Review of The Pink Panther (1963) by David D — 09 Jan 2008

Blake Edwards set out to write a caper film, and wrote a B-level caper at that. And then Peter Sellers, in a supporting role for which he was a second choice, fell down a lot. And with his comic genius, he made this a comedy classic that spawned nine sequels and a cartoon franchise.

The way Sellers' Clouseau stumbles into solving the crimes is in some way a metaphor for the way Edwards falls ass backwards into a classic. Clouseau was only meant to be a minor character, but he steals every scene with Sellers' slapstick humor.

Yes, the screenplay has some very strong scenes, including a long and captivatiing one in near-real time, and two excellent songs, but Sellers is the glue that makes it a four-star classic. The two leading women are delightful as well, making for an all around excellent film.