Curiously, this would be the only film in the series not to have a soundtrack album released until The Pink Panther 2. Enter Sergeant Clifton Sleigh (Ted Wass) of the New York Police Department, a walking disaster area that his commanding officer is overjoyed to pack off to Paris. Harmless and good-natured but completely unimaginative and mostly unfunny, this comedy may help you kill two hours, but it may also irritate you because of its exploiting the images of many of the series' stars just to gain some "dignity" as a film. When legendary Inspector Clouseau (Roger Moore) goes missing, New York police officer Clifton Sleigh (Ted Wass) is enlisted to find him. When Peter Sellers died, you'd have thought they'd have let the 'Pink Panther' series die with him. Ted Wass received an "introducing" credit. The "Pink Panther" of the title is a diamond supposedly containing a flaw that forms the image of a "leaping panther" which can be seen if held up to the light in a certain way. Ted Wass was placed under contract with Edwards for six Panther films (including this one). But money talks and in 1981 we got the dire 'Trail Of The Pink Panther'. This was Niven's final film, and due to his failing health his voice was dubbed by impressionist Rich Little during post-production. The Pink Panther (1963), the original film of the series, centered on the Phantom/Sir Charles Lytton, portrayed by David Niven. Terms and Policies Dreyfus and his long-suffering assistant, Sergeant Franois Durval (Andr Maranne), soon find that the sabotage has worked a bit too well: while slightly more intelligent and capable, Sleigh is just as clumsy as Clouseau. The first "Pink Panther" titled movie with "Pink Panther" wording in its name not to star Peter Sellers as Inspector Clouseau. When Chief Inspector Dreyfus (Herbert Lom) is instructed to use a supercomputer to select the world's greatest detective in order to find the still-missing Clouseau, he rigs the machine so that the opposite happens: Sleigh proves every bit as clumsy and clueless as the man he is sent to find. The cartoon opening and closing credits for the film were animated and produced by Marvel Productions and written and directed by Art Leonardi. Your Ticket Confirmation # is located under the header in your email that reads "Your Ticket Reservation Details". Of course the ghost of Peter Sellers lives on and he was sorely missed. The sights of the South of France is highly desirable. Here she is cast as the aristocratic owner of a health spa, Countess Chandra. Since this movie bombed (or buumbed), you'd think Edwards was through with the Pink Panther series once and for all. The phrase was used for all the subsequent films in the series, even when the jewel did not figure in the plot. Sleigh concludes, wrongly, that Clouseau stole the Pink Panther diamond, underwent plastic surgery, was made to look like Rossi and was then killed for the diamond. Sir Roger Moore was a close neighbour of David Niven at the time of filming as both lived as tax exiles in Switzerland and had known each other for a number of years. The name "the Pink Panther" became attached to Inspector Clouseau in much the same way that Frankenstein has been used in film titles to refer to Dr. Frankenstein's creation, or The Thin Man was used in a series of detective films. Curse of the Pink Panther Countries Produced United Kingdom Duration 110 minutes Year of Release 1983 Product Tags Blu-ray Format Blu-ray Program Type Movie Sound Features Digital Theater Systems (akin to 5.1) Screen Format Enhanced Widescreen for 16x9 TV Aspect Ratio 2.35:1 Subtitles English Studio KL Studio Classics Other Product Name Edwards shot this transitional sequel CURSE OF THE PINK PANTHER back-to-back with the hapless farewell to Sellers, Trail of the Pink Panther (completed using outtakes and clips of the late Peter Sellers from older Panther adventures). Not a remake of the original film, it forms a new starting point for a contemporary series, introducing the Clouseau and Dreyfus characters along with the famous diamond to a new generation. Chief Insp. Ted Wass plays the newcomer, an amazingly inept New York cop named Clifton Sleigh, who is chosen to investigate Clouseau's disappearance. Once again, regular Panther co-stars return Herbert Lom, Burt Kwouk, and Graham Stark, and a star of the original 1963 film, Claudia Cardinale. Edwards would not have directed the later Wass films (Terry Marcel was slated to helm the next one) and Edwards' son, Geoffrey Edwards and Sam Bernard would have scripted. Ten years later, a sequel was made, with Clouseau's son picking up the mantle in Son of the Pink Panther (1993), but this didn't take off either. Trail was a disappointment at the box office. Curse of the Pink Panther also featured the defining animated credits with the sleek pink feline and the iconic music by Henry Mancini, who jazzed up the familiar theme for this take. Coming Soon, Regal The bad news is that there aren't too many of them. The guests appearances through out the movie were also nice. Curse of the Pink Panther was a critical and box office failure, with the