Bumbling French policeman Inspector Jacques Clouseau always seems to solve his cases, despite his complete lack of proper policework. Clouseau’s dumb luck, naivety and endless optimism always seem to win out in the end. Clouseau often misses clues and events that are happening right in front of him—he’s usually too busy playing some elaborate undercover character, smashing into things, knocking stuff over or setting things on fire. His boss, Charles Dreyfus, grows increasingly frustrated by this stupidity—especially when it Clouseau gets accolades by the press for his great policework.
While several actors have played this iconic French police inspector over the years, Peter Sellers was the first, and the man who has become synonymous with the role. For the latest title in its deluxe Shout Select line, Shout! Factory has released a new Blu-ray collection of the six Pink Panther films starring Peter Sellers. Only the original The Pink Panther had previously been released on Blu-ray back in 2009, and the 2004 DVD release of The Pink Panther Film Collection only included five of the six films. Shout! Factory’s release includes:
The Pink Panther (1963)
A mysterious international jewel thief known as The Phantom has been making his way across Europe, leaving his calling card at each of his crime scenes—a white glove monogrammed with the letter “P”. French police officer Inspector Clouseau (Peter Sellers) thinks he knows where the thief will strike next and heads to Switzerland to try to stop this unidentified criminal. Princess Dala of Lugash (Claudia Cardinale) inherited the priceless Pink Panther diamond from her father, and Clouseau thinks it may be The Phantom’s next target. He brings his wife, Simone (Capucine), with him on a weekend getaway to attend a party hosted by the princess. Meanwhile, another guest, Sir Charles Lytton (David Niven) appears to be up to something. He stages a kidnapping of the princess’ puppy in order to get close to her and make himself look like a hero. At the same time, Simone is sneaking around behind her husband’s back, trying to have a secret tryst with Sir Charles. But the arrival of Charles’ Americanized nephew George (Robert Wagner) throws a wrench in his plans.
Will the clueless Inspector Clouseau even realize that his wife is cheating on him? Who is The Phantom? And will the bumbling Clouseau be able to stop him?
A Shot in the Dark (1964)
Jacques Clouseau is sent to the mansion belonging to millionaire Benjamin Ballon (George Sanders) to investigate a murder. Ballon’s chauffeur was found dead and the maid, Maria (Elke Sommer), was found holding the murder weapon—though she claims she has no recollection as to what happened. Clouseau is smitten with Maria and wants to believe her story, but every time he lets her out of jail, someone else winds up dead, and she always seems to be close to the murder weapon. Clouseau’s boss, Commissioner Charles Dreyfus (Herbert Lom) had been instructed by a superior to keep Clouseau on the case, but he’s struggling with that fact that Clouseau continues to be a total fool.
Is Maria really innocent, or is Clouseau blinded by love? Who is really killing all of these people and why? And can Clouseau identify and stop the real killer before someone else winds up dead?
The Return of the Pink Panther (1975)
The Pink Panther diamond is stolen from a museum, and the familiar calling card of The Phantom is found in its place. The museum owners insist that Inspector Jacques Clouseau be assigned to the case due to his previous experience with this stolen jewel. Clouseau’s prime suspect is the man who stole it the last time…the notorious Phantom himself, Sir Charles Litton (Christopher Plummer). So Clouseau starts “covertly” trailing Litton in hopes of catching him red-handed. However, Litton’s wife Lady Claudine (Catherine Schell) can’t help but easily see through Clouseau’s horrible disguises. Meanwhile, Clouseau’s boss, Chief Inspector Charles Dreyfus grows increasing frustrated with his bumbling detective.
The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976)
Former Chief Inspector Charles Dreyfus escapes from the mental hospital with one thought on his mind…killing Chief Inspector Jacques Clouseau. His evil plan involves breaking some of the worst criminals out of prison in order to recruit them as his henchmen. He then kidnaps Professor Hugo Fassbender (Richard Vernon) and uses his daughter, Margo (Briony McRoberts), as leverage to get the professor to build him a Doomsday Machine. The final step in Dreyfeus’ elaborate plan is to threaten to use the machine unless the countries of the world send their best assassins after Clouseau, who is like a cockroach, surviving anything that comes his way through shear dumb luck and stupidity.
Can Clouseau find Dreyfus’ secret lair and stop him before it’s too late? Or will the bounty Dreyfus has placed on his head lead to Clouseau’s death?
