Trail of the Pink Panther
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| Trail of the Pink Panther | |
|---|---|
| Image:Trail of the pink panther ver2.jpg original movie poster | |
| Directed by | Blake Edwards |
| Produced by | Blake Edwards |
| Written by | Blake Edwards Geoffrey Edwards Frank Waldman Tom Waldman |
| Starring | Peter Sellers Herbert Lom David Niven Richard Mulligan Capucine |
| Music by | Henry Mancini |
| Cinematography | Dick Bush |
| Editing by | Alan Jones |
| Distributed by | MGM/UA Entertainment Co. |
| Release date(s) | December 17, 1982 |
| Running time | 96 min. |
| Country | U.K. |
| Language | English |
| Preceded by | Revenge of the Pink Panther |
| Followed by | Curse of the Pink Panther |
| All Movie Guide profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
Trail of the Pink Panther was a 1982 movie starring Peter Sellers. It was the seventh film in the Pink Panther series. Sellers' involvement was via flashbacks and unused footage from The Pink Panther Strikes Again, as he died before production of this film began. Although marketed as a tribute to Sellers, the movie was widely panned, although a follow-up, Curse of the Pink Panther soon followed since part of that film was shot concurrently with this one. David Niven makes a cameo appearance in this film, but due to ill health his voice was considered too weak and so he was overdubbed by impressionist Rich Little. Other returning actors include Herbert Lom as Dreyfus, Graham Stark as Hercule (from A Shot in the Dark), and Burt Kwouk as Cato.
This was the last Pink Panther project in which Peter Sellers played Inspector Jacques Clouseau.
[edit] Plot
The story involves Clouseau being called in to investigate the latest theft of the Pink Panther diamond. Sellers' appearances in the first half of the film are taken from deleted scenes shot for The Pink Panther Strikes Again. In one scene Clouseau is heavily bandaged and possibly played by another actor, while two other scenes in the film include dialogue that has clearly been dubbed.
En route Clouseau disappears, and Marie Jouvet (Joanna Lumley), a journalist investigating his disappearance, sets out to discover his background by interviewing people with whom he was involved over the years. This provides ample opportunities for flashbacks to scenes from the earlier films. Jouvet also interviews Clouseau's father (a heavily disguised Richard Mulligan), providing glimpses of Clouseau's childhood where he is played by Lucca Mezzofanti, and his early career in the French Resistance in which he is played by Daniel Peacock.
The film ends with Jouvet concluding that Clouseau must be alive. Clouseau (played by Joe Dunne, only seen from behind) is glimpsed standing on a seaside cliff, and a montage of Sellers' performances plays alongside the closing credits.
[edit] Trivia
- Filmed at the same time as Curse of the Pink Panther.
- Alan Arkin, who played Clouseau in 1968's Inspector Clouseau has an uncredited cameo as a younger Clouseau.
- David Niven was near death from motor neurone disease at the time of shooting. His voice is dubbed over by Rich Little.
- The animated openings for Trail of the Pink Panther and Curse of the Pink Panther were created by Marvel Productions. The company was formerly known as DePatie Freleng Enterprises, until co-founder David DePatie sold the studio to Marvel Comics in 1980. DePatie's partner, Friz Freleng, retired in 1981, a year after the Pink Panther shorts ended its run on the big screen in 1980.
- After Sellers' death, his widow Lynne Frederick won nearly $1.5 million in a lawsuit against the makers of the film, claiming it tarnished Sellers' memory.
[edit] External links
- Trail of the Pink Panther at the Internet Movie Database
- the agony booth : TRAIL OF THE PINK PANTHER
