the form of his gallivanting young nephew George (Robert Wagner), who also has it in his mind to make off with the priceless jewel — though he amazingly, and quite inexplicably, is unaware that his Uncle is indeed the Phantom. A major production of modest pleasures, The Pink Panther is breezily entertaining, if terribly insubstantial. Niven is suitably suave as the champagne-swilling Sir Lytton, allowing him to get away with wooing a woman 30 years his junior, though it should be noted that his lengthy fireside seduction of Dala is a tad too protracted (Edwards' normally sparkling dialogue veers into some mushily pedestrian territory here). But it's always fun, and, at least for men, instructive to watch Niven pitching woo, and he certainly doesn't disappoint in this respect. Meanwhile, Sellers' reined-in characterization of Clouseau is practically unrecognizable, even compared to his work in the subsequent film. Never a true master of the pratfall (his was a brilliance honed on the radio), he's clearly uneasy with a number of the bits, but he still contributes some grin-worthy moments (his peculiar insistence on flinging the hotel room door open is classic Sellers). The real star of the show, however, is Edwards, who effortlessly keeps all of the narrative plates spinning while avoiding the chaotic inanity that frequently engulfs such all-star productions. Even the trademark musical interlude, performed here by Fran Jeffries, isn't terribly annoying. And while addressing the subject of music, let the congregation now praise Henry Mancini, whose jazzily iconic theme and nimble score are two of the film's most crucial attributes. It's not a stretch to assume that more people are likely acquainted with Mancini's music than have actually seen the film that spawned it, but despite its overt familiarity, it never once overwhelms the picture. The only real uproarious moment in the film comes in the last act, where Edwards pulls off a brilliantly choreographed car chase through a confusingly circular Swiss intersection. It's a superb payoff to an otherwise pleasant trifle. The Retrofit. A massive overhauling of a bedroom farce by Harry Kurnitz (itself suggested by the French play, L'Idiot by Michel Achard), A Shot in the Dark (1964) never was intended to be a part of The Pink Panther series. But the overwhelming success of the previous picture, coupled with numerous pre-production troubles, forced Blake Edwards to assume control of this looming disaster and write it as a Clouseau film. Miraculously, he emerged with an inspired comedy that, laugh-for-laugh, could be one of the funniest films ever made until it just dies in its too-busy conclusion. But until then, Edwards directs Sellers to his best portrayal of Clouseau, who's enough of an imbecile that he doesn't need the thick accent to push the character over into the overbearing buffoonery of the later installments. The story finds Clouseau getting assigned, against Chief Inspector Charles Dreyfus's (Herbert Lom, making his first series appearance) wishes, to investigate a murder at the mansion of millionaire Benjamin Ballon (George Sanders). Though all evidence clearly implicates Ballon's lovely maid, Maria Gambrelli (Elke Sommer), Clouseau, his judgment seemingly clouded by his infatuation for the woman, believes her innocent. Even when she is repeatedly discovered in compromising positions with other freshly murdered victims, often speechless and grasping the murder weapon, Clouseau still refuses to acknowledge her readily apparent guilt. Instead, the inspector, in his own incomparably moronic fashion, sets about questioning every other resident of the Ballon estate, including its arrogant patriarch, claiming that "instinct" tells him Gambrelli is protecting someone. Co-scripted by Edwards with William Peter Blatty, A Shot in the Dark establishes all of the tropes that would recur in each successive Pink Panther film. Lom's Dreyfus is blessedly saner and bereft of the facial tics that would eventually drown him in villainous caricature, while Clouseau's manservant Cato (Bert Kwouk), charged with attacking his employer at the most unexpected moments, is a shamelessly funny, and decidedly un-PC, creation. But this is a Sellers' showcase, and it's amazing to see how, over the course of a year, his facility for physical comedy improved. His billiard room episode with Sanders' Ballon, in which he destroys a cue rack and "grazes" the pool table, is one of the series' high points, while his rapport