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The Pink Panther Film Collection (DVD Details)

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Added by: Jitendar Canth
Added on: 4/8/2010 15:36
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    Review for The Pink Panther Film Collection

    7 / 10



    Introduction


    You're probably expecting me to go all out on a nostalgia-fest at this point, and you'd be half right. The Pink Panther was inextricably intertwined with my childhood. I remember watching the cartoons when they were the black and white panther, or we may have had a black and white TV… But the Peter Sellers films were those that my parents insisted that I watch, wanting to share their mirth with me from an early age. Fortunately, I was just as entertained as they were by the antics of the bumbling French detective, and our house was a very happy house when a Pink Panther movie was on. My dad still quotes the politically incorrect "My little yellow friend" line at inappropriate moments. But I have been shy of getting the films on DVD, mostly because I'm not all that nostalgic about films that I grew up with, and whose flaws became apparent to me the more I watched them and the older I got. But there is always that need for a bargain, which is why I wound up buying this collection when its price dropped low enough, and with a sense of inevitability, I started rewatching the films, hoping that maybe I'll find something to appreciate, new or old, after so many years. It didn't help that the first thing I had to do was place an order for another Pink Panther movie, because this set was 'incomplete'.

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    The Pink Panther is an odd franchise, one that's practically zombie-like in its refusal to stay dead, and it isn't just Blake Edwards who keeps milking the cash cow, as Steve Martin's rediscovery of the franchise, with two new Pink Panther films in the last four years indicates. The Blake Edwards era ran for thirty years from 1963 onwards, but this collection ostensibly collects the Peter Sellers movies only, eschewing 1968's Inspector Clouseau with Alan Arkin in the title role, The Curse of the Pink Panther (1983), and The Son of the Pink Panther with Robert Begnini (1993). I say ostensibly, because this MGM boxset omits The Return of The Pink Panther, whose rights in the UK are owned by Universal, and which prompted me to buy another DVD. I guess it's to make up for that omission that explains the presence of Trail of the Pink Panther, made in 1982, two years after the death of Peter Sellers, in which he only appears courtesy of archive footage. It's that it offers more of Sellers' Clouseau that is the whole point.

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    Inspector Jacques Clouseau has to be one of the twentieth century's greatest comic creations, up there with Laurel and Hardy, Chaplin's The Tramp and Homer Simpson for inspiring the public consciousness, and finding a warm place in our hearts. He's an amazing character, dogged, determined, confidently arrogant, supremely self-assured, yet wholly ineffectual, clumsy, bumbling, and leaving a trail of disaster wherever he goes. But he never, ever gives up until he gets his man. It's also one of those odd occasions where you can see the character development in progress. Clouseau was a supporting character in The Pink Panther (1963), yet stole the movie and justified the franchise, and A Shot In The Dark (1964) quickly followed that. Sellers didn't return for Inspector Clouseau in 1968, and it was to be another ten years after his last appearance that he would return to the role in The Return of The Pink Panther, which is probably where Clouseau as the world remembers him was finally formed, complete with the nose, the penchant for disguise, and the impenetrable French accent. He would make two further films, The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976), and Revenge of the Pink Panther (1978) before his untimely death in 1980. This collection presents The Pink Panther, A Shot in the Dark, The Pink Panther Strikes Again, Revenge of the Pink Panther, and Trail of the Pink Panther, along with another whole disc of extra features. See the next page for more about the films, and the third page for details of the extra features.

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    Picture


    All five films get 2.35:1 anamorphic transfers, which have scrubbed up pretty well for their ages, although there is a marked improvement the more recent the film is. This ironically means that the best looking film is the worst to watch, while The Pink Panther and A Shot in the Dark suffer a little more from age. A couple of the films did seem to have cropped frames, at least in the title credits for Trail of the Pink Panther, the 'Y' was missing from Joanna Lumley's name. Generally though, the films get clear and colourful transfers, and if on occasion colours are a little rich, that's to be expected for comedy genre movies.

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    Sound


    The films in the set offer the choice of DD 5.1 English, French, and German, along with DD 2.0 stereo Italian, Spanish and Czech, along with a host of subtitle tracks. The surround tracks aren't necessarily the up-mixed travesties that occasionally result from upgrading old movies. In fact, like most older films given the 5.1 treatment, it really just allows the original audio greater room to breathe. The all important dialogue is clear throughout, Clouseau's accent notwithstanding. Of course there were two big megastars in the Pink Panther movies, Peter Sellers, and Henry Mancini's music. In my opinion, the Pink Panther films would be nowhere near as iconic, as enduring, and as loved, were it not for Henry Mancini, and as Bill Bailey once said, the Pink Panther theme really ought to be the national anthem.

