Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.0

The Pink Panther Blu-ray Movie Review

Second BD Release of Edwards's Comedy Caper Classic

Reviewed by Dr. Stephen Larson June 28, 2017

The Pink Panther (1963) is being released as part of The Pink Panther Film Collection.

The swinging beats of a tenor saxophone that are synchronized with animated images of a farouche pink panther is among the most memorable sound/picture pairings in cinema's history. Composer Henry Mancini enjoyed a long and fruitful collaboration with director Blake Edwards and it is inconceivable to think that The Pink Panther would have been as effective or successful were it not for Mancini's jazzy score. Equally unforgettable and iconic to the film (and the series) is the comedic genius Peter Sellers imbues his character of Inspector Jacques Clouseau. It is important to recall that Sellers was a relative unknown in 1963 and Peter Ustinov was initially considered for the role. In addition, Ava Gardner was courted to play Clouseau's wife, Simone. Not to mention that Edwards sought his Breakfast at Tiffany's star Audrey Hepburn to portray the Indian Princess. But for a variety of reasons, those casting calls did not consummate and Edwards as well as United Artists were forced to look elsewhere. The director and his studio did have David Niven locked in to play British playboy Sir Charles Lytton and also signed Robert Wagner to occupy the part of Lytton's nephew, George.

For fifteen years, Inspector Clouseau has been in the hunt for a notorious international jewel thief known as the Phantom. Clouseau and his spouse Simone (played by Capucine) are joined by dapper Charles Lytton and the Eastern Princess Dala (Claudia Cardinale) at the Cortina d'Ampezzo where Clouseau suspects the Phantom will show up in pursuit of the Pink Panther, the precious jewel bequeathed to Dala by her father. Intrigue abounds upon the arrival of handsome George Lytton (Robert Wagner) to the Cortina after the young man's college commencement ceremony in California. Like his uncle Sir Charles, George is trained in the family tradition of sly and felonious acts to snatch valuable artifacts.

Inspector Clouseau of the French Sûreté in his customary police uniform.

The heart of The Pink Panther is the middle of the film where Simone, Charles, and George engage in a series of hilarious visual gags, most of which are designed to allude and fool the bungling Clouseau. Edwards, his cinematographer Philip Lathrop, and editor Ralph E. Winters masterfully orchestrate the stunts in adjacent rooms of the main hotel at Cortina. Part of the fun for the audience is knowing the escapades of these characters and what they're up to, while the absentminded Clouseau just struggles to take care of himself. Continuity editing helps link the characters' ploys as they traverse through secret doors or move from room to room.

The only place where the film drags is during some extended conversational scenes between Princess Dala and Sir Charles as well as a few other characters. While the dialogue is by no means bad and we learn some more about the characters' pasts, Edwards and Maurice Richlin's script doesn't advance the story here and the movie hits a lull. The Pink Panther regains momentum and hilarity at the climatic masquerade ball where two attendees don gorilla costumes and vie for the rare jewel. The long sequence culminates in a spectacular fireworks display inside and outside the villa. The capper is perhaps an older man's protracted attempt to cross the street while cars chase after each other, ending in a mass pileup.

The Pink Panther Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Shout Select's MPEG-4 AVC-encoded BD-50 marks the second time The Pink Panther has been released on Blu-ray. Eight years ago, MGM unveiled a Collector's Edition of the 1963 film that Greg Maltz reviewed on this site. Shout seems to have struck the same print that MGM used as both transfers share similar characteristics. The Pink Panther appears in its Technirama screen ratio of about 2.35:1, which approximates its theatrical exhibition. Video streams carry an average bitrate of 29997 kbps, while the total bitrate clocks in at 40.37 Mbps. Greg noted the presence of "strobing and flickering, moderate dust specs, small grain and signs of digital enhancement" during the main titles and first few reels. Unfortunately, these issues are also prevalent early in the film, though perhaps not to the same degree. The flickering and grain are a bit distracting but the transfer improves as the movie progresses. Color levels are nicely saturated without any bleeding. Check out David Niven's red and yellow sweaters in Screenshot #s 10 and 14, as well as Claudia Cardinale's pink hat/sweater in #15. Colors also impress inside the Indian palace during the prologue (#8) and the costume ball (#s 5, 12, and 13). The print contains some specks but they are infrequent. The transfer is every bit as good, if not better, than MGM's.

