Hasitha Fernando looks at the story behind The Pink Panther on the 60th anniversary of its release…
The Pink Panther was the movie that introduced audiences the world over to the singular gifted comedy sensation named Peter Sellers. The film was also responsible of giving us the utterly iconic and instantly recognizable Pink Panther theme song, which is a tune that’s been loved and appreciated by generations of fans. And so, on its 60th anniversary we take a look at the behind-the-scenes story of the riotous slapstick comedy that launched a legacy unlike any other.
The movie was initially intended to be a star vehicle for David Niven
British actor David Niven was something of a big deal back in the day headlining many a Classic Hollywood film and earning a multitude of accolades in the process. So, when he was approached for to play Sir Charles Lytton in The Pink Panther, the dashing performer viewed the movie as a launching pad to a lucrative franchise featuring his character, much like the Thin Man series. And to be quite honest, that was the original plan of the producers as well. But this all changed with the casting of the then unknown Peter Sellers, who unexpectedly became the breakout star of the movie rather than the originally intended Niven.
Sellers’ portrayal of the bumbling Inspector Jacques Clouseau proved to be such a hit with audiences that the producers decided all future installments of the franchise should center around his character, and not anyone else’s. Because of this Niven passed on appearing in any of the Pink Panther sequels, as he disliked being relegated to a supporting actor role. But the actor did return to the franchise after Sellers passed away, appearing in Trail of the Pink Panther and Curse of the Pink Panther. During a subsequent Academy Awards ceremony, Niven even requested his walk-on music be altered from the instantly recognizable “Pink Panther” theme as he felt that it was Seller’s movie, not his.
The inclusion of an animated cartoon character was Blake Edwards’ idea
Commencing his career as an actor in the 1940’s Blake Edwards soon realized that his true talent lay in writing and eventually directing films. With movies like Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961), Days of Wine and Roses (1962) and A Shot in the Dark (1964) Blake quickly established himself as an important filmmaker in Hollywood, however, it is his collaborations with Peter Sellers in the Pink Panther franchise that gave him the most recognition.
At the very outset of production, Edwards felt that the opening credits of The Pink Panther would benefit from some kind of cartoon character. To meet this requirement, he turned to animation producer David H. DePatie and his partner Friz Freleng to create something memorable and iconic for the intro sequence. The duo decided to personify the flick’s eponymous jewel, and the Pink Panther character was chosen by Edwards over a hundred alternative panther sketches. Following the movie’s release the animated character drew immense popularity and to capitalize on this overwhelmingly positive response DePatie and Freleng produced an animated short titled The Pink Phink (1964). The short won the Oscar for Best Animated Short at the 37th Academy Awards, and this inspired its creators to launch The Pink Panther cartoon in 1969.
Chaos during casting proved to be a boon for Peter Sellers
The casting process of The Pink Panther proved to be a chaotic affair from the get-go with multiple changes taking place during the course of the process. The film was originally conceived as a “sophisticated comedy centered around the suave, urbane jewel thief – Sir Charles Lytton”. Peter Ustinov was cast as the bumbling Inspector Clouseau, with Ava Gardner as his beguiling wife Simone. Gardner backed out of the project since the producers could not meet some of her lofty demands, and for a brief period Janet Leigh was courted as a possible replacement, but Leigh declined, as she wasn’t too thrilled to be away from her family.
With just two more weeks to go before shooting began, the producers hired French fashion model and actress Capucine for Simone’s role. This didn’t sit well with Ustinov who exited production at his wife’s insistence as she felt the overall quality of the movie would be affected by Capucine’s casting. It was in this chaotic context that then unknown actor Peter Sellers was hastily cast. But little did he know how taking on this role would affect his life and professional career, immediately after.
Blake Edwards & Peter Sellers bonded well during production
Throughout most of his life Peter Sellers was known as enigmatic man who led a very private life. But one thing was obvious, the chap had an incomparable gift for comedy and making people laugh. So, it came as no surprise that both he and director Blake Edwards bonded immediately the moment they met. In the director’s commentary of The Pink Panther DVD, the filmmaker recalled the story of picking up Sellers from the airport and bonding almost instantaneously over their shared love of old comedians like Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd. By the end of their car ride, the pair had agreed to change Sellers’ character to incorporate more slapstick elements, and this completely altered the way in which Inspector Clouseau was envisioned originally in the script.