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    Conclusion


    If you read my opinion of the individual films overleaf, you may be surprised to see me lauding this set here. The Pink Panther is a franchise that elicits a schizophrenic response from me, one where my critical appraisal of the films wars with my ever-present nostalgia. It's hard for me to get away from the Pink Panther of my childhood, the silly antics and pratfalls that made me laugh so, the costumes and the karate, the mangled French accent that I actually had an ambition to acquire when I was six years old. The Pink Panther movies at their best are good, fun entertainment, built around an unforgettable ensemble of characters, and with an iconic soundtrack. But in terms of plot or originality, they aren't exactly masterpieces. The thing is that for me, The Pink Panther films really only ever peaked for two films, one of which isn't even in this collection. The first film was overlong, and spent too much time on its bedroom farce mechanics. Everything that followed The Return of the Pink Panther was a rapid decline into over-egged tedious indulgence.

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    Yet I find that these films still manage to make me smile, make me laugh, forget my cares for the duration. Yes, even Trail of the Pink Panther had its moments that made me grin. Even while I was lamenting how it paled in comparison to the Sellers movies, shook my head in resignation at how it cynically patched together outtakes from the previous three films in an effort to wring milk out of a cash cow that had suddenly dried up, I still found moments of nostalgia to appreciate. A bad Pink Panther movie is a darn sight better than a bad movie. It's Peter Sellers, it's Herbert Lom, it's Burt Kwouk, it's Graham Stark, it's Blake Edwards and it's Henry Mancini. They all fizz and manage to create something from nothing, and given my rampant nostalgia, I'm far more willing to forgive than I would be for any other franchise.

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    This set is well worth a purchase. The films get solid, if unspectacular transfers, but the extras are definitely worth it, with some splendid documentary featurettes, a Blake Edwards commentary track, and a sample of the finest of the Pink Panther cartoons. You can also get a 12-disc mega set which bundles this movie collection, with the complete cartoon collection should you wish. But these films will always be oddities in my estimation. Most of them aren't even that good, the really only classic film in this set is A Shot in the Dark, but for mediocre films, they're brilliant as well. Most of that boils down to Peter Sellers. Enjoy this set; just remember to buy The Return of the Pink Panther as well.




    The Films



    The Pink Panther

    The Pink Panther is an exquisite, rare pink diamond with a unique flaw. If you look at it in the right light and from the right angle, you can see the form of a panther, poised to strike. It's that which gives it its name and value, and that which makes it a ripe target for theft, especially form the notorious Phantom, a skilled cat burglar who is currently the bugbear of Inspector Jacques Clouseau, who is achingly close to a lead, tracking a known female accomplice. The diamond is currently in the possession of Princess Dahla, inherited from her father (and disputed by the new government of her country), and she is holidaying in Cortina, enjoying the skiing. It's where you will find Clouseau, with his wife Simone investigating the Phantom who will surely be there. It's where you will find wealthy socialite Sir Charles Lytton romancing Princess Dahla, and saving her pet dog from kidnappers. But not all is as it seems. Sir Charles Lytton is none other than the notorious Phantom, his female accomplice is none other than Simone Clouseau (loved, adored and lavished upon by her clueless husband) and they are after the diamond. But all these well laid plans are thrown into chaos when Sir Charles' playboy nephew George shows up.

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    I always forget how dull I find The Pink Panther, and that's primarily because it is not a movie about Clouseau, it's not a Peter Sellers vehicle. It's actually David Niven that has star billing, and it's more an ensemble piece, a bedroom hopping farce of a film than anything really that special. It's just that for the duration of the film, while various characters are trying to steal the diamond, or steal hearts, a far more fundamental, and successful theft is taking place. That's Peter Sellers stealing the movie from under everyone's noses. I watch this film solely for the Clouseau moments, the arrogance and the bumbling ineptitude of the character, the fact that he is so blissfully in love with his wife that he's totally blind to her infidelity, that she's an accomplice to the very man that he's trying to arrest, and her obvious extravagance in lifestyle on a policeman's salary. The ensemble feel of the film, the story of the gentleman thief and the elegant princess, the duplicitous wife and the young and eager nephew, and the bedroom hopping all seems woefully dated. Certain aspects of the film are past their sell by date, and any film where a man winds up hiding under a bed when his mistress's husband unexpectedly returns, just seems unimaginative now, although back in 1963 that would have been a different matter.