with his old "Goon Show" mate Graham Stark, who plays Clouseau's far swifter subordinate Hercule, is a study in comedic timing. If only Edwards hadn't wrapped the picture up in such a disappointingly conventional and forced manner (the physical shtick during the sequence is shockingly clumsy), A Shot in the Dark could've been something quite exceptional. (film) Inspector Clouseau is a 1968 feature film, the third in the popular Pink Panther movie series. It was directed by Bud Yorkin, written by Frank Waldman and and stars Alan Arkin, who replaced Peter Sellers – Sellers had declined to return to play the lead role of Inspector Jacques Clouseau. The film was the last to feature Clouseau until 1975's The Return of the Pink Panther . Costume design and elements of Arkin's performance were retained when Sellers took back the role for Return [ Citation needed ] . Frank Waldman and Tom Waldman also make their debut writing the series. Frank Waldman would co-write The Return of the Pink Panther , The Pink Panther Strikes Again , Revenge of the Pink Panther , and Trail of the Pink Panther . Tom Waldman would co-write Trail with Frank. Inspector Clouseau does not feature Sellers, was not directed by Blake Edwards, and did not have a score by Henry Mancini. All three were involved at that time with the film The Party . wanted to proceed with this movie, so when Sellers and Edwards declined to participate, Mirisch decided to proceed without them. The film languished in obscurity and although it has been released to home video on VHS and DVD, was not included in 2004's Pink Panther Collection but was later added to the Ultimate collection released in 2008. Contents. An organized crime wave strikes across Europe. Suspecting a mole within Scotland Yard, the Prime Minister brings Clouseau in to solve the case. Clouseau foils two assassination attempts but is accidentally kidnapped. The gang use him to make a face mask. Later, they use their Clouseau masks to commit a series of daring bank robberies across Europe. Eventually, Clouseau foils the plot and unmasks the traitor within the Yard. as Inspector Jacques Clouseau as Supt. Weaver Delia Boccardo as Lt. Lisa Morrel as Commissioner Sir Charles Braithwaite as Mrs. Weaver as Addison Steele as Clyde Hargreaves (aka "Johnny Rainbow") as Bull Parker as Frey as Frenchie LeBec as Bomber LeBec Wallas Eaton as Hoeffler as Police Chief Geffrion as Shockley as Wulf. Alan Arkin not only played Inspector Clouseau, he played the members of the gang whenever they were disguised as Inspector Clouseau, with the other actors' voices dubbed onto the soundtrack. Logos. Location scenes for Inspector Clouseau were shot in Europe. [1] The animated opening credits were done by DePatie-Freleng Entertainment, using their character design of The Inspector from the series of short cartoons under that title. (De-Patie Freleng also animated the Pink Panther cartoon shorts, as well as the opening credit sequences for most of the Edwards-Sellers films.) Miscellany. In the scene where Clouseau is being chased through the cemetery after falling in the plot and disrupting the funeral, you can see a sign on a cross in the lower right part of the screen for a few seconds. The sign reads "Reposite En Pace: Norman Lear, 1903-1962". Norman Lear was director Bud Yorkin's partner in Tandem Productions in the early '60s, and would collaborate with Yorkin for many years on television shows as All in the Family (Template:Ytv) and Sanford and Son (Template:Ytv). Inspector Clouseau (1968) Inspector Clouseau is a 1968 United Artists feature film, the third in the Pink Panther film series. It was directed by Bud Yorkin, written by Frank Waldman and Tom Waldman and stars Alan Arkin as Inspector Clouseau. It was filmed by Mirisch Films at MGM-British Studios Borehamwood and Europe. When the series resumed with The Return of the Pink Panther (1975), costume design and elements of Arkin's performance were retained when Peter Sellers took back the role. Frank Waldman and Tom Waldman also make their debut writing the series. Frank Waldman would co-write The Return of the Pink Panther, The Pink Panther Strikes Again, Revenge of the Pink Panther, and Trail of the Pink Panther. Tom Waldman would co-write Trail with Frank. Inspector Clouseau does not feature Sellers, was not directed by Blake Edwards and did not have a score by Henry Mancini. All three were involved at that time with the film The Party. The Mirisch Company wanted to proceed with this film, so