Revenge of the Pink Panther (1978)
A failed assassination attempt leaves the world thinking that Chief Inspector Jacques Clouseau is dead. This “happy” news causes former Chief Inspector Dreyfus to experience an immediate recovery from his craziness. He is released from the metal hospital, reinstated to his former position, and put in charge of the investigation into Clouseau’s death. Meanwhile, Clouseau decides to take advantage of the situation to allow him to covertly figure out who is trying to kill him this time. The man responsible is businessman Philippe Douvier (Robert Webber), who was looking to make a show of force to impress the godfather of the French drug ring, Al Marchione (Robert Loggia). Clouseau teams up with Douvier’s jilted former mistress/secretary, Simone Legree (Dyan Cannon), as he tries to infiltrate the mob. Meanwhile Chief Inspector Dreyfus starts to think he’s going crazy again when he sees glimpses of a very alive Clouseau.
Trail of the Pink Panther (1982)
The Pink Panther diamond is once again stolen, and once again Chief Inspector Clouseau is assigned to the case. However, when Clouseau’s airplane goes missing, he’s presumed dead. And so investigative reporter Marie Jouvet (Joanna Lumley) interviews his coworkers, friends, associates, and even Clouseau’s father (Richard Mulligan), to learn more about the life of this extraordinary man.
Overall I really enjoyed these films. Each has a fun mix of action, comedy and physical humor. I found the original film to be the weakest of the first five. While there are certainly some fun moments, the overall pace is a bit slow at times, and the heist is only a very small piece of the film. Much of the movie plays out like a bedroom farce, with near misses as hidden boyfriends lie under a bed or in the closet, and the dimwitted Clouseau has no idea that his wife is cheating on him. However, the final act of the film is where it really shines. It turns into a fast-moving screwball comedy with a wild costume party and subsequent madcap car race around town. I found these last 30 minutes to be thoroughly entertaining.
Starting with A Shot in the Dark, the films just keep getting better and zanier, and I especially enjoyed the super-villain type plot of The Pink Panther Strikes Again. I loved seeing Dreyfus’ slow descent into craziness play out across the films. In each film, something Clouseau does causes Dreyfus to get physically injured. He is also being silently demoted with each film. All of this ultimately leads Dreyfus to become a cartoon super-villain.
The increasing quality of these films takes a turn for the worse with the final movie, Trail of the Pink Panther. This felt like more of a money grab than anything else. Peter Sellers had passed away over a year before production had even started on this film. His performance is compiled from archive footage from the previous films. The movie initially starts off OK, integrating some deleted material into a new storyline, but this quickly ends up devolving into a clip show featuring favorite moments from his previous five films. The overall story of the stolen diamond is forgotten and replaced with this premise of the reporter interviewing Clouseau’s friends, who recount stories from the past in the form of entire sequences that already appeared in the other movies. While the deleted material near the beginning of this film was kind of fun, it was still evident which movies the scenes had come from. For example, we see Clouseau go to the Balls disguise shop and purchase a Quasimodo costume—we already saw the hilarious aftermath of that in The Pink Panther Strikes Again. While Trail of the Pink Panther was billed as a tribute to the late star, I think this movie shouldn’t have even been made, instead this footage should have been used for a more traditional documentary about the actor.
Peter Sellers was a comic genius when it comes to this character—there is so much great physical humor in all of these films. Starting with A Shot in the Dark, Clouseau adopts this thicker French accent that people cannot understand, and this leads to some misunderstandings and hilarious conversations. There are also some fun elements that show up in every film. You can always expect to see Clouseau set his clothes on fire, rip his pants on something, get covered in bird droppings, and fall over…a lot. Another thing I anxiously looked forward to each time I started a new film was the forthcoming no-holds-barred battle between Clouseau and his Chinese manservant Cato (Burt Kwouk). Clouseau had told Cato to try and attack him without mercy whenever he entered the apartment. So each time Clouseau enters his home, there is this tension of where is Cato hiding, and when is he going to jump out and attack. This leads to some hilarious moments and ridiculous hiding spots—in a freezer, on top of the bed, etc. These two hold nothing back in their fights, often leaving the apartment (and surround apartments) in ruins, and Cato knocked unconscious.