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    Too, The Pink Panther is a film that is a little overlong for my liking. I'm beginning to weary of the Cortina antics long before that section of the film finishes, and what should have been an exciting and daring robbery gets lost in darkness and a profusion of ape costumes. The chase sequence too is muddled and tiresome, with only the old man trying to cross the road making it memorable. The Pink Panther is really only notable for the introduction of Clouseau, and watching Sellers find the character is sublime. He's already bumbling, dignified, clumsy, arrogant and inept, and all those other attributes that are quintessentially Clouseau. It does seem at this point though that the character may be knowledgeable if not exactly competent, and while he is the architect of his own downfall, he isn't solely responsible for it. There's the suggestion that he might not be as imbecilic as events conspire to make him. After all these years, I find that Clouseau is the only really appealing aspect of The Pink Panther, and he deservedly gets the last word in the film. It's also a doozy that ensures that we will see him again. 6/10

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    A Shot In The Dark

    Murder at the Ballon mansion! Night time assignations, infidelities and rendezvous, all boil over into violence, and suddenly, Miguel the chauffeur lies dead, shot repeatedly in the chest, and the maid Maria is found holding the gun, its barrel still smoking. And poor Francois only took down the address, he didn't realise just who lived at that exclusive location. Now Francois has to explain to Commissioner Charles Dreyfus that Clouseau has been assigned to the case. It's news that could get anyone's eye twitching. And once Clouseau meets Maria Gambrelli, he's irrationally, and illogically convinced of her innocence, swearing to vindicate her no matter what. Dreyfus takes him off the case; Monsieur Ballon insists that he is reinstated. Another Ballon employee is murdered, with Maria once again found holding the murder weapon, Clouseau insists that she is released once more. And now he's going to romance the truth out of her. As Dreyfus says, "Give me ten men like Clouseau, I can destroy the world."

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    A Shot In The Dark came out on the heels of The Pink Panther, so assured was Blake Edwards that the Clouseau character would be a hit. In fact this film was in production even while the first was being previewed. And I find that I have to eat my words again. It turns out that so many of the aspects of the latter Panthers that turned me off, were established in A Shot In The Dark. Indeed the second film pretty much sets the formula for the subsequent Panther films, and whereas the first film only had Inspector Clouseau as a supporting character, this second film presents the Clouseau universe fully formed. The thing about A Shot In The Dark is that, those Clouseau character traits that eventually annoyed me, aren't as exaggerated here. He's still a character rather than a caricature. The Gallic profile has been established with an understated make up, the accent is beginning to drift, Maria gets a beump on the head, and complains of meurths in the closet, but Clouseau isn't quite incoherent yet. We also see the classic raincoat and hat costume, as well as his penchant for disguises begin to be played with. The thing is that these character quirks are used as accents; they aren't indulgences that become the point of the character in themselves.

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    This film also establishes the cast and the regular characters, including of course the redoubtable Cato, Clouseau's manservant, Clouseau's bane, and his eternal victim, always pouncing like a lethal assassin when Clouseau least expects it. Graham Stark makes his first Panther appearance here, and he's in a different role each time we see him. Here he's Clouseau's underling, and trainee Hercule, already long-suffering under Clouseau's 'expert' tutelage. But of course, no Clouseau movie would be complete without Charles Dreyfus, Commissioner of Police, and his own assistant Francois. It's truly an ensemble piece when you consider how much of the comedy they carry. We meet Dreyfus as a calm, assured, confident man. He's on the phone, speaking lovingly, affectionately, promisingly, sending his love to the children, then Francois enters, and tells him that his wife is on the other line. A man who can juggle wife and mistress with ease should be able to handle anything. But that doesn't take Clouseau into account, and over the course of the film, we see Dreyfus' slow descent into mania and insanity, a slow burn over 90 minutes, goes from irritation, through anger and frustration, to a nervous breakdown and homicidal rage. It's brilliantly judged, hilarious, and without Herbert Lom's character to play off, Clouseau just wouldn't be right.

