Movie · 1963 · Comedy, Crime · 1h 55m · PG · English
Curator score: 4.0/10 (111.6K ratings)
You only live once… so see the Pink Panther twice!!!
Overview
The trademark of The Phantom, a renowned jewel thief, is a glove left at the scene of the crime. Inspector Clouseau, an expert on The Phantom's exploits, feels sure that he knows where The Phantom will strike next and leaves Paris for the Tyrolean Alps, where the famous Lugashi jewel 'The Pink Panther' is going to be. However, he does not know who The Phantom really is, or for that matter who anyone else really is...
Ratings
Curator score: 4.0/10
IMDb: 7.0/10
Letterboxd: 3.42/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 89%
Metacritic: 55
TMDB: 6.8/10
Director
Blake Edwards
Production
United Artists, The Mirisch Company, Geoffrey Productions
Cast
David Niven, Peter Sellers, Claudia Cardinale, Capucine, Robert Wagner, Brenda De Banzie, Colin Gordon, John Le Mesurier, James Lanphier, Guy Thomajan, Michael Trubshawe, Riccardo Billi, Meri Welles, Martin Miller, Fran Jeffries, John Bartha, William Bryant, Mario Fabrizi, Eugene Walter, Wael Zuaiter
Where to watch
Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
Curator Review
Verdict
A stylish, lightly plotted caper that lives on elegance, physical comedy, and Peter Sellers’ breakout as Clouseau. It’s uneven by design in places, but the charm, European glamour, and precision of the gags make it an easy recommendation for classic comedy fans.
Best for
fans of elegant 1960s comedies
viewers who like crime capers with a playful tone
people who enjoy physical slapstick and character-based humor
audiences drawn to glamorous locations and mid-century style
Skip if
you want a tightly plotted mystery
you prefer modern joke density
you dislike bumbling authority figures as the main comic engine
you need the later franchise version of Clouseau to be the whole movie
Overview
The Pink Panther is less a whodunit than a showcase for tone: plush resorts, cool costumes, flirtation, and a steady drift of comic mayhem. Blake Edwards stages the film with a polished, almost cosmopolitan lightness that makes even the broadest gags feel chic rather than crude.
Worth noting
Peter Sellers is the movie’s lasting spark, turning Clouseau into a beautifully calibrated disaster area. The rest of the film can feel looser by comparison, but that imbalance is part of its charm: the caper framework gives the comedy room to breathe, and the supporting cast keeps the whole thing glossy and mischievous.
Bottom line
If you come for airtight plotting, you may find it too shaggy. If you come for a mid-century comedy with real style, a memorable comic performance, and the sense that everyone involved knows exactly how to play the room, it still lands very well.
Top Letterboxd reviews
Patrick Willems (3.5★) · 890 likes
Ever since I saw this movie as a kid all I’ve wanted is to hang out at European ski lodges where everyone wears turtlenecks and there are impromptu musical numbers
Nathan Rabin (2.5★) · 387 likes
The Sellers stuff? Utter genius. Everything else? Less than genius.
𝙿𝚊𝚘𝚕𝚘 𝙼𝚊𝚌𝙶𝚞𝚏𝚏𝚒𝚗 | 🇮🇹 (4★) · 260 likes
In The Pink Panther Blake Edwards combines the luxurious settings of the James Bond films with a series of cultural references: advertising, comics, Jacques Tati and the Feydeau farce, but above all introduces a legendary character who will outlive his creators and the passage of time. Peter Sellers certainly does not imagine that with his first appearance as the clumsy and bungling Inspector Clouseau - an inept man who believes himself to be the greatest French detective - he will… more In The Pink Panther Blake Edwards combines the luxurious settings of the James Bond films with a series of cultural references: advertising, comics, Jacques Tati and the Feydeau farce, but above all introduces a legendary character who will outlive his creators and the passage of time. Peter Sellers certainly does not imagine that with his first appearance as the clumsy and bungling Inspector Clouseau - an inept man who believes himself to be the greatest French detective - he will… more
Timcop (4★) · 233 likes
After 20 years, I think it's time to finally make my ruling: the scene on the tiger rug is too long.
Other than that it's pretty great.
theriverjordan (3★) · 219 likes
“The Pink Panther” is slapstick James Bond. But — it hits with the nimble fingers of a legendary thief. Only, it fumbles as it makes the pull for the pocket watch.
The first “Panther” installment is just as messy as the most muddled installments of the Bond film series. But where Bonds were backed by the suave bravado of their rotating leads, “Panther” survives on a certain… je ne sais … Sellers?
“Panther” takes place across a series of plush… more
1963 · Comedy, Mystery, Romance · 1h 53m · NR · Curator 8.5/10 (289K ratings) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Philo, Pure Flix, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Bloodstream
A sleek, witty caper with romance, deception, and a similarly polished mid-century sheen.