Curse of the Pink Panther

"Where are you?"

"I am in agony."

The World's Greatest Detective, Jacques Clouseau, has been missing for over a year.  The President of France and Surete wants him found, and put Chief Inspector Charles Dreyfus (Lom) in charge of the mission.  He is supposed to use a computer to select the world's second greatest detective to find him.  Dreyfus does not want Clouseau found, and sabotages the computer to give the exact opposite result.  The computer selects Sergeant Clifton Sleigh (Wass) from the NYPD.  Sleigh's superiors are more than happy to send him to France.

In France he manages to stumble onto Clouseau's trail, while putting Dreyfus in the hospital and making his eye twitch.  Along the way he stumbles onto a slew of people who want Clouseau to stay out of the way: his manservant Kato (Kwouk), his costumer Professor Balls (Korman), crime boss Bruno (Loggia) and his old nemeses the Litton family: Sir Charles (Niven), Lady Simone (Capucine), and George (Wagner).  Can Sleigh discover the truth?


The film picks up after the events of the Trail of the Pink Panther, and serves as the first film in the Pink Panther series that does not feature Peter Sellers.  Most people sight this as the worst in the series, but it is still an entertaining film.  Yes, it is definitely missing Sellers comedic timing, and Ted Wass is a pale imitation.  Love Roger Moore's scenes, very tongue-in-cheek (apparently he film these scenes while filming the James Bond movie Octopussy).

It was great to see old favorites from the Pink Panther films.  In other Pink Panther films the role of Professor Auguste Balls was played by Graham Stark, who performed various roles in the series.  In this film, comedian Harvey Korman (best known for his role on "The Carol Burnett Show"), takes on the part.  Korman takes the part and runs with it.  Stark still makes an appearance, as the waiter.

It isn't the best entry in the Pink Panther cannon, but it can still be enjoyable.

Curse of the Pink Panther (1983) 109 minutes
Director: Blake Edwards
Starring: David Niven as Sir Charles Litton
Robert Wagner as George Litton
Herbet Lom as Chief Inspector Charles Dreyfus
Joanna Lumley as Countess Chandra
Capucine as Lady Simone Litton
Robert Loggia as Bruno Langois
Harvey Korman as Professor Auguste Balls
Burt Kwouk as Cato Fong
Ted Wass as Sergeant Clifton Sleigh