The Return of the Pink Panther (1975)

The Return of the Pink Panther is the third film starring Peter Sellers as inept French detective Jacques Clouseau. It is also the best of the Pink Panther films, with Sellers unleashing deadpan slapstick with precision timing. Pink Panther regulars Herbert Lom (Chief Inspector Dreyfus) and Burt Kwouk (Clouseau's valet Cato) are in top form in supporting roles. While Clouseau's antics slowly drive Dreyfus insane, Cato plots his famous martial-arts drills in Clouseau's apartment. In one scene, Clouseau opens a refrigerator and out pops Cato in attack mode. One of the most accomplished comedians of the 20th century, Sellers resorts to every sleight of humor in his repertoire: outlandish disguises, mispronunciations, and impossibly ridiculous stratagems. And he pulls them off. Entertaining Henry Mancini music accompanies Clouseau on his misadventures in Lugash (actually, Morocco), where the fabled Pink Panther diamond has been reported missing. Christopher Plummer adeptly plays the Phantom, an international jewel thief wrongly accused of stealing the gem. Once again, Clouseau does everything wrong on his way to accidentally solving the crime. The film itself is a rare gem that continues to sparkle with repeated viewings. ~ Mike Cummings, All Movie Guide