The Pink Panther

Gimmicky and overlong crime-comedy about the mysterious jewel thief, The Phantom, attempting to steal The Pink Panther, a valuable pink jewel. Sellers steals the show as Insp. Jacques Clouseau, the man in charge of finding The Phantom, who's not only held back by the cleverness of the thief but also the clumsiness of himself. Niven is fun as the lead role, but takes up too much screen-time with an uninteresting back-story involving his affair with Clouseau's wife (Capucine) and his punk nephew (Wagner). Many characters grow more and more cruel, selfish and unlikable towards an ending that is more slapstick than witty. Sellers and the Switzerland setting are huge pluses in a heavily dated comedy. A bit of a dull start, but worthy of continuing to A SHOT IN THE DARK which came out only three months after this film's premiere!