Inspector Clouseau (1968, Alan Arkin, Frank Finlay, Patrick Cargill, Beryl Reid, Barry Foster, Clive Francis) – Classic Movie Review 11,404

The 1968 Inspector Clouseau stars Alan Arkin as Clouseau, but does not feature any other recurring characters or key personnel associated with the Peter Sellers films. Sellers contacted producer Walter Mirisch just before shooting began with Alan Arkin, saying only he Sellers could play the role.

Director Bud Yorkin’s 1968 British comedy Inspector Clouseau is the third installment in The Pink Panther film series and stars Alan Arkin, along with Delia Boccardo, Frank Finlay, Patrick Cargill, Beryl Reid, Barry Foster, Clive Francis, John Bindon, Michael Ripper and Tutte Lemkow.

Appealing and clever star actor Arkin is asked to do the impossible – take over Peter Sellers’s most famous The Pink Panther role as Inspector Clouseau. It does not feature any other recurring characters or key personnel associated with the Sellers films.

Worse, the yarn is pretty rotten anyway: a weary Swinging Sixties thing about Scotland Yard calling in the French detective to tidy up the leftovers from the Great Train Robbery.

Even with this expert cast, it falls flat on its face.

Also in the cast are Anthony Ainley, Wallas Eaton, David Bauer, Richard Person, George Pravda, Eric Pohlmann, Geoffrey Bayldon, Arthur Lovegrove, Robert Russell, and Susan Engel.

It is written by Tom Waldman and Frank Waldman.

It is filmed by Mirisch Films at the MGM-British Studios, Borehamwood, and on location in Europe.

It is produced by Louis Rachmil as one of Mirisch Films UK’s film company movies, and gained Eady Levy funds.

As usual, the iconic animated opening credits are created and designed by DePatie-Freleng Enterprises.

It follows The Pink Panther and A Shot in the Dark.

Blake Edwards, Henry Mancini and Peter Sellers were all involved with The Party at that time, even though Edwards and Sellers had apparently vowed never to work together again. Producer Walter Mirisch wanted a third Panther film, but Sellers refused the role repeatedly, though allegedly Sellers contacted Mirisch just before shooting began saying only he could play the role so he would if he approved the script.

He was right – only he could play the role. Alan Arkin proved it in Inspector Clouseau (1968).

Then it was years till The Return of the Pink Panther (1975), with the regular gang.

Frank Waldman later co-wrote The Return of the Pink Panther, The Pink Panther Strikes Again, Revenge of the Pink Panther, and Trail of the Pink Panther, while Tom Waldman co-wrote Trail of the Pink Panther with him.

© Derek Winnert 2021 Classic Movie Review 11,404

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