Buried Treasures: Revenge Of The Pink Panther

It’s impossible to pick a favorite Inspector Clouseau picture, isn’t it? Heck, they were all funny. But I do have a favorite, and it is this month’s Buried Treasure.

The "Pink Panther" films are the only series in which each installment was typically superior to those which came before it (at least until Peter Sellers’ death in 1980). James Bond flicks have generally been going downhill for years, and even the "Star Trek" and "Star Wars" series have long since ceased to show any originality.

Now to the great inspector. Blake Edwards’ original 1963 film “The Pink Panther” told the fictitious story of a diamond heist. David Niven played the notorious jewel thief, Robert Wagner was his playboy nephew, and Sellers’ Clouseau was a relatively minor character — the bumbling French detective who unwittingly solves the mystery. Clouseau proved so popular, Edwards cranked out a superior sequel less than a year later called “A Shot in the Dark.” This was the first installment to focus on Sellers’ character, and introduce us to Cato (Burt Kwouk), Clouseau’s Chinese manservant, and Chief Inspector Dreyfus (Herbert Lom), Clouseau’s long-suffering boss.

Due to Sellers’ infamously bad temper and erratic behavior, Edwards refused to work with him again. However, with both Sellers’ and Edwards’ careers at low points in the 1970s, the two re-teamed in 1975 for “Return of the Pink Panther” — essentially a retelling of the 1963 original, but with Clouseau as the main character and a whole new set of gags and pratfalls. Unfortunately, this episode featured too much plot and not enough Sellers — although not to the extent of the original. Furthermore, for those who missed “A Shot In The Dark” (which was darn near everybody), Edwards’ screenplay never bothered to explain why Cato attacked Clouseau every time they were on screen together. It was to keep Clouseau aware of his surroundings and sharpen his defensive skills, but it appeared as though his assistant wanted to kill him. At the end of “Return,” Clouseau drives Lom’s Inspector Dreyfus character mad, and he’s committed to an asylum.

His release from the asylum begins 1977’s “The Pink Panther Strikes Again.” Naturally (and for comedic purposes), Dreyfus soon reverts back to his borderline insanity the minute he spends a little time with Clouseau. He then goes overboard and spends the rest of the film plotting Clouseau’s death. As you might guess from the description, this is the most outlandish of the Clouseau pictures, but it also contains most of his famous gags — from the dentist scene (where Clouseau disguises as a dentist to extract Dreyfus’ bad tooth, but accidentally uses too much laughing gas), and the “Does your dog bite?” routine. My favorite is a collage of Clouseau’s ill-fated attempts to enter a European castle surrounded by a wide moat. Again, most fans don’t have a favorite Inspector Clouseau movie, but most die-hard fans would probably pick this one.

For me, I’ll take the 1978 follow-up, “Revenge of the Pink Panther.” It was the last made prior to the untimely death of Sellers, plus it’s the one that stands on its own better than the others. While it’s certainly not necessary to watch “Return” before “Strikes Again,” it helps us understand Dreyfus’ madness. Here, no such backstory is necessary. Furthermore, Dreyfus is demoted to a minor character, and he’s actually funnier operating outside the actual plot.

The real plot involves a French mob whose leader, Philippe Douvier (played by Robert Weber), aspires to kill Clouseau as a show of strength to his New York mafia drug trading partners. Early on, Douvier introduces his henchmen to a world-renowned martial arts expert, who promptly proceeds to create a show of destruction so devastating we believe Clouseau may have finally met his match. But Edwards disposes of the martial artist so quickly, we soon realize we’re in for a wild ride.

“Revenge” features more slapstick, more destruction of property and more general silliness than any of the other Clouseau films. It’s like a "Pink Panther" film infused with the Marx Brothers. This one starts out funny and the laughs keep coming at a faster pace than in the others. The big conclusion takes place in Hong Kong, and features Clouseau disguised as a mafia bigwig thwarting a drug deal between Douvier and a New York godfather. Now imagine Sellers playing a version of Marlon Brando’s “Godfather” character, but channeled through the phony French accent of Inspector Clouseau. Only Sellers can pull this off, and that’s why he is what Woody Allen once called one of the four greatest comedic actors in film history. (His others are Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, and W.C. Fields.)

In “Revenge,” Cato plays his biggest role ever, even accompanying Clouseau to Hong Kong. Meanwhile, Dreyfus follows Clouseau to Hong Kong, desperately trying to kill him, and painfully unaware of the larger mafia plot. Again, reducing his importance makes his character funnier — a deft comedic trick by Edwards.

Aside from the quicker pace and more plentiful gags, I believe “Revenge” shows off Sellers’ brilliant comedic talents better than any other film he ever made, save for Stanley Kubrick’s “Dr. Strangelove.” Besides the genius of the mafia impersonation, Sellers also plays Clouseau disguised as a Swedish fisherman (again complete with a fake Swedish accent filtered through Clouseau’s already funny fake French accent), upon whose shoulder mounts an inflatable parrot which can’t seem to hold its air during a foggy midnight discussion with an informant.

If you’re not familiar with any of the Pink Panther films, I suggest starting with “Revenge of the Pink Panther.” If you love it, go back and watch the preceding installments (but skip 1968’s “Inspector Clouseau,” which was not directed by Edwards and did not star Sellers). As for any "Pink Panther" pictures released after Sellers’ death, my suggestion is to skip all of them, save for the first hour of 1982’s “Trail of the Pink Panther.” It features several hilarious bits that were outtakes from “Revenge.” Once the other characters announce that Clouseau has mysteriously disappeared, stop watching. The second half features a reporter interviewing Clouseau’s acquaintances and family members. Sellers isn’t in the second half; the second half isn’t funny. Any subsequent attempts to revive the series (by Edwards or others) is likewise not funny.

Whereas several men have succeeded as James Bond (with more to come), for my money there will only be one Inspector Clouseau -- although other brave souls have tried. The sad fact is that Sellers died of a massive heart attack at the age of 54 — effectively putting a nail in the coffin of one of the most original and entertaining motion picture characters ever conceived. After seeing Edwards’ 1984 comedy “Micki and Maude,” I do believe he could have resurrected the "Pink Panther" series with Dudley Moore. However, Moore would have had to embody a new character; no one else could effectively play Clouseau himself. For whatever reason, Edwards and Moore never worked together after that film; and my desire to see the series rejuvenated is now as dead as Sellers.

Fortunately, Edwards and Sellers left us with a legacy of comedy almost unmatched in the history of cinema. If you have time, watch all the Pink Panther films; if not, “Revenge of the Pink Panther” is a must-see. And that’s why it’s this month’s Buried Treasure.

Andy Ray reviews current films for http://www.artschannelindy.com/.