Another thing I thoroughly enjoyed in each film was Clouseau’s crazy disguises. From Quasimodo to a peg-leg pirate with a parrot on his shoulder, the disguises just get increasingly ridiculous (and hilarious)! From bad wigs and beards to crazy accents and forgotten undercover names, Clouseau commits 100% to his personas even though it is so completely obvious that it’s him under the disguise. I loved how in The Return of the Pink Panther, one of the characters turns her head away and starts laughing when Clouseau shows up at her door pretending to be someone else, when it’s so obvious that it’s just him in a bad beard. This is how the audience is reacting, and it’s great to see that one of the characters feels the same way.
Shout! Factory has put together an excellent Blu-ray release. The transfers, for the most part look spectacular. There are a few moments here and there where the films show their age—some dirt in the projector on one scene in the first film, and some of the cold opens have a bit of excessive grain—but this is definitely the best these films have ever looked. All but one of the six films offer 5.1 audio tracks, but I never really noticed any use of the surround channel. That said, Mancini’s delightful score does sound a bit fuller in these tracks when compared to the original mono or stereo tracks. Dialogue was clear, and I did notice some use of the stereo channels in one scene where Cato and Clouseau are chasing one another back and forth across the screen.
The release comes packed in slim 6-disc HD keepcase with a outer box that also houses a 26-page color booklet with production photos, posters and an article, “The Peter Sellers Pink Panther Films” by Jerry Beck. Each film is housed on a separate disc along with the bonus material related to that movie. Shout! Factory has ported over most of the bonus material from the previous Blu-ray and DVD releases of these films and has added a host of new upplemental material—interviews with actresses Claudia Cardinale, Catherine Schell & Lesley-Anne Down, production designer Peter Mullins, and editor Alan Jones, as well as additional photo galleries, trailers, TV & radio spots, and audio commentaries for the last five films, which previously had none. The only thing I noticed that was missing from the previous releases was a trivia track for the first film. Overall, there are many hours of excellent supplemental material!
What’s Included:
Films:
- 1080p / Widescreen 2.35:1
- Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Surround, English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Stereo, English DTS-HD Master Mono
- Subtitles: English
- 1080p / Widescreen 2.35:1
- NEW 4K scan of the interpositive
- Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Surround, English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Stereo, English DTS-HD Master Mono
- Subtitles: English
- 1080p / Widescreen 2.35:1
- Audio: English DTS-HD Master Mono
- Subtitles: English
- 1080p / Widescreen 2.35:1
- NEW 4K scan of the interpositive
- Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Surround, English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Stereo, English DTS-HD Master Mono
- Subtitles: English
- 1080p / Widescreen 2.35:1
- Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Surround, English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Stereo, English DTS-HD Master Mono
- Subtitles: English
- 1080p / Widescreen 2.35:1
- Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Surround, English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Stereo, English DTS-HD Master Mono
- Subtitles: English
Disc 1: THE PINK PANTHER (1:55:07):
Disc 2: A SHOT IN THE DARK (1:42:19):
Disc 3: THE RETURN OF THE PINK PANTHER (1:52:56):
Disc 4: THE PINK PANTHER STRIKES AGAIN (1:42:33):
Disc 5: REVENGE OF THE PINK PANTHER (1:38:57):
Disc 6: TRAIL OF THE PINK PANTHER (1:36:50):
Extras:
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Disc 1: THE PINK PANTHER:
- Audio Commentary by writer/director Blake Edwards (1:55:07)
Writer/director Blake Edwards provides an entertaining audio commentary on the film, sharing some production tidbits, casting and behind-the-scenes stories. However, he frequently pauses throughout the commentary, making it drag a bit. This commentary was originally recorded in 2003 for the DVD release. - The Pink Panther Story — Documentary (28:44)
A retrospective look at the career of Blake Edwards, how the Pink Panther films came about, casting the films, the scripts, working with Peter Sellers, improv, the soundtrack, the accents, and more. Includes behind-the-scenes footage/photos and interviews with director/writer/producer Blake Edwards, editor Ralph E Winters, author Ed Sikov (“Mr. Strangelove”), producer Walter Mirisch, stunt coordinator Joe Dunne (“Return of the Pink Panther”) and author John Burlingame (“Sound & Vision: 60 Years of Motion Picture Soundtracks”). This 2003 featurette is presented in 4:3 full frame/letterboxed. - Behind the Feline: The Cartoon Phenomenon (10:52)