general consensus that attempting to continue the Pink Panther series without Sellers was foolhardy. In the original film, released in 1963, the main focus was on David Niven's role as Sir Charles Litton, the infamous jewel thief nicknamed "the Phantom", and his plan to steal the Pink Panther diamond. The film might have stood a chance had it not been continually looking over its shoulder at what went before. He died two years after its release. However, like this and Trail, it did not do well at the box-office, signalling the end of Edwards' involvement with the franchise for good. Curse of the Pink Panther - Actors and actress. Final theatrical movie of David Niven (Sir Charles Litton) and Harold Kasket (President Sandover Haleesh). I can't believe this is the way he would have behaved considering his sworn oath to upload the law (or luw). Curse of the Pink Panther is a 1983 crime comedy-drama film and a continuation of The Pink Panther series of films created by Blake Edwards in the early 1960s. Curse of the Pink Panther (1983) Following Seller's demise, we see the Pink Panther series plunge into a poor box office performance. Cato, Dreyfus, and Franois all debuted in A Shot in the Dark (1964). Curse of the Pink Panther: Official Clip - Looks Like Suicide, Curse of the Pink Panther: Official Clip - Getting a Room, Curse of the Pink Panther: Official Clip - The Wax Museum, Curse of the Pink Panther: Official Clip - It Must be the Gas, Curse of the Pink Panther: Official Clip - Balls' Disguises, Curse of the Pink Panther: Official Clip - Detective Sleigh Has Arrived, Curse of the Pink Panther: Official Clip - A Date With Shirley, Curse of the Pink Panther: Official Clip - I Can't Tell You How Sorry I Am, Curse of the Pink Panther: Official Clip - Meeting with the Littons. Released in United States Summer August 12, 1983. The credits roll shortly afterwards. Sleigh sees the case as an opportunity to prove his worth. The film was one of two produced concurrently following the death of the series' star Peter Sellers. David Niven The Phantom would steal items of jewelry and leave behind a white glove. Meanwhile, his former superior, Chief Inspector Charles Dreyfus (Herbert Lom), is pressured to oversee Operation Paragon and utilize Interpol's fictitious Huxley 600 computer Aldous to find the world's greatest detective to solve the crime. In 1982, director Blake Edwards tried to resurrect deceased star Peter Sellers by using old footage and out-takes for Trail of the Pink Panther, with even worse results. There he meets famous British film star Roger Moore. Inspector Clouseau is missing and the Pink Panther (David Niven) is hot on his trail in this wildly funny laugh-fest that offers plenty of slapstick humor and a myriad of stars including Joanna Lumley, Herbert Lom and Robert Wagner. Falling about, mixing up his words and wearing an ice bucket for most of his scenes, Moore displays a previously unshown talent for comedy. Now, we know that Clouseau is missing, but is he dead? This Roger Rabbit knock-off never aired. These include the inspector's former manservant Cato (Burt Kwouk) (who had given up trying to defeat Sleigh the first time and let him go to find the missing Inspector); Dreyfus, who attempts to kill Sleigh like he tried to kill Clouseau; and Bruno Langois (Robert Loggia), the mafia boss. You don't even have to see the film to know it can't be done. Blake Edwards may have created Inspector Clouseau but to audiences there was only one actor for the Pink Panther series. David Niven and Capucine reprise their original roles from the first Pink Panther film. A Shot in the Dark (1964) was released less than a year after The Pink Panther, and was the first to feature the Clouseau character as the protagonist of the film, investigating a murder set in a mansion in Paris. The film was one of two produced concurrently following the death of the series' star Peter Sellers. In Trail of the Pink Panther, Joanna Lumley had been a TV investigative reporter. Meanwhile, a Countess Chandra (Joanna Lumley in her second consecutive Panther role) has the diamond and, it seems, an affair with a certain police detectiveAll right, I'll just say this right now: I didn't like the way Clouseau ended up in this movie being an accomplice to the Pink Panther theft and changing his face as well. Although official, the live-action film Inspector Clouseau (1968) starring Alan Arkin as Clouseau, is generally not considered by fans to be part of the series canon, since it involved neither Sellers nor Edwards. Pushing two hours is way too long for a movie like this. I love the cast but not the story. This may not have been that bad a decision, but they also decided to have it feature Sellers as Clouseau!!! The diamond reappears in several later films in the series, The Return of the Pink Panther (1975), Trail of the Pink Panther (1982) and Curse of the Pink Panther (1983). Clouseau's boss and nemesis Chief Inspector Dreyfus (Herbert Lom) is directed to use a supercomputer to find the world's greatest detective to find France's greatest detective. Just confirm how you got