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    A Shot In The Dark is my favourite Clouseau film, a film where the idiosyncrasies of the character didn't outweigh the character himself, where the jokes and gags were fresh and brand new, and certainly weren't crass or cheap. In fact, A Shot In The Dark still manages to combine slapstick and sophistication in its comedy, with the Ballon family debating which Shakespeare play their situation is most akin to, even while Clouseau is falling in the fountain. It's his dogged pursuit of the proof of Maria Gambrelli's innocence, despite all evidence to the contrary, and only because of his own attraction to her that drives the comedy, and with Elke Sommer so ideally cast as Maria, somehow keeping a straight face against all of Clouseau's antics, it's about as entertaining a comedy movie that there is, with only its more relaxed pace dating it somewhat. 8½/10

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    The Pink Panther Strikes Again

    Following his attempt to kill Clouseau at the end of The Return of the Pink Panther, Chief Inspector Dreyfus has been committed to a mental institution where he has been slowly and surely working his way through rehabilitation, and to eventually resuming his role at the police, a position that Clouseau now holds. With the help of his psychiatrist, he's made his way back to normality, and is just one review board away from being pronounced as cured. Then on the day of the review board, Clouseau turns up to give him a testimonial, and his best wishes. So rather than work his way back from square one again, the insane Dreyfus escapes, and sets about crafting the ultimate plan to kill Clouseau and rid the world of this menace. When a simple bomb doesn't work, he creates a powerful criminal organisation, kidnaps a famed British scientist, blackmails him into building a doomsday weapon, and then blackmails the world into killing Clouseau for him. As a warning, he destroys the UN building in New York. So it is that Clouseau has the world's best secret agents trying to assassinate him. But will that be enough? As Dreyfus says, "Compared to Clouseau, this doomsday machine is just a water pistol."

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    This is where the Pink Panther franchise faltered, with a film that while on paper may have looked entertaining and funny, in execution it felt both like a misstep and a tiresome retread at the same time. The biggest problem is the misstep, that of making Dreyfus the villain, and also of taking the movie into James Bond territory, complete with secret base, doomsday weapon, and glamorous secret agents. In the second half of the film, where most of these Bondian antics occur, it seems like Clouseau is a guest star in his own movie. It must be said it certainly had the resources thrown at it, with appearances from Leonard Rossiter and Omar Sharif, and high-end production values for a film of its period. But just as those Roger Moore Bond movies of the seventies have begun to feel dated to me, so do the films that spoof them.

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    Of course the tiredness of the franchise shouldn't be discounted, and this is really where the character of Clouseau firmly crossed the line into parody, where the accent and the stupid disguises defined him, and where any shred of competence the man might have shown to achieve his position was truly forgotten. In the earliest of the films, it was the misplaced arrogance; the appearance that Clouseau knew what he was doing before he proved himself to be an oaf. Even in the Return of the Pink Panther, he made one or two astute comments about the case, even while pratfalling and slapsticking around, but here there is no pretence at all, Clouseau is an out and out clown by now, and the character suffers as a result. Also, while his earlier disguises, flimsy as they were, made some effort into concealing his identity and making him think he was nondescript, there is nothing nondescript about a Quasimodo outfit.

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    Worse, this film has started to recycle jokes and gags from the earlier Panther films, with A Shot In The Dark plundered for a ripped trouser scene, the interrogation of the house help scene, and Cato attacking while Clouseau is busy trying to woo his leading lady. Yet with that familiarity and tired retread, it's still the first half of the film that serves to entertain and tickle the funny bone. Once it gets into the James Bondery of the second half, I gradually become a mirth free zone. And it's all because Dreyfus is much better served as Clouseau's long-suffering boss. As a villain, something just feels out of place. 6/10

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    Revenge of the Pink Panther

    Philippe Douvier is head of the French Connection, but he's a man with a problem. His Stateside contacts don't think he's the man with the muscle anymore, unable to handle one of the biggest drug deals about to go down. Douvier decides to give an example of his strength and resolve, pull off a crime so awesome that it will regain his standing. He decides to have France's greatest detective killed. And so it is that assassins are on Clouseau's trail again, but this time, unlike all the others, the assassins succeed. Or so they think. The Silver Hornet was in the shop, Clouseau borrowed Cato's car, got carjacked, and the wrong person was killed. Everyone thinks Clouseau is dead, but he's actually undercover, trying to prove he's not a transvestite, and find his would be assassins. Meanwhile, a mourning France demands justice, and they have assigned to the case, the one man best qualified to bring Clouseau's murderers to trial. The irony is that it's Clouseau's death that has rehabilitated the formerly insane Chief Inspector Dreyfuss, and while he tries to find the murderers, he's just as liable to thank them than he is to arrest them. But his psychiatrist warns that Clouseau may wind up haunting him.