Throughout the shoot both Edwards and Sellers worked closely to finetune the Clouseau character, down to every move, mannerism, nuance of voice and expression. “For years I’d been getting bits of what I wanted into films, as writer or director . . . but I had never had an area in which to exploit my ideas to the full,” Edwards revealed. “Then along came Peter, a walking storehouse of madness, a ham with an almost surrealist approach to the insanity of things, and we found an immediate affinity.”
Sellers’ rigorous workout regime may have ended up giving him a heart attack
Peter Sellers never had the dashing looks many of the leading men of his era possessed. Being somewhat overweight for much of his life and possessing a hang-dog visage, Sellers was obsessed with becoming the quintessential Hollywood leading man replete with good looks. He envied Robert Wagner, his fellow cast member on The Pink Panther, for his appearance although Sellers easily outclassed Wagner as a performer. So, in order to whip himself into shape, Sellers subjected himself to a grueling weight-loss regimen that included the excessive usage of diet pills. This taxing process undoubtedly took a toll on his body as the actor ended up suffering a heart attack just prior to the film’s release.
Henry Mancini’s musical score was truly something
If there was one aspect that was as iconic and memorable as Peter Seller’s performance as Inspector Clouseau it would be the unforgettable score crafted by the legendary Henry Mancini. The musician is widely regarded as one of Hollywood’s greatest film composers, winning four Academy Awards for Moon River (1961), Day of Wine and Roses (1963) and Victor/Victoria (1983). Known primarily for his jazz heavy musical arrangements, Mancini’s approach to The Pink Panther was also of a similar vein and to this day The Pink Panther theme continues to be one of the most widely known and instantly recognizable tunes in the world.
The Pink Panther was Yves Saint Laurent’s first Hollywood project
Considered one of the foremost fashion designers of the twentieth century, Yves Saint Laurent is an individual that requires little introduction, even outside of the fashion world. After parting ways with Dior, the French fashion designer went on to establish his own label YSL and it was somewhere during this time period that he was invited to be a part of The Pink Panther’s production. Saint Laurent was responsible for designing the stunning wardrobe of both Claudia Cardinale and Capucine, who played the alluring Princess Dala and the devious Simone Clouseau in the movie. Not a bad start for the young French fashion designer eh?
A string of sequels & a last legacy
Following the surprising success of the first Pink Panther movie Blake Edwards and Peter Sellers collaborated multiple times to make sequels based on their popular IP over the years. Between the three decades that elapsed following The Pink Panther’s release a total of eight Inspector Clouseau (or related) films were released, but Sellers involvement with was with only five of these movies. Inspector Clouseau (1968) saw Alan Arkin embody the titular role and both Curse of the Pink Panther (1983) and Son of the Pink Panther (1993), were shot after Sellers’ death.
Although the sequels involving Sellers were box-office hits and critical successes, the same cannot be said of the sequels and reboot instalments that were released following his demise. In 2014 a live- action/CGI animation hybrid with the involvement of Walter Mirisch and Julie Andrews (the widow of Blake Edwards) helmed by David Silverman was in early discussions. Silverman was later replaced by Sonic the Hedgehog (2020) filmmaker Jeff Fowler but this iteration, too, didn’t pan out and the latest news involving the franchise has Amazon MGM Studios contemplating a reboot with Eddie Murphy in talks to play Inspector Jacques Clouseau.
Whatever, the future may hold for The Pink Panther franchise there is little to no doubt that what filmmaker Blake Edwards, actor Peter Sellers and musician Henry Mancini crafted together all those years ago was nothing short of special and will continue to be remembered by audiences for decades to come.
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Hasitha Fernando is a part-time medical practitioner and full-time cinephile. Follow him on Twitter via @DoctorCinephile for regular updates on the world of entertainment.
