IMDb > The Pink Panther (1963)
The Pink Panther
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The Pink Panther (1963) More at IMDbPro »

Videos (see all 3)
The Pink Panther (1963) -- In the first movie starring Peter Sellers as the bumbling Inspector Clouseau, he tries to catch a jewel thief who is right under his nose.
The Pink Panther (1963) -- Trailerfan.com - Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
7.2/10   15,660 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?

Down 21% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.

Director:

Blake Edwards

Writers:

Maurice Richlin (screenplay) and
Blake Edwards (screenplay)

Contact:

View company contact information for The Pink Panther on IMDbPro.

Release Date:

20 March 1964 (USA) more

Tagline:

You only live once... so see the Pink Panther twice!!! more

Plot:

In the first movie starring Peter Sellers as the bumbling Inspector Clouseau, he tries to catch a jewel thief who is right under his nose. full summary | add synopsis

Plot Keywords:

more

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 2 wins & 5 nominations more

User Comments:

Elegance in advance of slapstick more (110 total)


Cast

  (Complete credited cast)

David Niven ... Sir Charles Lytton

Peter Sellers ... Insp. Jacques Clouseau

Robert Wagner ... George Lytton
Capucine ... Simone Clouseau
Brenda De Banzie ... Angela Dunning (as Brenda de Banzie)
Colin Gordon ... Tucker
John Le Mesurier ... Defence Barrister (as John LeMesurier)
James Lanphier ... Saloud
Guy Thomajan ... Artoff
Michael Trubshawe ... Felix Townes
Riccardo Billi ... Aristotle Sarajos
Meri Welles ... Monica Fawn (as Meri Wells)
Martin Miller ... Pierre Luigi - Photographer
Fran Jeffries ... Greek 'cousin'

Claudia Cardinale ... Princess Dahla
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Additional Details

Runtime:

115 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English | Italian

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1 more

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Canada:G (Nova Scotia/Quebec) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | Iceland:L | Portugal:M/12 | Brazil:Livre | Argentina:Atp | Finland:S | France:U | Ireland:PG | Netherlands:AL | Norway:12 (re-rating) | Norway:16 (original rating) | Sweden:Btl | UK:PG | USA:Approved (certificate #20449) | West Germany:12 | Singapore:PG | Australia:PG


Fun Stuff

Trivia:

Peter Sellers modeled the character of Clouseau on the trademark of a box of matches which includes an image of Captain Matthew Webb, who in 1875 became the first person to swim the channel (his heroic mustache and proud stance are both mimicked). To lose weight, Sellers took dieting pills for a year. more

Goofs:

Continuity: Disappearing cigarette when the Princess collapses drunk on the rug. more

Quotes:

[first lines]
Gem dealer 1: As in every stone of this size, there is a flaw.
Sultan: A flaw?
Gem dealer 2: The slightest flaw, your excellency.
Gem dealer 1: If you look deep into the stone, you will perceive the tiniest discoloration. It resembles an animal.
Sultan: An animal?
Gem dealer 1: A little panther.
Sultan: Yes! A pink panther. Come here, Dala. A gift to your father from his grateful people. Some day it will be yours. The most fabulous diamond in all the world. Come closer.
more

Movie Connections:

References Foreign Correspondent (1940) more

Soundtrack:

It Had Better Be Tonight more


FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
18 out of 22 people found the following comment useful.
Elegance in advance of slapstick, 10 March 2002
9/10
Author: Taxdawg

It is said correctly that the first two Pink Panther movies, this and "A Shot in the Dark," are more sophisticated and for adults, compared with the later series of films that began ten years later, which are more blatant slapstick and somewhat juvenile. The latter are more purely entertaining, because they cause people (even adults) to break out and laugh, whereas the humor here is more elegant and less loud, not to say it is not very good. Still, I rate the original "Pink Panther" film very highly because of its own brand of entertainment and humor, and I put it above most of its successors ("Returns" and "Strikes Again" are at least as good, but I think most people would agree that with the end ones things go downhill).

Clouseau is one of the five main characters in the film, but he is only the fourth most prominent. It might be said that David Niven as the many-times-over thief Sir Charles Litton is the most prominent, followed by Claudia Cardinale as Central Asian Princess Dala, owner of the Pink Panther diamond that is the bait to be stolen, but I would argue that Clouseau's wife Simone (played by Capucine) is as at least equal to Sir Charles, if not more prominent. After all, she is effectively a double agent — Clouseau's wife, while aiding and abetting Sir Charles — and she even has a fling with Sir Charles's nephew George Litton. Two different affairs, but all of an extremely classy and gorgeous woman, just like Claudia Cardinale, and she seems to like all three men equally. Within her romances and the intrigue of the plot there is lots of hotel bedroom-to-bedroom back and forth and hiding, etc. Simone's humor, combined with her good bearing, is great, and she is the highlight of the film to me.

Clouseau's bumbling and klutziness is there, just less-pronounced, less loud and dominant. The film flows well, with good dialogue and comedy, and elegant settings of upscale hotels and fancy parties. The wit and humor are perhaps not described as subtle, but just less loud and more intelligent and refined than that of the later films. It seems that many comedies have idiotic, goofy characters, to such an extent that they may not be funny, but in this film the five main characters are urbane and smooth. Even Sellers has that bearing, while being a klutz too. But sometimes the presence of such more refined characters does not matter if the people are not appealing and the comedy is not funny. Here, however, the characters are definitely very appealing and poised, within a well-written good script, making for a good chemistry.

There is a great scene in which Sir Charles attempts to seduce the princess, who is laying stomach down on a tiger skin. The verbal reigns over the slapstick there, as in many other parts of the movie. Still, the ending is not without the latter, and it has a good ironic twist. Yes, there will be more slapstick to come...

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