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    A Panther too far? I certainly don't enjoy Revenge of the Pink Panther in the same way that I do the earlier films, and it's even a massive disappointment compared to The Pink Panther Strikes Again. The character of Clouseau practically doesn't exist anymore, buried under all the caricature and idiosyncrasies, the accent is by now unintelligible, the disguises are ridiculous, and the situations just daft. Once again, it feels like a rehash of earlier films, wheeling out very familiar gags and jokes, most of which are well past their sell by date. It's also a little nasty as a movie, the mafia storyline just doesn't seem as family friendly as the rest of the films, and with Clouseau's attitude to the Chinese going beyond the gentle ribbing of his servant into something akin to xenophobia, this is a politically incorrect film that leaves a sour taste in the mouth.

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    But there are still flashes of brilliance in this film, it still does make me laugh, but less and less it's Peter Sellers that's making me do so. Seeing Dreyfus deliver Clouseau's eulogy still has me in stitches, but the revelation is Cato, who in this film has so much more to do that just yell 'Saaaaaaa!' and issue a karate chop. He has quite the double act going with Clouseau, accompanying him on his investigation, donning a Mr Magoo disguise and causing mayhem in a Hong Kong hotel.

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    But so often it's Sellers who brings this film down in my estimation, whether it's the disguises, the Tolouse Lautrec, the peg leg Swedish sea dog with the inflatable parrot, or the comedy godfather get up. It's the tiresome and familiar mangled French accent, the idiotic souped up 2CV Silver Hornet Clouseau-mobile, and the ultimate ignominy in what started out as a slick and stylish comic farce of a movie series, a fart gag in a hotel lift. Revenge of the Pink Panther was Peter Seller's last appearance as the detective, and it was a pretty low point to go out on. You'd think that would have been it, but it actually got worse… 4/10

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    Trail of the Pink Panther

    The Pink Panther diamond has been filched again, and once more the government of Lugash want Clouseau to solve the case. That's until they remember that the insurance company has already paid out, and if the diamond is found, they'll want their money back. It's back to normal service as once more assassins are on the trail of Clouseau, who even though has been ordered to Lugash, winds up going to London. When eventually he does board the plane to Lugash, it vanishes en route, with Clouseau considered dead. The Lugash government is happy, the mob is happy, Dreyfus is ecstatic, but there is a fly in the ointment. Investigative reporter Marie Jouvet decides to get to the bottom of the mystery, and starts interviewing Clouseau's old friends and adversaries, among them the notorious Phantom himself, Sir Charles Litton. The mob doesn't like that.

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    Deleted Scenes, Alternate Takes and Outtakes. These aren't extras on the disc by the way; it's actually the footage of Peter Sellers as Clouseau that went into creating this film, the bits that were left out of the previous three films. Scenes are deleted for a reason, most often pacing issues, but also because they may not be up to the standard of the rest of the film. That really does tell here, as this isn't exactly Clouseau at his most entertaining. They were scenes that originally went on too long, and added nothing to the plot. The same is true here. But it was the only 'new' footage of Clouseau that you were going to get, and it's all somehow shoehorned into a plot. Then halfway through the film, the new footage runs out, and we switch to Joanna Lumley's reporter, interviewing Clouseau's old acquaintances and adversaries, an excuse for reminiscences and tributes, and plenty of clips from the old films. The mob gets added for no particular reason except to add a little drama to the clip show, the original point of the movie is forgotten completely, with the diamond theft ancient history, and indeed Clouseau's disappearance apparently remains unresolved, and after the end credits we're told to wait for The Curse of the Pink Panther (shot back to back with this film) to find out what happens next. The Curse of the Pink Panther isn't part of this set, for which I am eternally grateful.