your ticket. Chief Insp. Although intended to relaunch the series with the blundering Jacques as a lead, Son failed both critically and commercially and became the final installment in the original Pink Panther series. It co-starred Leonard Rossiter, Lesley-Anne Down, Michael Robbins, Colin Blakely, and featured an uncredited cameo by Omar Sharif. Final theatrical movie of Peter Arne (General Bufoni), who was murdered on August 1, just eleven days before the U.S. release. He was credited as "Turk Thrust II", a nod to actor Bryan Forbes, who was credited as "Turk Thrust" in the 1964 Clouseau film, A Shot in the Dark. Seven of them were "Pink Panther" movies. Though uncredited, Peter Sellers can still be heard in various scenes through archival sound. Unlike most previous films, this film will not be focused on Inspector Clouseau, but instead on the titular cartoon character himself. Both this film and Trail came in $1million over budget. Edwards' stepdaughter Emma Walton is an angry hooker here and his son Geoffrey (who also co-wrote the screenplay) is the voice of the computer Aldous. Although it was produced by the Mirisch Corporation (who owned the rights to the Pink Panther and Clouseau characters), key people associated with the earlier films, such as Peter Sellers, Blake Edwards, and Henry Mancini, were not involved in the making of this film. This movie marked the final appearance of the "Pink Panther" diamond jewel in a "Pink Panther" movie until The Pink Panther (2006). Sign Up now to stay up to date with all of the latest news from TCM. Next up, Son of the Pink Panther Curse of the Pink Panther is not the worst of the series for me, Trail and Son are much worse being shameless messes. Once again, you'd be wrong. This film marked the first appearance of many of the tropes and supporting characters long associated with the series, including Commissioner Dreyfus (portrayed by Herbert Lom), his assistant Franois (portrayed by Andr Maranne), and Clouseau's manservant, Cato (portrayed by Burt Kwouk). Curse of the Pink Panther saw a delayed for the soundtrack album release for 27 years. this may be sacrilege to some people,but i actually think out of the seven(original)Pink Panther movies i have seen(i will be watching the eight and final one shortly)i found this one the most entertaining.it wasn't uproariously funny,though it was amusing and i chuckled all the way through.i thought the story flowed better than in the previous films.the action scenes were better,in my opinion,as well.but the best part about this particular movie was the character of Detective Sergant Clifton Sleigh,New York City's version of Inspector Clouseau.Sleigh is as inept as Clouseau,and even more so,in my mind.the character itself is brilliant.this is the first of the original Pink Panther films not too have Peter Sellers in it,which is why i suggested it may be sacrilege to some to think it could be better than the other films.for me,Son of the Pink Panther is a 7/10, While this is not quite the train wreck that TRAIL OF THE PINK PANTHER was, it's still a pretty weak entry in the PANTHER series. Curse of the Pink Panther is a 1983 comedy film and a continuation of The Pink Panther series of films created by Blake Edwards in the early 1960s. StarringDavid Niven Joanna Lumley . The role was then modified to include elements of slapstick. This movie was a failed attempt to revitalize the "Pink Panther" films. At the same time Ted Wass like Clouseau is making life intolerable for Inspector Dreyfuss . The franchise began with the release of the classic film The Pink Panther in 1963. Revenge of the Pink Panther (1978) pitted Clouseau against the French Connection. I knew that. When Sellers passed away, the project was cancelled. Edwards told the LA Times that the series would change geographically. [citation needed] Shortly after Sellers' death in July 1980, it was reported that Dudley Moore might play Clouseau, but Blake Edwards instead chose to introduce a new character in the series, rather than recast the role of Clouseau. The animated Pink Panther character has also appeared in computer and console video games, as well as advertising campaigns for several companies, most notably for Owens Corning Fiberglass insulation. 2023 Turner Classic Movies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Ted Wass was cast on the strength of his comic performance in the TV series Soap (1977). There's a tinge of sadness associated with Curse of the Pink Panther. It became his final screen appearance. DK Publishing, 2005. Curse of the Pink Panther employs a much more successful (and fun) method for keeping Clouseau alive, but, for the most part, the film focuses its attention on another, no-less-inept character: American cop Sergeant Clifton Sleigh, played by Ted Wass. Returning to the Scene: Black Edwards, Volume 2, William Luhr and Peter Lehman. Film to know it ca n't believe this is the way he would have behaved considering sworn! Reservation Details '' by Omar Sharif be heard in various scenes through archival sound n't even to! 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