David Niven
Sir Charles Lytton
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Comedy
Crime
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...
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| Release Date | 1963-12-18 |
|---|---|
| Runtime | 1h 55m |
| Directors | Blake Edwards, Philip H. Lathrop, Ottavio Oppo |
| Producers | Dick Crockett, Martin Jurow |
| Writers | Maurice Richlin, Blake Edwards |
David Niven recreates a little of his "Raffles" (1939) character here as the suave and debonaire "Sir Charles Lytton". He's a social sophisticate who is invited to the grandest of soirées and where there is always a jewel robbery. Nobody has ever quite put two and two together before until "Clouseau" (Peter Sellers) and his wife "Simone" (Capucine) arrive at a luxurious hotel where the "Princess" (Claudia Cardinale) is also staying - along with her priceless necklace. "Clouseau" thinks it's bound to be stolen, as does just about everyone else but the arrival of nephew "George" (Robert Wagner) puts a spanner in the works of "Lytton" and what now ensues is quite a good laugh. Niven and Cardinale just ooze charisma here, with both gelling well and easily exuding a sense that this alpine luxury is exactly where they belong. The audience knows a few things about "Mrs Clouseau" that her husband doesn't, and that adds quite nicely to the not so mysterious mystery and to the rather quirky ending. I think this is my favourite of the outings for Sellers with this character. It's his most natural performance and his role isn't top-billed, he's more a part of the mechanics of a film that marries quite a few themes together and allows everyone to have their "007" meets "To Catch a Thief" moment in the snow. Some of the scenes - especially in the hotel room with the folks hiding under the bed - do go on too long, but there's still enough innate comedy timing from just about everyone to take this oft-told story and make it worth rehashing. Keep an eye out for the over-the-top Brenda de Banzie, too! Good fun.
— CinemaSerf