Pink Panther [UMD] DVD

The Pink Panther
In the first in a series of detective comedies from director Blake Edwards starring Peter Sellers as bumbling French Inspector Jacques Clouseau, the mishap-prone snoop is actually a supporting player. David Niven stars as Sir Charles Litton, a suave jewel thief known as "The Phantom." Vacationing in a deluxe Alpine resort, Litton's real purpose is to purloin the Pink Panther, a gem of enormous worth owned by a princess (Claudia Cardinale). On his trail for years, Inspector Clouseau keeps losing his quarry, perhaps because his wife Simone (Capucine) is Litton's lover and alerts him every time her husband draws near. Also after the Panther is Litton's American nephew, George (Robert Wagner). At a posh costume ball at the princess' villa, the bauble is stolen and Clouseau, still trying to determine the bandit's identity, is framed for the crime himself. The Pink Panther (1964) made Sellers and his Clouseau act so popular that the character moved to center stage in a series of farcical sequels. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide

Cast David Niven as Sir Charles Lytton Peter Sellers as Inspector Jacques Clouseau Robert Wagner as George Lytton Capucine as Simone Clouseau Claudia Cardinale as Princess Dala Brenda de Banzie as Angela Dunning Fran Jeffries as Greek "Cousin" Colin Gordon as Tucker John Le Mesurier as Defense Attorney James Lanphier as Saloud Guy Thomajan as Artoff Michael Trubshawe as Novelist Riccardo Billi as Greek Shipowner Martin Miller as Photographer

Crew Fernando Carrere - Art Director Hermes Pan - Choreography William Theiss - Costume Designer Blake Edwards - Director Marshall M. Borden - Editor David Zinnemann - Editor Ralph Winters - Editor Henry Mancini - Composer (Music Score) Johnny Mercer - Songwriter Franco Misliacci - Songwriter Philip H. Lathrop - Cinematographer Martin Jurow - Producer Reg Allen - Set Designer Arrigo Breschi - Set Designer Jack Stephens - Set Designer Lee Zavitz - Special Effects Blake Edwards - Screenwriter Maurice Richlin - Screenwriter Don Lusher - Musical Performer Yves Saint Laurent - Costume/Wardrobe

The Pink Panther
One of the most successful franchises of the 1960s and 1970s, director Blake Edwards' Pink Panther movies were a hit from their first installment, in 1964. The film introduced many of the series' hallmarks: Peter Sellers' endearingly inept Inspector Clouseau; the lanky animated pink panther of the credit sequences; and Henry Mancini's instantly recognizable score. Clouseau is a more minor role here than he would be in the future. Sellers' scene-stealing work -- in a part originally intended for Peter Ustinov -- secured him starring status in the subsequent films. His sense of comic timing is unparalleled, in both dialogue delivery and physical humor. Though The Pink Panther isn't as funny as its sequel, A Shot in the Dark (also from 1964), Edwards gives the screwball humor an effortless feel. Such farce was a departure for Edwards, previously best-known for the bittersweet Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961) and the somber Days of Wine and Roses (1962). The Pink Panther would be followed by eight sequels of varying casts and quality and a popular television cartoon. ~ Brendon Hanley, All Movie Guide
 

Henry Mancini: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Original Score (nominated) Peter Sellers: Golden Globe, Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Com (nominated)

General Specifications: Language Options: English, French Subtitle Options: English, French Sound Processing: Additional Features: Includes 3 cartoons: The Pink Phink/Pink, Plunk, Plink/Psychedelic Pink DVD Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1: Alternate Wide Screen MPAA Rating: NR DVD Discs Included: 1 DVD Sides: 1 DVD DVD Region Code: 1 Content Length: 115 min