when Sellers and Edwards declined to participate, Mirisch decided to proceed without them. The film languished in obscurity and although it has been released to home video on VHS and DVD, was not included in 2004'sPink Panther Collection but was later added to the Ultimate collection released in 2008. An organized crime wave strikes across Europe. Suspecting a mole within Scotland Yard, the Prime Minister brings Clouseau in to solve the case. Clouseau foils two assassination attempts but is subsequently kidnapped. The gang uses him to make masks of his face which they later use to commit a series of daring bank robberies across Switzerland. Eventually, Clouseau foils the plot and unmasks the traitor within the Yard. In addition to the title role, Arkin also played the members of the gang whenever they were disguised as Clouseau, with the other actors' voices dubbed onto the soundtrack. Following the two successful previous Inspector Clouseau films, Blake Edwards and Peter Sellers vowed never to work together again. Producer was interested in a third Clouseau film, but Sellers repeatedly refused the role. Following Alan Arkin's success in The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming, Mirisch asked Arkin if he would fill the role vacated by Sellers. Blake Edwards turned down the director's chores so Mirisch found Bud Yorkin. Just prior to shooting, Sellers contacted Mirisch stating that only he could play the role and would, if he himself approved the script. Mirisch turned him down. The film was produced by Louis Rachmil as one of Mirisch Films United Kingdom's film company qualifying for Eady Levy funds. Location scenes for Inspector Clouseau were shot in Europe. The animated opening credits were done by DePatie-Freleng Enterprises, using their character design of The Inspector from the series of short cartoons under that title. (DePatie Freleng also animated the Pink Panther cartoon shorts, as well as the opening credit sequences for most of the Edwards-Sellers Clouseau films.) In the scene where Clouseau is being chased through the cemetery after falling in the plot and disrupting the funeral, you can see a sign on a cross in the lower right part of the screen for a few seconds. The sign reads "Reposite En Pace: Norman Lear, 1903-1962". Norman Lear — very much alive at the time of this production — was director Bud Yorkin's partner in Tandem Productions in the early '60s, and would collaborate with Yorkin for many years on television shows as All in the Family(1971) and Sanford and Son (1972). The Pink Panther Strikes Again. The Pink Panther Strikes Again is the fifth film in The Pink Panther series and picks up where The Return of the Pink Panther leaves off. Released in 1976, Strikes Again is the third entry to include the words Pink Panther in its title, although the story does not involve the Pink Panther diamond. Unused footage from the film was later included in Trail of the Pink Panther . Contents. At a psychiatric hospital, former Chief Inspector Charles Dreyfus (Herbert Lom) is largely recovered from his obsession to kill the new Chief Inspector Jacques Clouseau (Peter Sellers) and is about to be released when Clouseau, arriving to speak on Dreyfus' behalf, drives Dreyfus insane again. Dreyfus promptly escapes from the asylum and once again tries to kill Clouseau by planting a bomb while the Inspector (by periodic arrangement) duels with his manservant Cato (Burt Kwouk). The bomb destroys Clouseau's apartment and injures Cato, but Clouseau himself is unharmed, being lifted from the room by an inflatable disguise. Deciding that a more elaborate plan is needed, Dreyfus enlists an army of criminals to his cause and kidnaps nuclear physicist Professor Hugo Fassbender (Richard Vernon) and the Professor's daughter Margo (Briony McRoberts), forcing the professor to build a "doomsday weapon" in return for his daughter's freedom. Clouseau travels to England to investigate Fassbender's disappearance, where he wrecks their family home and ineptly interrogates Jarvis (Michael Robbins), Fassbender's cross-dressing butler. Although Jarvis is killed by the kidnappers, to whom he had become a dangerous witness, Clouseau discovers a clue that leads him to the Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany. Meanwhile, Dreyfus, using Fassbender's invention, dissolves the United Nations headquarters in New York City and blackmails the leaders of the world, including the President of the United States and his Secretary of