The Pink Panther Strikes Again

1976  PG  COMEDY  1h 43min

CAST— Peter Sellers, Herbert Lom, Colin Blakely, Leonard Rossiter, Lesley-Anne Down, Burt Kwouk, Andre Maranne

MUSIC— Henry Mancini  DIRECTOR— Blake Edwards

     Peter Sellers returns as Jacques Clouseau in this hilarious comedy. Now promoted to Chief Inspector, Clouseau is on the trail of former boss Dreyfus (played by an ever troubled Herbert Lom), recently released from an insane asylum. Dreyfus builds a laser weapon capable of evaporating entire cities. He proposes an ultimatum: deliver Clouseau and Dreyfus will spare the planet from destruction. Meanwhile, Clouseau obliviously foils every assassination attempt made against him. Sellers generates plenty of laughs in what is perhaps the greatest of the Pink Panther films. Memorable scenes and one-liners come fast and furious; included: the now famous “does your dog bite?” routine. A comedic treasure.

OUR RATING— *** ½

PRECEDED BY— The Pink Panther (1963), A Shot in the Dark (1964), Inspector Clouseau (1968), The Return of the Pink Panther (1975)

FOLLOWED BY— Revenge of the Pink Panther (1978), Trail of the Pink Panther (1982), Curse of the Pink Panther (1983), Son of the Pink Panther (1993)

     The Pink Panther

2006  PG  COMEDY  1h 33min

CAST— Steve Martin, Kevin Kline, Jean Reno, Emily Mortimer, Henry Czerny, Beyoncé Knowles

MUSIC— Christophe Beck  DIRECTOR— Shawn Levy

     Yet another attempt to modernize classic cinematic characters of old. Frankly, it didn’t work. Funny man Steve Martin takes up the mantle of Peter Sellers and tries to become inspector Jacques Clouseau, the idiotic detective that destroys everything he sees. This particular adventure sees Clouseau being promoted to inspector to solve the murder of a soccer coach. As a bonus Clouseau must also solve the case of the theft of the coach’s ring: a pink diamond known as the Pink Panther. Can Clouseau solve these baffling crimes without destroying Paris in the process? This is a film strictly for the curious, for those who want to see Martin ham it up in the role that Sellers made his own. Best scene: “I would like to buy a hamburger.”

OUR RATING— **

ORIGINAL— The Pink Panther (1963)

FOLLOWED BY— The Pink Panther 2 (2009)

     The Pink Panther

1963  NR  COMEDY  1h 53min

CAST— Peter Sellers, David Niven, Capucine, Robert Wagner, Claudia Cardinale, Brenda DeBanzie, John LeMesurier, Fran Jeffries

MUSIC— Henry Mancini  DIRECTOR— Blake Edwards

     Who is the Pink Panther? Rather, what is it? The infamous diamond known as the Pink Panther belonging to a vacationing Indian princess is the target for the European cat burglar dubbed The Phantom. The Phantom is the target of French inspector Jacques Clouseau, a bumbling idiot whose wife has more than a fleeting acquaintance with the thief himself. Part heist story, part slapstick comedy, part bedroom farce, The Pink Panther has both moments of laugh out loud hilarity and moments of monotonous boredom. The marvelous antics of Peter Sellers are enough to send anyone into a fit of giggles, yet the lulls in between, centering on David Niven and Robert Wagner as two oversexed Romeos, is easily forgotten. Followed by many a sequel. Deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” by the United States Library of Congress National Film Registry.

OUR RATING— ** ½

FOLLOWED BY— A Shot in the Dark (1964), Inspector Clouseau (1968), The Return of the Pink Panther (1975), The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976), Revenge of the Pink Panther (1978), Trail of the Pink Panther (1982), Curse of the Pink Panther (1983), Son of the Pink Panther (1993)

REMADE AS— The Pink Panther (2006)

     Pillow Talk

1959  NR  COMEDY  1h 42min

CAST— Rock Hudson, Doris Day, Tony Randall, Thelma Ritter, Nick Adams, Marcel Dalio, Julia Meade

MUSIC— Frank DeVol  DIRECTOR— Michael Gordon

     The first of the Rock Hudson/Doris Day romcoms. She plays an interior decorator with a bit of a problem on her hands: her phone is on a party line, which she shares with an oversexed songwriter with too many women to call. They also share more than a passing annoyance with each other, despising the sound of each other’s voice. But when Hudson learns that his phone foe is an attractive lass he plans to woo her, but in an unconventional way: he disguises his voice and assumes a new identity, that of a wealthy Texan, and charms his way into her heart. But never did he expect to genuinely fall head over heels in love. It’s your simple mild-mannered sex comedy (or is that “phone sex” comedy?) from an age when “sex” was a four letter word. Oscar-winner for Best Original Screenplay. Deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” by the United States Library of Congress National Film Registry.

