The Pink Panther Strikes Again

"Now, I will walk you to the gate.  And I will kiss you good-bye.  And you will drive off in your new car, which should rightfully be mine.  And then I will have my interview with the Sanity Commission, and they will set me free.  And then... I will kill you!"

Former Chief Inspector Charles Dreyfus (Lom) has been locked away in a psychiatric hospital for three years.  He is now considered rehabilitated and is awaiting his appointment with the Sanity Commission, so he can be released and resume his former life.  But an unexpected visit from Chief Inspector Jacques Clouseau (Sellers) sends Dreyfus over the edge, and once again he tries to kill Clouseau.

That evening Dreyfus escapes from the institution and goes after Clouseau, who manages to survive due to a complication with his latest disguise and the helium it used.

"Do you know what kind of a bomb it was?"

"The exploding kind."

So Dreyfus turns to the other side of the law to get the result he wants: to kill Clouseau.  He recruits the worst criminals around and kidnaps a scientist, Professor Fassbender (Richard Vernon), and his daughter, Margo (Briony McRoberts).  Fassbender is working on a "Doomsday Machine" which Dreyfus plans to use to blackmail the leaders of the world to assassinate Clouseau.

Back in France, Clouseau is assigned the task of recovering the Fassbenders and capturing "that lunatic Dreyfus."  He tries to get information from the Fassbender's staff... but ends up with one clue: Oktober Fest in Germany.  Meanwhile, the world is convinced that Dreyfus is crazy and for the sake of self-preservation 20 countries send their best assassins to Oktober Fest, "Oh my God, it will like a shooting gallery!"


I love crazy Dreyfus... and my favorite quote from the Pink Panther series is the one listed at the beginning of this post.  Also, I love the fight sequence between Cato (Kwouk) and Clouseau pictured at the beginning of this post... it is one of my favorites from the series.  This film essentially picks up where "The Return of the Pink Panther" left off: Clouseau is in charge and Dreyfus is in a padded room.

This film is a little crazier than the others... and Dreyfus gets to be a bigger focus than he was in the previous films.  He carries the mannerisms well: the laugh and the crazy eye twitch, while still making the character attainable.  There are several funny moments in this film: the opening sequence at the psychiatric hospital between a clueless Clouseau and Dreyfus as he slowly loses patience and descends into madness.  Another standout is Clouseau interviewing the Fassbender staff / destroying the house.

And then there are the assassins at Oktober Fest: it plays like controlled chaos!  It's all in the delivery!!  I also love the little scenes between Clouseau and the old German hotel manager (Graham Stark).  Between Clouseau's fascinating pronunciations and the manager's hearing, it is gold.

"Does your dog bite?"
"No."
"Nice doggie."
[Dog barks and bites Clouseau in the hand]
"I thought you said your dog did not bite!"
"That is not my dog."

I love the mayhem!

The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976) 103 minutes
Director: Blake Edwards
Starring: Peter Sellers as Chief Inspector Jacques Clouseau
Herbert Lom as Charles Dreyfus
Lesley-Anne Down as Olga
Burt Kwouk as Cato Fong