State (based on Gerald Ford and Henry Kissinger), into assassinating Clouseau. However, many of the nations instruct their operatives to kill the other assassins to gain Dreyfus's favor and possibly the Doomsday Machine. As a result of their orders and Clouseau's habitual clumsiness, the assassins all end up killing each other until only the agents of Egypt and Russia remain. The Egyptian assassin (an uncredited cameo by Omar Sharif) shoots one of Dreyfus' henchmen, mistaking him for Clouseau, but is seduced by the Russian operative Olga Bariosova (Lesley-Anne Down), who makes the same mistake. When the real Clouseau arrives, he is perplexed by Olga's affections but learns from her Dreyfus's location at a castle in Bavaria. Dreyfus is elated at Clouseau's apparent demise, but suffers from a toothache; Clouseau, disguised as an old German dentist, sneaks into the castle - eventually (his entry frustrated by the castle's drawbridge). Not recognized by Dreyfus, Clouseau ends up intoxicating both of them with nitrous oxide. Realising the deception when Clouseau mistakenly pulls the wrong tooth, Dreyfus prepares to use the machine to destroy England. Clouseau, eluding Dreyfus's henchmen, unwittingly foils Dreyfus's plans when a medieval catapult outside the castle launches Clouseau on top of the Doomsday machine. The machine begins to malfunction and begins firing on Dreyfus and the castle itself. As the remaining henchmen, Fassbender and his daughter, and eventually Clouseau himself escape the dissolving castle, Dreyfus plays "Tiptoe Through the Tulips" on the castle's pipe organ, while himself disintegrating, until he and the castle vanish. Returning to Paris, Clouseau is finally reunited with Olga. However, their tryst is interrupted first by Clouseau's apparent inability to remove his clothes without a struggle, and then by Cato, whereupon all three are hurled by the reclining bed into the Seine. Immediately thereafter, a cartoon image of Clouseau begins swimming, unaware that a gigantic version of the Pink Panther character is waiting below him (a reference to the film Jaws , made obvious by the thematic music as the movie ends). as Chief Inspector Jacques Clouseau as Former Chief Inspector Charles Dreyfus as Superintendent Quinlan as Olga Bariosova as Inspector Alec Drummond as Cato Fong as Sgt. Francois Chevalier as Ainsley Jarvis as Professor Hugo Fassbender as Margo Fassbender as the President of the United States Byron Kane as the US Secretary of State as Inmate as Inspector Mclaren. Cast notes. Owing to Peter Sellers's heart condition, whenever possible he would have his stunt double Joe Dunne stand in for him. Because of the often physical nature of the comedy, this would occur quite frequently. provided the singing voice for the female-impersonator "Ainsley Jarvis". [2] The scene in the night club when Jarvis sings are in many ways similar to scenes in Edwards's later film Victor Victoria (1982), in which Andrews plays a woman pretending to be a man who is a female impersonator. , longtime friend of Sellers, once again makes an appearance in the series, albeit in a small role as the desk clerk of a small German hotel. Since his role as Hercule LaJoy in A Shot in the Dark , he has since appeared in small roles in every Pink Panther sequel except Inspector Clouseau , in which Sellers did not play Clouseau. appears, uncredited, as the Egyptian assassin. sang the Oscar-nominated song "Come To Me". The role of Olga Bariosova was originally played by Maud Adams who was replaced after filming a few scenes. Blake Edwards then intended to cast Nicola Pagett after seeing her in Upstairs, Downstairs but instead ended up casting Pagett's fellow TV star Lesley-Anne Down in the role. Blake Edwards made a cameo appearance in the background of the night club scene. Production. The Pink Panther Strikes Again was rushed into production owing to the success of The Return of the Pink Panther . [3] Blake Edwards had used one of two scripts that he and Frank Waldman had written for a proposed "Pink Panther" TV series as the basis for that film, and he used the other as the starting point for Strikes Again . As a result, it is the only Pink Panther movie which has a storyline (Dreyfus in the insane asylum) that explicitly follows on from the previous film. The movie was in production from December 1975 to September 1976, with filming taking place from February to June 1976. [4] The strained relationship between Sellers and Blake Edwards had further deteriorated