The Pink Panther
Directed by Blake Edwards
- comedy
- crime
The story
The trademark of The Phantom, a renowned jewel thief, is a glove left at the scene of the crime. Inspector Clouseau, an expert on The Phantom's exploits, feels sure that he knows where The Phantom will strike next and leaves Paris for the Tyrolean Alps, where the famous Lugashi jewel 'The Pink Panther' is going to be. However, he does not know who The Phantom really is, or for that matter who anyone else really is...
What it’s like
Bright, sun-washed Riviera and Alpine resort interiors give this 1963 comedy a glossy, early-sixties postcard look: pastel hotel suites, tuxedos and ski lodges, widescreen compositions that let the physical gags play out in full view. The camera mostly holds steady and wide, so the comedy comes from timing and bodies in space, with a jaunty, brassy score by Henry Mancini that pops in and out like a cartoon soundtrack. The vibe is light, breezy and gleefully silly, with a calm, unhurried rhythm punctuated by pratfalls, mistaken identities and deadpan misunderstandings. Violence is cartoonish and minimal, with no gore, no real menace and only the mildest romance. Its people are a self-assured, oblivious detective and a cast of suave, scheming bystanders, and the joke is how little they realise about one another. It suits a lazy weekend afternoon, a comfort rewatch, or a night in with someone who likes slapstick. It is for people who want gentle, goofy, old-fashioned fun.
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