OUR RATING— ** ½

     The Picture of Dorian Gray

1945  NR  DRAMA  1h 50min

CAST— George Sanders, Hurd Hatfield, Donna Reed, Angela Lansbury, Peter Lawford, Lowell Gilmore, Richard Fraser

MUSIC— Herbert Stothart  DIRECTOR— Albert Lewin  BASED ON— The Picture of Dorian Gray (novel), by Oscar Wilde

     Strange allegory about humanity’s lust for eternal youth. Hurd Hatfield plays Dorian Gray, a self-absorbed young man who longs to be young forever. After seeing a lifelike portrait of himself he wishes that he would stay as he is now and that the image on the canvas would age instead. Unfortunately, his wish is granted. But over the years Gray becomes a somewhat cruel man; likewise he begins to grow tired of his youth while his acquaintances age naturally. Meanwhile, his portrait begins to show a terrifying image: what was once a representation of a man in perfect health becomes a horrible grotesquery. A bit talky at times, but nevertheless an interesting tale, highlighted by a classic performance from the ever droll George Sanders, not to mention glimpses of the shocking picture of Dorian Gray. Oscar-winner for Best Cinematography, Black and White.

OUR RATING— ***

ORIGINAL— The Picture of Dorian Gray (1916/1917/1918)

REMADE AS— The Picture of Dorian Gray (1976)

     The Philadelphia Story

1940  NR  COMEDY  1h 52min

CAST— Cary Grant, Katherine Hepburn, James Stewart, Ruth Hussey, John Howard, Roland Young, John Halliday, Virginia Weidler, Mary Nash, Henry Daniell, Hillary Brooke

MUSIC— Franz Waxman  DIRECTOR— George Cukor  BASED ON— The Philadelphia Story (play), by Philip Barry

     High society meets sophisticated humor in this award-winning film with a truly outstanding cast. Katherine Hepburn plays a snobbish divorcee planning to remarry. Her life suddenly turns upside down when her ex-husband invades her home with a reporter and photographer from a national high class magazine, Spy. As she is forced to play nice with the guests, she plays mean with her ex, all the while fighting her feelings for two different men. What she truly wants out of life is love and compassion, and only one man can offer her that. While one man views her as a goddess, the other views her as a lonely soul, desperate for affection. Choices, choices. While written with a keen edge, the film does tend to be a bit too talkative and overlong, but the end result is a comedy that pays off quite nicely. Oscar-winner for Best Actor (James Stewart) and Best Adapted Screenplay. Deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” by the United States Library of Congress National Film Registry.

OUR RATING— ***

REMADE AS— The Philadelphia Story (1959)

     Phenomenon

1996  PG  FANTASY  2h 3min

CAST— John Travolta, Kyra Sedgwick, Forest Whitaker, Robert Duvall, Jeffrey DeMunn, Brent Spiner, Richard Kiley, Tony Genaro, Sean O’Bryan, Ellen Geer

MUSIC— Thomas Newman  DIRECTOR— Jon Turteltaub

     John Travolta delivers a heartfelt performance in this forgotten gem, a tender sleeper delving into science fiction, fantasy, and touching drama. After Travolta experiences an unexplained encounter with a light anomaly, he becomes a genius overnight, retaining massive amounts of knowledge and, even more bizarre, becoming telekinetic. He tries in vain to share these wonders with his fellow townsmen but fear puts everyone at bay. Only the compassion of a lonely young woman and her children maintain his courage. Sentimental, yes, but never tacky. A modern, old fashioned drama.

OUR RATING— ** ½

FOLLOWED BY— Phenomenon II (2003)