A look at the genesis of the animated Pink Panther character, creating the title sequences and life for the character beyond the films. Includes interviews with co-creator Blake Edwards, script supervisor Betty Abbott Griffin, and producer’s David H DePatie (co-owner of DePatie-Freling Enterprises) and Walter Mirisch (The Mirisch Compay). This 2003 featurette is presented in 4:3 full frame format. - A Conversation with Robert Wagner: Coolest Cat in Cortina (10:56)
Actor Robert Wagner (“George Lytton”) reminisces about working on the film, and shares some trivia about the production. This 2008 featurette is presented in widescreen format. - An Italian Indian: The Pink Panther Princess with Claudia Cardinale (11:11) NEW
In this brand new featurette, French actress Claudia Cardinale (“The Princess”) reminisces about her experiences working with the actors and making the film. Presented in widescreen format in French with English subtitles. - Diamonds: Beyond the Sparkle (6:55)
Gem experts talk about some of the world’s most famous diamonds, cuts and values. Includes interviews with Brenda Harwick (Resident Gem Instructor, GIA), Elise Misiorowski (Museum Director, GIA), Cos Altobelli (certified gemologist) and Harvey Carl (wholesale jeweller). This 2008 featurette is presented in widescreen format. - The Tip-Toe Life of a Cat Burglar: A Conversation with Former Jewel Thief Bill Mason (9:45)
Novelists/co-authors Bill Mason & Lee Gruenfeld (“Confessions of a Master Jewel Thief”) talk about some of the tricks of the jewel thief trade, and how the portrayal of the Phantom in the film compares to reality. This 2008 featurette is presented in widescreen format. - Theatrical Trailer (3:52)
- Still Gallery (6:12)
This slideshow of production photos auto-advances every 4 seconds. - Poster Gallery (2:45)
This slideshow of posters and vintage lobby cards auto-advances every 4 seconds. - Audio Commentary by Jason Simos of the Peter Sellers Appreciation Society (1:42:19) NEW
Jason Simos of the Peter Sellers Appreciation Society provides this brand new commentary track. He gives an entertaining and informative discussion of the film, providing lots of interesting trivia and production stories, though sometimes it sounds like he’s reading from a script. - Back to the Start: The Origin of the Pink Panther with Walter Mirisch (23:10) NEW
In this brand new featurette, executive producer Walter Mirisch talks about how his partnership with Blake Edwards came about, and casting and working with Peter Sellers. Despite this appearing on the disc for the second film, the discussion is primarily about the first film. Presented in widescreen format. - Blake Edwards and Julie Andrews on The Dick Cavett Show (7:06)
Blake Edwards shares some outtakes from A Shot in the Dark on The Dick Cavett Show. Presented in full frame format, though the outtakes are Pan & Scan. - Trailers (9:54)
Collection of five trailers including both black & white and color trailers, one narrated by an animated bullet, and the The Pink Panther/A Shot in the Dark 1966 reissue theatrical trailer. - Still Gallery (5:38)
This slideshow of production photos auto-advances every 4 seconds. - Poster Gallery (2:59)
This slideshow of posters and vintage lobby cards auto-advances every 4 seconds. - Rare Image Gallery (1:32)
This slideshow of rare photos sourced from Jason Simos and the Peter Sellers Appreciation Society auto-advances every 4 seconds. - Audio Commentary by Jason Simos of the Peter Sellers Appreciation Society (1:52:56) NEW
Jason Simos of the Peter Sellers Appreciation Society provides this brand new commentary track. He once again provides some interesting trivia and production stories. - A Bit of Passion and A Lot of Laughs with Catherine Schell (21:48) NEW
In this brand new featurette, actress Catherine Schell (“Lady Claudine Litton”) recounts fun stories about her audition, being cast in the film, negotiating her salary and integrating the laughter from her audition into the character. She also talks about the atmosphere on set and what it was like working with Peter Sellers. Presented in widescreen format. - Production Designer Peter Mullins on making The Pink Panthers (28:03) NEW
In this brand new featurette, production designer Peter Mullins talks about working on six of the Pink Panther films, three of which starred Peter Sellers. He provides lots of fun stories about things that were improvised on set, the destruction caused by the Cato fights, and more. Presented in widescreen format. - Vintage Featurette — The Return of Laughter (8:21)
