United Artists
December 18, 1963
Crime Comedy
DVD
C+
DVD
C+
I grew up watching the Pink Panther movies, both the '60s originals and the '70s revivals (after a seven-year gap), but I honestly couldn't have described them beyond memorable opening cartoon credits (leading to the TV cartoon, which I of course also watched), attractive European women, and bumbling Inspector Clouseau, played by Peter Sellers. So it was interesting revisiting the movie that launched it all, because it does contain those elements, but it's basically a standard '60s caper comedy that I'd give a C or less to if not for that silky yet playful Mancini score that I can hear echoes of on the soundtracks of everything from Bikini Beach to Down with Love. Anyway, Sellers does establish his iconic role, but he's onscreen less than David Niven. Blake Edwards directed and co-wrote, which is probably why there's a lot of suggested sex and that very amoral double ending.
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