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    This is a tortuously bad film, a cash-in that doesn't do its subject matter any sort of justice, and really leaves a bad taste in the mouth. We have dub artists who sound nothing like the characters they are voicing over, anyone can do a half-baked Clouseau voice, and it sounds as if they just dragged in the first person off the street who could mispronounce 'minkey'. The same is true for the actor who dubbed David Niven, who was ailing when this film and its sequel were made. But that's nothing compared to the look-alikes. A couple of times a body double was used to represent Clouseau from a distance, but in motion, and in terms of general build, he looked nothing like Peter Sellers. It's only when a Clouseau-esque pratfall occurred that I realised just who he was meant to be, prompting me to skip back and watch the scene over, only to shake my head in exasperation.

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    There were only two moments that made me smile in this film, the Cato versus Purdey scene, and an absolutely bizarre and surreal interlude during the otherwise utterly tiresome encounter with Clouseau's father. A sheepdog has to herd an aged maid through a living room to get drinks delivered. It's half a film, incomplete without The Curse of the Pink Panther, although rather than add that disc, I'd have preferred this one being left out. It's an ignominious end to the collection, and it certainly won't be getting another play from me. 2/10




    Extras


    All six discs are now packaged in an Amaray brick (it was originally a digipack), with four discs held either side of two swinging central panels, and two discs front and back of the case. It's held in a card slipcover that repeats the sleeve artwork. None of the films' names are printed on the discs, rather there are cartoon images related to the specific films to help (or hinder) you in identifying them. Slipped inside the case is an eight-page booklet with some brief snippets of information about the Pink Panther films.

    There are extras on the Pink Panther, as well as the extras disc, but nothing but Theatrical Trailers and static menus on any of the others.

    The Pink Panther gets quite pleasant animated menus. But more notable are the audio commentary and trivia track. The audio commentary comes from director Blake Edwards. It's slow, and it is gappy, but it is a detailed retrospective, and after this much time, he has the leeway to relate more than a few anecdotes that hold the interest. The commentary is subtitled if you need them.

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    On the other hand, the trivia track takes up another subtitle stream, offering pink captions of information about the movie and the movie series in general, and given that Blake Edwards' commentary is a little sparse, it works well in combination with that.

    The rest of the extra features can be found on the sixth disc in the set, and on it comes the return of the animated menus, with plenty of Panther and Clouseau hijinks to ignore while navigating the menus.

    There is a Pink Panther Story documentary, which is the closest thing to contemporary material on there, dating from 2003. It lasts 29 minutes, and in it Blake Edwards and Walter Mirisch among others talk about the genesis of the movies and the characters, as well as some of the stories behind the films and the actors. Return of the Pink Panther isn't mentioned, and the final films get short shrift, but there is plenty of detail about The Pink Panther and A Shot in the Dark.

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    That's Panthertainment dates from the release of Revenge of the Pink Panther, and looks at all the films up to that point, with obviously more of a focus on Revenge. It lasts 47 minutes and features clips and outtakes as you would expect, but there are plenty of interviews from a press junket in Hawaii to promote the film, with contributions from the cast and the crew. A surprising bit of behind the scenes footage reveals none other than Steve Martin at the premiere. Steve Martin is of course the current Clouseau.

    The Unknown Peter Sellers lasts 52 minutes, and is a video biography of the man, with contributions from celebrities, critics and writers. It offers some rare footage and recordings of Peter Sellers, home movies, some rarely seen films and early television appearances, as well as some of his earliest radio appearances. It's interesting to hear what the original ending to Doctor Strangelove was.

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    The Commercial Peter Sellers offers 6 adverts that he made for Barclays and TWA, and there's also a behind the scenes internal promo piece for the TWA commercials. That's around 10 minutes of footage in total

    Behind The Feline lasts 11 minutes and is a brief history of the Pink Panther cartoon character, with input from Blake Edwards, Walter Mirisch, and animator David DePatie.

    You will also find 5 classic Pink Panther cartoons, and one featuring the Inspector, courtesy of DePatie-Freleng. Top of the list is the Oscar winning Pink Phink.

    Pink Phink
    Pink, Plunk, Plink
    Sink Pink
    Dial P for Pink
    Pickled Pink
    Inspector, The Great DeGaulle Stone Operation

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    These are all hilarious memories from yesteryear, and surprisingly I found them even funnier now than when I watched them as a child. It also is a pointed reminder that these cartoons aren't shown on television anymore, although I guess an animated effete panther with a cigarette holder in his mouth probably isn't considered family entertainment by the broadcasting powers that be.

    Finally there is Shots in The Dark (Photo Gallery), a slideshow that lasts around 7 minutes, with production, publicity and behind the scenes stills from the first Pink Panther film.

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