by the time production of Strikes Again was underway. Sellers was mentally and physically in bad shape, and Edwards commented on the actor's mental state: "If you went to an asylum and you described the first inmate you saw, that's what Peter had become. He was certifiable." [3] The original cut of the film ran for 124 minutes, but it was trimmed down to 103 minutes for theatrical release. Some of the excised footage was later used in Trail of the Pink Panther . Strikes Again was marketed with the tagline Why are the world's chief assassins after Inspector Clouseau? Why not? Everybody else is. Like its predecessor and subsequent sequel, the film was a box office success. During the film's title sequence, there are references to television's Alfred Hitchcock Presents and the films Batman , King Kong , The Sound of Music (which starred Blake Edwards's wife, Julie Andrews), Dracula AD 1972 , Singin' in the Rain , Steamboat Bill Jr. , and Sweet Charity , putting the Pink Panther character and the animated persona of Inspector Clouseau into recognizable events from said movies. There is also a reference to Jaws in the end-credits sequence. The scene in which Clouseau impersonates a dentist and the use of laughing gas and pulling the wrong tooth are clearly inspired by Bob Hope in The Paleface (1948). [5] Richard Williams (later of Roger Rabbit fame) supervised the animation of the opening and closing sequences for the second and final time; original animators DePatie-Freleng Enterprises would return on the next film, but with decidedly Williamesque influences. Sellers was never happy with the final version of the film and publicly criticized Blake Edwards for misusing his talents. The strain in their relationship is noted in the next Pink Panther movie's opening credits ("Revenge Of The Pink Panther") listing it as a "Sellers-Edwards" production. Despite being apparently killed off in this film (after committing major crimes), Dreyfus returned in Revenge of the Pink Panther , once again as Chief Inspector. French comic book writer René Goscinny of Asterix fame was reportedly trying to sue Blake Edwards for plagiarism at the time of his death in 1977 after noticing strong similarities to a script titled "Le Maître du Monde" (The Master of the World) which he had sent Peter Sellers in 1975. [6] Awards. The screenwriters, Blake Edwards and Frank Waldman received a 1977 Writers Guild of America Award for "Best Comedy Adapted from Another Medium." The film also won a 1978 Evening Standard British Film Award for "Best Comedy." "Come To Me", written by Henry Mancini (music) and Don Black (lyrics), received an Academy Award nomination for "Best Song" at the 49th Academy Awards. The film was nominated for a 1977 Golden Globe Award for "Best Motion Picture", and Peter Sellers was nominated for "Best Motion Picture Actor – Musical/Comedy". [7] – Nominated [8] : "Does your dog bite?" – Nominated [9] References. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1". ↑ Allmovie Cast ↑ 3.03.1 Thames, Stephanie "The Pink Panther Strikes Again" (TCM article) ↑ IMDB Business Data ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1". ↑http://content.myschool.lu/nouveaumonde/MP_Pi_Goscinny.pdf ↑ IMDB Awards ↑AFI's 100 Years. 100 Laughs Nominees ↑AFI's 100 Years. 100 Movie Quotes Nominees. Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". External links. Script error: No such module "Portal". Script error: No such module "Side box". Watch The Return of the Pink Panther. Inspector Clouseau, played by Peter Sellers, has been called in by the king of Lugash (a fictional country) in order to find a diamond that has been stolen and has been known as the “Pink Panther.” A white glove with the initial “P” in pink is left behind at the scene of the crime. Clouseau, who had been demoted from his capacity as private investigator, is reinstated by demand of the French government and Chief Inspector Charles Dreyfus, played by Herbert Lom, asks Clouseau to assist the police in finding the thief. In the eyes of Inspector Clouseau, the thief is believed to be “the notorious Phantom," the famous Sir Charles, played by Christopher Plummer. Sir Charles, who thinks he’s been framed, goes in person to Lugash in order to clear his name. On the other hand, Clousou follows Lady Claudine, played by Cathering Schell. She’s the wife of Sir Charles and leaves “Lytton Manor” in Nice, France and goes to Gstaad, a glamorous small town in Switzerland and Clouseau follows her there.