The Pink Panther films
Barbel
ScotlandPosts: 37,861Chief of Staff
The backbone of the British film scene throughout the 60s and 70s (slightly earlier and later in some cases, and of course ongoing in one) was four series of movies, some of which would today be called franchises. At the top of this tree was, of course, the James Bond series. At the lower end were the Carry On films. In between were Hammer’s productions and the current subject, the Pink Panther movies.
It wasn’t uncommon for people who worked on one series to turn up in another- not just the cast, but the crew (eg, cinematographer Alan Hume Carried On Filming before being “promoted” to the Bonds). Often an actor or actress who had starring roles in, say, a Hammer movie would turn up in a smaller role in a Bond (eg Valerie Leon, Christopher Neame) – there was a definite pecking order going on.
The Panther films were never meant to be a series. The first film, directed by Blake Edwards, was designed as a vehicle for David Niven, a popular star. Building on an earlier film in which he had starred called “Raffles”, Niven would play an elegant upper class jewel thief who would charm the ladies while purloining their valuables. The script included a bumbling policeman who would fail to catch him, and the original intention was that this part should be played by Peter Ustinov with whom Niven had worked before. When Ustinov later backed out he was replaced with Peter Sellers as Inspector Clouseau who promptly stole the movie, which was a major success.
Later when Edwards was working on a film adaptation of a play called “A Shot In The Dark”, Sellers was brought in to play Clouseau (who wasn’t originally in the play) and the formula was set.
Two major features of the series were the music by Henry Mancini, as inseparable from these films as Clouseau himself, and the animated characters of the title sequences (initially by DePatie-Freleng, later by others) who went on to have a life of their own both in cinema and television- IMHO, the Panther title sequences rival those of Bond.
THE PINK PANTHER (1963) Niven, Sellers, Robert Wagner, Capucine, Claudia Cardinale (all of whom would later appear in the series). Director Blake Edwards.
A SHOT IN THE DARK (1964) Sellers, Elke Sommer, Herbert Lom, Burt Kwouk. Director Blake Edwards. It’s here that the formula begins. Lom plays Clouseau’s long-suffering boss Charles Dreyfus, and Kwouk (GF, YOLT) his manservant Cato who would unpredictably attack Clouseau (at his own request) to keep him on his guard.
INSPECTOR CLOUSEAU (1969) Alan Arkin. Director Bud Yorkin. No Sellers, no Edwards, no Mancini (all were working on a different film “The Party” at this point). No Lom or Kwouk either.
THE RETURN OF THE PINK PANTHER (1975) Sellers, Lom, Christopher Plummer (in the Niven part), Kwouk, Catherine Schell. Director Blake Edwards. A huge success.
THE PINK PANTHER STRIKES AGAIN (1976) Sellers, Lom, Kwouk. Director Blake Edwards. Again a huge success. Sellers having suffered heart trouble, he was doubled as much as possible. (Personal favourite)
REVENGE OF THE PINK PANTHER (1978) Sellers, Lom, Kwouk. Director Blake Edwards.
Plans for “Romance Of The Pink Panther” were made, but sadly Peter Sellers would die before it could be produced.
TRAIL OF THE PINK PANTHER (1982) Sellers, Niven, Lom, Wagner, Capucine, Kwouk. Director Blake Edwards. Using outtakes from earlier Panther films for the first half, and clips for the second half, Edwards created this... film... linked by Niven & co with Joanna Lumley as a reporter interviewing them. Not a hit, and Sellers' widow sued.
CURSE OF THE PINK PANTHER (1983) Niven, Lom, Wagner, Capucine, Kwouk, Ted Wass, Roger Moore, Joanna Lumley. Director Blake Edwards. Edwards used Wass as a bumbling American detective endeavouring to track down Clouseau... who is played by Roger Moore on a break from shooting OP, and may be the best thing about it. David Niven’s last film, and as with the one above he was ill and his voice was dubbed by impressionist Rich Little. Big flop.
SON OF THE PINK PANTHER (1993) Roberto Benigni, Lom, Kwouk, Cardinale (in the Sommer part). Director Blake Edwards. Remember “A Shot in The Dark” above? Apparently Clouseau and Maria Gambrelli had an affair and then a son, played by Benigni.
To be continued...
It wasn’t uncommon for people who worked on one series to turn up in another- not just the cast, but the crew (eg, cinematographer Alan Hume Carried On Filming before being “promoted” to the Bonds). Often an actor or actress who had starring roles in, say, a Hammer movie would turn up in a smaller role in a Bond (eg Valerie Leon, Christopher Neame) – there was a definite pecking order going on.
The Panther films were never meant to be a series. The first film, directed by Blake Edwards, was designed as a vehicle for David Niven, a popular star. Building on an earlier film in which he had starred called “Raffles”, Niven would play an elegant upper class jewel thief who would charm the ladies while purloining their valuables. The script included a bumbling policeman who would fail to catch him, and the original intention was that this part should be played by Peter Ustinov with whom Niven had worked before. When Ustinov later backed out he was replaced with Peter Sellers as Inspector Clouseau who promptly stole the movie, which was a major success.
Later when Edwards was working on a film adaptation of a play called “A Shot In The Dark”, Sellers was brought in to play Clouseau (who wasn’t originally in the play) and the formula was set.
Two major features of the series were the music by Henry Mancini, as inseparable from these films as Clouseau himself, and the animated characters of the title sequences (initially by DePatie-Freleng, later by others) who went on to have a life of their own both in cinema and television- IMHO, the Panther title sequences rival those of Bond.
THE PINK PANTHER (1963) Niven, Sellers, Robert Wagner, Capucine, Claudia Cardinale (all of whom would later appear in the series). Director Blake Edwards.
