53. The Pink Panther

Blake Edwards, 1963

Steve Martin's version of The Pink Panther has been in theaters for nearly two weeks now, shocking everyone with half a brain by opening as the number one film in the country. Indeed, at one point, the studio was so concerned about the film, that they postponed its release for nearly a year. Hell, one look at the advanced critical reaction to this sucker would more than confirm those fears. Yet, the damn thing is proving to be something of a hit. It's a fluke.

Strangely, that's actually pretty appropriate as the original The Pink Panther, and the series of sequels that followed it, was a bit of a fluke itself. Basically, The Pink Panther is the story of Sir Charles Lytton, played by the terrific David Niven, and his attempt to steal the famous Pink Panther diamond while vacationing at a ski lodge. Anyway, that's what the film was supposed to be about. Indeed, there were even early plans to use this film as a spring board for a whole series of films about Niven's character. The script also included a character named Clouseau, a bumbling French detective to be played by Peter Ustinov.

When Ustinov backed out, something of a movie miracle occurred. The role of Clouseau was offered to Peter Sellers. Sellers is hilarious in just about every film he's ever appeared in, but Clouseau is probably his trademark role, with Dr. Stranglove being the only real competition for the title. Sellers disappears into his characters and here gives us a bumbling Frenchman with an outrageous accent and a penchant for falling down. Clouseau's supreme self confidence in the face of his own ineptitude (qualities shared by the likes of Maxwell Smart and Inspector Gadget) only adds to the hilarity, as does the many improvised bits created by Sellers and Edwards on set. So perfect is Sellers' Clouseau, that he immediately steals the film, and, indeed, the series, from Niven. Originally intended as a background character, Clouseau explodes as the break out character of the piece, immediately demanding much more screen time than any other man's Clouseau could have. Of course audiences loved Clouseau and Sellers ended up returning again and again, while pretenders to the role, like Alan Arkin, Roberto Begnini, and, ultimately, Steve Martin, are largely forgotten. In this first outing, Sellers has some remarkable stuff, most of it physical, like getting his hand stuck in a porcelain jar during the dance sequence at the lodge, constantly having the wool pulled over his eyes by his unfaithful wife, and numerous unforgettable prat falls. While many of the bits that would be come trademarks in the later films are absent here, like Clouseau's run ins with his boss, played by Herbert Lom, or his hilarious battles with Burt Kwok as manservant Kato, this film is the genesis of Clouseau and the performance that really defines him.

That said, Sellers is not the only reason I love this movie. Indeed, it is the setting and the other characters that make this one stand out for me in the face of even the other Pink Panther movies. The feel of this movie, and of many Blake Edwards movies, is one of the utmost class. I really, really love classy movies, particularly classy comedies, and its such a rare thing to see done well, except in many screwball comedies or in the Thin Man series. Admittedly, The Pink Panther indulges more in a sixties idea of classy more germane to the Connery Bond films, but I think the comparison still stands. Regardless, it is certainly an aesthetic one doesn't really see anymore and its one I miss. At any rate, The Pink Panther is very much a class affair, full of sumptuous exteriors and decadent interiors. There is never any doubt that this movie is set in a rich man's hideaway. David Niven, of course, brings his usual high level of class to the entire affair, giving us a true, but still very funny, gentleman thief. The film also co-stars Capucine and Claudia Cardinale, as Simone Clouseau and Princess Dala, respectively. Both women bring a beauty and, yes, class to the piece that one rarely sees then or now. Indeed, Niven, Capucine, and Cardinale are all intrinsic to the feel of this film and are as responsible for my loving it as Sellers is.