The Return of the Pink Panther (1975)

This is probably the fourth best film in the series, rating only ahead of 'Revenge' in terms of the original Sellers' films. There is some very funny stuff, but not quite up to the standards set in some of the other films.

For me, the sequence starting with Clouseau vacuuming Lady Linton's apartment is the best in the movie. Our first meeting with Guy Gadua (sp?) is hysterical as well.

Christopher Plummer is good, but Niven would have been better. Too bad he was unavailable.

Fmovies: "The Return of the Pink Panther" is the fourth movie in the "Pink Panther" franchise, marking Peter Sellers' return to what must be his signature role, Inspector Jacques Clouseau. Previously, Alan Arkin had stepped into his shoes for one movie, apparently with bad results. In "Return," the fabled Pink Panther diamond is again stolen, with the Phantom's calling card monogrammed glove left as a clue. Clouseau goes back on the case, as does Sir Charles Lytton (Christopher Plummer, taking over for David Niven), the former Phantom himself. Anyway, this movie shows the progress of the "Panther" franchise, when the crazy characters and Clouseau's wacky mannerisms start to really show. Sellers brings slapstick to a fever pitch, making a shambles of everything in his path, not to mention the sanity of his superior, Chief Inspector Dreyfus, played by Herbert Lom. There are lots of funny scenes, including the one in which Clouseau is distracted from a bank robbery by a "blind" accordionist and his chimpanzee "minkey." It's definitely one of the better chapters in the "Pink Panther" saga.

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Class act David Niven has been replaced by the equally classy Christopher Plummer ("Murder by Decree", "The Sound of Music", "Dragnet").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.

The Return of the Pink Panther fmovies. Return of the Pink Panther (1975)

Complete with the great Mancini sax theme, the nutty smart Blake Edwards directing, the sassy cartoon panther himself, and of course Peter Sellers as Inspector Clouseau (taking on many absurd disguises). This is the third of the original Pink Panther movies series (omitting the oddball fourth one from 1968 that didn't have Mancini, Sellers, or Edwards), and it comes over a decade after the first two. Was the public interested? Yes--it did well. It was a great formula. Is it still a good formula in 2012?

Good question. It depends on your taste. But surely the names repeated above are all cinema greats that, like Chaplin, rise above their time. But of course, Sellers, as terrific as he was, was no Charles Chaplin. At his best, the comedy is hilarious. And that makes the movie worth watching for sure. But he is sometimes a bit off in his timing, or is stuck playing a stunt that isn't worthy of him.

There's also a lag in the filler material, the scenes between the great stuff. Some marginal characters (including the leading woman, who is totally a late 60s type, not a 1975 type, and she feels oddly unnecessary) don't command their parts, or their scenes. The drift begins to drift. And then you realize there isn't much of a plot. The whole recovery (sort of) of the famous Pink Panther diamond after an elaborate theft isn't really the driving force of the movie. What takes its place is a slow interplay of the characters all stumbling over each other trying to trick the perpetrator into revealing the gem.

So then you are back to the stumbling as comedy, and sometimes it's great. There are so many ridiculous moments with Sellers being a bumbling fool like no one, you are sure to laugh. And that's what you're here for. "The Pink Panther" is the original, and at times also a bit sluggish, but it's the first. And "A Shot in the Dark" is the best of the three, I think. But if you like them, you'll be just fine here. If you haven't seen any, you might go in order, since the sets and music are really spot on in the first two, and a bit more transporting. There is something a little off kilter here that make it an awkward, but decent, third.

Return of the Pink Panther is an outstanding comedy starring Peter Sellers as the lovable and totally incompetent Inspect Clouseau. I remember seeing this film for the first time just after its release and laughed so hard that my wife refused to sit next to me in the theatre. There are a few slow spots, mainly those without Sellers' charm on screen but there are more than enough belly laughs in this movie to make up for that. Don't miss it.

Peter Sellers is in top form in the Pink Panther Returns as the bumbling Inspector Jacques Clouseau. This time around Closeau has been assigned to track down the thief that has stolen the Pink Panther Diamond from the Lugash. All evidence points to the supposedly retired thief the Phantom (also seen in The original Pink Panther but played there by David Niven )aka Charles Lytton. It is in true slapstick style that we see Clouseau bumble through one laugh out loud situation to another in trying to solve the case. Standout scenes include Clouseau going to Charle's Lytton's home posing as a telephone repair man, a runaway vacuum cleaner a fantastic escape by Charles Lytton from some thugs. There are many great moments in this film, and I would highly suggest it not only for a lot of laughs but for the comedic story.