A SHOT IN THE DARK (1964) Sellers, Elke Sommer, Herbert Lom, Burt Kwouk. Director Blake Edwards. It’s here that the formula begins. Lom plays Clouseau’s long-suffering boss Charles Dreyfus, and Kwouk (GF, YOLT) his manservant Cato who would unpredictably attack Clouseau (at his own request) to keep him on his guard.
INSPECTOR CLOUSEAU (1969) Alan Arkin. Director Bud Yorkin. No Sellers, no Edwards, no Mancini (all were working on a different film “The Party” at this point). No Lom or Kwouk either.
THE RETURN OF THE PINK PANTHER (1975) Sellers, Lom, Christopher Plummer (in the Niven part), Kwouk, Catherine Schell. Director Blake Edwards. A huge success.
THE PINK PANTHER STRIKES AGAIN (1976) Sellers, Lom, Kwouk. Director Blake Edwards. Again a huge success. Sellers having suffered heart trouble, he was doubled as much as possible. (Personal favourite)
REVENGE OF THE PINK PANTHER (1978) Sellers, Lom, Kwouk. Director Blake Edwards.
Plans for “Romance Of The Pink Panther” were made, but sadly Peter Sellers would die before it could be produced.
TRAIL OF THE PINK PANTHER (1982) Sellers, Niven, Lom, Wagner, Capucine, Kwouk. Director Blake Edwards. Using outtakes from earlier Panther films for the first half, and clips for the second half, Edwards created this... film... linked by Niven & co with Joanna Lumley as a reporter interviewing them. Not a hit, and Sellers' widow sued.
CURSE OF THE PINK PANTHER (1983) Niven, Lom, Wagner, Capucine, Kwouk, Ted Wass, Roger Moore, Joanna Lumley. Director Blake Edwards. Edwards used Wass as a bumbling American detective endeavouring to track down Clouseau... who is played by Roger Moore on a break from shooting OP, and may be the best thing about it. David Niven’s last film, and as with the one above he was ill and his voice was dubbed by impressionist Rich Little. Big flop.
SON OF THE PINK PANTHER (1993) Roberto Benigni, Lom, Kwouk, Cardinale (in the Sommer part). Director Blake Edwards. Remember “A Shot in The Dark” above? Apparently Clouseau and Maria Gambrelli had an affair and then a son, played by Benigni.
To be continued...
Comments
PINK PANTHER 2 (2009) Martin, Reno, John Cleese as Dreyfus (Kevin Kline isn't known as "Kevin Decline" for nothing). Director Harald Zwart. Flop.
-Blake Edwards directs great party scenes. Breakfast at Tiffany's had a classic party sequence, the Pink Panther films a few more (wasn't there one at a ski-lodge with a fireplace in the middle of the room?), then of course he filled an entire movie with the party sequence to end all party sequences.
-I haven't seen the Alan Arkin film in decades, seems like it got took out of circulation. Pity, cuz I like Arkin, but he's no Sellers. And I really like Steve Martin, but he also is no Sellers, so I never even considered seeing his remakes.
Yes, it's in the first one.
I love the music, too- the main theme and the Shot In The Dark theme are what I often use while checking tuning.
Those 2 post-Sellers , Trail & Curse were terrible
(......and people say Lee was exploited in Game of Death 8-)
I kinda liked Son of PP.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBupII3LH_Q
Back on topic - I love the Pink Panther films but only the ones with Peter Sellers, after that in my opinion they just seemed flat. Maybe because Sellers, again in my opinion is the best comedic actor I've seen. These films easily stand up well today. No shortage of 'Bond girls' either. Dyan Cannon (The Revenge of the Pink Panther) is as gorgeous as anyone.
Agree with you Barbel re: the accompanying music by Henry Mancini - complements the films perfectly. And if anyone is interested in purchasing music by Henry Mancini, I highly recommend a 3CD titled 'The Real... Henry Mancini' that you can buy for only about 5 pounds or the equivalent wherever you may live. 60 tracks in all.
As for the later films, for many years I wasn't even aware that the rest of the series of films existed. I later caught up with them on DVD (excluding Inspector Clouseau, Curse of the Pink Panther and Son of the Pink Panther, none of which I've never seen).
A Shot in the Dark - I was delighted when I finally found this film and got to see more of Sellers as Clouseau. It has a very different feel to the first film, especially in that it much more low key, and without the exotic locales. The comedy is outstanding though, and I like this film's main theme as well, with Mancini more in the Peter Gunn mode.
Return of The Pink Panther - This is the only one of the Peter Sellers films that I don't own on DVD, because it wasn't in the MGM boxset and as a result it is the one that I've seen the least. I remember liking Plummer's take on the David Niven role.
The Pink Panther Strikes Again - There are some great moments in this one, especially the finale at the castle. Clouseau's various attempts at crossing the moat and getting in are hilarious. Then there is the classic "Does your dog bite?" moment. It all gets very crazy and over the top, which is great fun when I'm in the mood. This one also has my favourite title sequence, which includes references to many other films such as Singin in the Rain, The Sound of Music, as well as Jaws in the closing credits.
Revenge of The Pink Panther - This one I find a bit dull, although the big chase in Hong Kong at the end is quite good fun. I also can't help liking the cheesy disco version of the main title theme.
Trail of The Pink Panther - Very forgettable film. Not much else to sat about it
I've been in love with Mancinis music ever since. Also I still believe that '60s produced some of the most stylish movies and movie stars todate!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=paWt-vWYbyU
-Mr Arlington Beech
Notice in the awful " Absolutely Fabulous "
Film. They basically copied an entire sequence
From one. With a little red van.