Shout has provided twelve chapter breaks for the main feature.

The Pink Panther Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Shout supplies three audio options: a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Surround (2752 kbps, 24-bit), a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Stereo (1509 kbps, 24-bit), and a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Dual Mono (1570 kbps, 24-bit). The MGM lacked mono and stereo options. The master is in excellent shape as there is no audible tape hiss, distortions, or dropouts. Dialogue is usually clear and intelligible with ample vocal registers that don't require the disc's optional English SDH. There is some Italian spoken in the film and that is automatically subtitled in English. Much of the film is front heavy but the surrounds do bring out some of the orchestrations in Mancini's score. The cabaret ballad, "Meglio Stasera" (It Had Better Be Tonight), sung by Fran Jeffries, sounds crisp.

The Pink Panther Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Audio Commentary by Writer/Director Blake Edwards - this is the same commentary track that originally appeared on MGM's 2003 DVD. It was recorded while Edwards was in his eighties so his memory is spotty and he tends to repeat information that's covered on other featurettes. There are several gaps of silence. In English, not subtitled.

• NEW An Italian Indian: The Pink Panther Princess – An Interview with Actress Claudia Cardinale (11:12, 1080p) - Shout shot this interview with the legendary actress recently. Cardinale speaks fondly of her beloved collaboration with Blake Edwards and also reminisces about working with Federico Fellini and Luchino Visconti. In French with English subtitles.

• 2003 Featurette – The Pink Panther Story (28:45, upconverted to 1080) - a rehashed doc from MGM's DVD on the making of The Pink Panther. The piece includes interviews with Blake Edwards, producer Walter Mirisch, editor Ralph E. Winters, film historian Ed Sikov, and a couple others. In English, not subtitled.

• 2003 Featurette – Behind the Feline: The Cartoon Phenomenon (10:53, upconverted to 1080) - another vintage featurette that examines how the DePatie-Freling produced The Pink Panther cartoon series got launched and what explains its popularity. In English, not subtitled.

• 2008 Featurette – A Conversation with Robert Wagner: Coolest Cat in Cortina (10:57, 1080p) - a nearly eleven-minute chat with the American actor who portrayed George Lytton. Wagner speaks enthusiastically about the film's shoot, working with Edwards, and interacting with David Niven, who became his friend. In English, not subtitled.

• 2008 Featurette – Diamonds: Beyond the Sparkle (6:56, 1080p) - this almost seven-minute program incorporates interviews with employees at the Gemological Institute of America and jewel wholesalers. The participants discuss the different types of gemstones and diamonds.

• 2008 Featurette – The Tip-Toe Life of a Cat Burglar: A Conversation with Former Jewel Thief Bill Mason (9:46, 1080p) - a recycled featurette about real-life jewel thief Bill Mason. Mason is interviewed about his pilfering tactics as well as his biographer/co-author. In English, not subtitled.

• Theatrical Trailer (3:53, 1080p) - a fairly scratchy original theatrical trailer UA created for The Pink Panther. Colors look pretty good and print quality improves in the second half.

• Still Gallery (6:12, 1080p) - the first twenty-four images in this gallery comprise high-resolution production photographs in color. The next fifty consist of black-and-white studio stills from United Artists' vault. Others are taken from the film's original press program.

• Poster Gallery (2:44, 1080p) - a slide show containing thirty-six images of The Pink Panther's publicity campaign. These consist of theatrical poster design concepts, color lobby cards, the soundtrack album cover, and pictures from the movie's ad campaign in foreign markets.

The Pink Panther Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Shout Select has ported over all the supplements from the 2009 MGM CE, added its own photo galleries, and filmed a very good (albeit brief) interview with Claudia Cardinale. The transfer remains imperfect but is sharp with colors that shine in the film's various locales. Shout has generously provided three audio options and this includes the coveted original monaural track. Currently, Shout's The Pink Panther is only available in the label's The Pink Panther Film Collection set. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.