Taglines: You only live once… so see the Pink Panther twice!
The Pink Panther movie storyline. The pink panther is a gem with an imperfection that looks like a pink panther. It is the goal of the Phantom, a jet set thief who has been terrorizing the European smart set. He is pursued by Inspector Clouseau, the most bumblng detective in Europe. Assisting the phantom are his nephew and the wife of Clouseau.
The Pink Panther is a 1963 American comedy film directed by Blake Edwards and distributed by United Artists. It was written by Maurice Richlin and Blake Edwards. It is the first installment in The Pink Panther franchise. Its story follows inspector Jacques Clouseau as he travels from Rome to Cortina d’Ampezzo to catch a notorious jewel thief known as “The Phantom” before he is able to steal a priceless diamond known as “The Pink Panther”. The film stars David Niven, Peter Sellers, Robert Wagner, Capucine and Claudia Cardinale.
The film was produced by Martin Jurow and was released on March 18, 1964, it grossed $10.9 million worldwide. It was positively reviewed and has a 90% approval rating based on 31 votes on Rotten Tomatoes. In 2010, the film was selected to be preserved by the Library of Congress as part of its National Film Registry, being deemed “culturally, historically, and aesthetically significant.”
The film was “conceived as a sophisticated comedy about a charming, urbane jewel thief, Sir Charles Lytton”. Peter Ustinov was “originally cast as Clouseau, with Ava Gardner as his faithless wife in league with Lytton”. After Gardner backed out because The Mirisch Company would not meet her demands for a personal staff, Ustinov also left the project, and Blake Edwards then chose Sellers to replace Ustinov. Janet Leigh turned down the lead female role, as it meant being away from the United States for too long.
The film was initially intended as a vehicle for Niven, as evidenced by his top billing. As Edwards shot the film, employing multiple takes of improvised scenes—it became clear that Sellers, originally considered a supporting actor, was stealing the scenes and thus resulted in his continuation throughout the film’s sequels. When presenting at a subsequent Academy Awards ceremony, Niven requested his walk-on music be changed from the “Pink Panther” theme, stating, “That was not really my film.”
The film was shot in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Rome and Rocca di Papa; Paris, France; and Los Angeles, U.S., using the Technirama process in an aspect ratio of 2.20:1. According to the DVD commentary by Blake Edwards, the chase scene at the piazza (filmed at Piazza della Repubblica in Rocca di Papa) was an homage to a similar sequence 26 minutes into Alfred Hitchcock’s Foreign Correspondent (1940).
Fran Jeffries sang the song “Meglio stasera (It Had Better Be Tonight)” in a scene set around the fireplace of a ski lodge. The song was composed by Henry Mancini, with English lyrics by Johnny Mercer and Italian lyrics by Franco Migliacci.
The Pink Panther (1964)
Directed by: Blake Edwards
Starring: David Niven, Peter Sellers, Robert Wagner, Capucine, Claudia Cardinale, Colin Gordon, John Le Mesurier, James Lanphier, Guy Thomajan, Michael Trubshawe, Riccardo Billi
Screenplay by: Maurice Richlin, Blake Edwards
Production Design by: Guy Luongo, Jack McEdward
Cinematography by: Philip Lathrop
Film Editing by: Ralph E. Winters
Set Decoration by: Reg Allen, Arrigo Breschi, Jack Stevens
Art Direction by: Fernando Carrere
Music by: Henry Mancini
MPAA Rating: None.
Distributed by: United Artists
Release Date: March 18, 1964 (United States)
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