REVENGE OF THE PINK PANTHER
UK/US, 1978, 104 minutes, Colour.
Peter Sellers, Herbert Lom, Dyan Cannon, Burt Kwouk, Robert Webber, Robert Loggia, Paul Stewart, Ferdy Mayne, Graham Stark, Alfie Bass.
Directed by Blake Edwards.
The Revenge of the Pink Panther. Peter Sellers as Inspector Clouseau for the fifth time round (plus Herbert Lom as demented Inspector Dreyfuss and Burt Kwouk as Cato). Like the James Bond films, this series has moved away from the originals and provides contrived comedy, enjoyable in its way, but not all that much more - except that Sellers has occasion for more funny impersonations (Toulouse Lautrec, the Muppet’ Swedish Cook, Long John Silver, a Chinese and a funny Brandoesque spoof) - which Clouseau himself would never be capable of. Sight gags are lessening. Verbal humour has mixed success but all brightens with the Hong Kong finale. Sellers' Clouseau seems inconsistent this time but Dyan Cannon makes a lively heroine.
1. The appeal of the series so that there should be at least five? The quality of the popularity? Peter Sellers and his acting style, the character of Inspector Clouseau, the ironies of the heroic detective who was not?
2 The quality of the series, audience expectations? Did the series maintain its quality?
3. The importance of visual humour, verbal wit, the inspector's adventures, mistakes, accidents? The importance of Peter Sellars' impersonations in this film?
4. The humour of the credits, the character of the Pink Panther and his popularity, the animated inspector?
5. The filling in of the background of Douvier, as an international gangster, his pressure from America, his colleagues? The mission to demonstrate power by killing Inspector Clouseau? The visual humor of the many foiled attempts especially the super agent who demonst¬rates his prowess at length? The ironies of the way that Clouseau won?
6. Dyan Cannon's style as Simone Legree? The play on the name? Her relationship with Douvier - the satire on the secretary mistress? Her being pushed out by him in fear, the sequence of the night club and her talking, the irony of her telling the truth to Clouseau, her continuing to help him? Her importance in Hong Kong? Her vivacious heroine?
7. The importance of Inspector Dreyfuss in this series? His madness, the oppression by Clouseau? The humour of his being cured and the sudden shocks of Clouseau’s accidental presence? The humour of his ironic speech at the funeral and his continued laughing?
8. The presence of Cato in this series? The comments by Inspector Clouseau on his race? That he was given more to do in this film especially in impersonation, the sequence with the blinding glasses,
the final chase, his contribution to the humour?
9. Peter Sellesrs’ impersonation of Clouseau? Decorated at the beginning and the end? How consistent the impersonation of the bumbling French inspector? The sillier aspects of the comedy, the cleverer aspects? The importance of disguises in this film - the bomb at the costumieres, the way that he hid e.g. as Long John Silver? The irony of his not being killed and the change of clothes with the killer before the accident? His Chinese impersonation, his Godfather impersonation? More of Peter Sellars than of Inspector Clusoe?
10. Audience response to the mechanics of the plot: the thriller aspects and the attempts on Clouseau’s life and the irony of his not being
killed in the car accident and his undercover detection? The comedy elements? The atmosphere of France?
11. The transferring of the film to Hong Kong and the arrival of the various presonages - the satire on the American Mafia types, Douvier and his connections?