This 1975 making of featurette for The Return of the Pink Panther includes lots of behind the scenes footage, and interviews with director Blake Edwards and star Peter Sellers. Presented in full frame format. - Theatrical Trailers (6:09)
Three trailers for the film. - TV Spots (3:25)
Four television spots for the film. - Radio Spots (2:29)
Four radio spots for the film. - Still Gallery (3:12)
This slideshow of production photos auto-advances every 4 seconds. - Poster Gallery (2:19)
This slideshow of posters and vintage lobby cards auto-advances every 4 seconds. - Rare Image Gallery (:44)
This slideshow of rare photos sourced from Jason Simos and the Peter Sellers Appreciation Society auto-advances every 4 seconds. - Audio Commentary by Jason Simos of the Peter Sellers Appreciation Society (1:43:23) NEW
Jason Simos of the Peter Sellers Appreciation Society provides this brand new commentary track. He once again provides some interesting trivia and production stories. - Panther Musings: A Life in Films with Lesley-Anne Down (21:49) NEW
In this brand new featurette, actress Lesley-Anne Down (“Olga”) talks about how she got into acting, her career choices and how she got involved with The Pink Panther Strikes Again. Then she shares stories about the atmosphere on set, and what it was like working with Peter Sellers. Presented in widescreen format. - A Cut Above: Editing the Pink Panther Films with Alan Jones (24:31) NEW
In this brand new featurette, editor Alan Jones talks about the editing process and test screenings, and shares stories from his time in the cutting room of the Pink Panther films. Presented in widescreen format. - Vintage Featurette — Clouseau: The Greatest Fumbler in the World (7:18)
This 1976 making of featurette for The Pink Panther Strikes Again includes lots of behind the scenes footage, and interviews with director Blake Edwards and star Peter Sellers. Presented in full frame format. - Theatrical Trailers (5:54)
Four teasers/trailers for the film. - TV Spots (2:56)
Five television spots for the film. - Radio Spots (2:55)
Four radio spots for the film. - Still Gallery (5:09)
This slideshow of production photos auto-advances every 4 seconds. - Poster Gallery (5:22)
This slideshow of posters and vintage lobby cards auto-advances every 4 seconds. - Rare Behind the Scenes Gallery (2:03)
This slideshow of photographer Colin Cadle on-set photos auto-advances every 4 seconds. - Audio Commentary by author and film historian William Patrick Maynard (1:38:57) NEW
Author/film historian William Patrick Maynard provides this brand new commentary track. He gives an entertaining and informative discussion of the film, providing lots of interesting trivia and production stories. As with the previous commentator, sometimes it feels a bit scripted and there some long pauses. - Theatrical Trailers (3:04)
Bond-like opening teaser, plus the theatrical trailer for the film. - TV Spots (1:57)
Five television spots for the film. - Radio Spots (2:21)
Five radio spots for the film. - Still Gallery (4:03)
This slideshow of production photos auto-advances every 4 seconds. - Poster Gallery (3:58)
This slideshow of posters and vintage lobby cards auto-advances every 4 seconds. - Photos From Alan Jones’ Personal Collection (:42)
This slideshow of 7 captioned behind-the-scenes photos auto-advances every 5 seconds. - Audio Commentary by author and film historian William Patrick Maynard (1:36:50) NEW
Author/film historian William Patrick Maynard returns for another new, informative commentary track. - Theatrical Trailers (3:22)
Teaser and trailer for the film. - Still Gallery (2:19)
This slideshow of production photos auto-advances every 4 seconds. - Poster Gallery (2:23)
This slideshow of posters and vintage lobby cards auto-advances every 4 seconds. - Rare Images Gallery (1:36)
This slideshow of rare photos sourced from Jason Simos and the Peter Sellers Appreciation Society auto-advances every 4 seconds.
Disc 2: A SHOT IN THE DARK:
Disc 3: THE RETURN OF THE PINK PANTHER:
Disc 4: THE PINK PANTHER STRIKES AGAIN:
Disc 5: REVENGE OF THE PINK PANTHER:
Disc 6: TRAIL OF THE PINK PANTHER:
Final Thoughts:
The Pink Panther films are a fun blend of mystery, farce and physical comedy. They grow increasingly more ridiculous and humorous as the series goes along. Shout! Factory’s new release brings together all six of the films starring the talented and incomparable Peter Sellers in the title role. While the last film was created after the actor’s death and devolves into more of a clip show, the first five films are certainly worth checking out. Fans of the series will not only find excellent new visual presentations, but also a host of new bonus material as well as a delightful full-color companion booklet. This is a must own for any fan of the franchise, and comes highly recommended for anyone interested in checking out this iconic piece of cinematic history.
