1964's "The Pink Panther" is not a complex film. There is little to suggest a full-fledged film series in its story of a jewel with the shape of a panther buried deep within. Somehow, that premise resulted in a series of films lasting decades, with eleven unique (or mostly unique) live-action entries. And the cartoon character who showed up in the title sequence, dancing to Henry Mancini's iconic theme music? There was a Saturday morning series starring him that ran in various incarnations from 1969 to 1980.
When writer Maurice Richlin pursued director Blake Edwards with an idea for a film about a jewel thief, neither man could have predicted the surprising longevity of that idea. Certainly, they couldn't have predicted that the extremely thin premise of "The Pink Panther" would result in a series of films running into the 1990s. Nor could they have predicted that the protagonist would be...
When writer Maurice Richlin pursued director Blake Edwards with an idea for a film about a jewel thief, neither man could have predicted the surprising longevity of that idea. Certainly, they couldn't have predicted that the extremely thin premise of "The Pink Panther" would result in a series of films running into the 1990s. Nor could they have predicted that the protagonist would be...
- 12/16/2023
- by Anthony Crislip
- Slash Film
(Goldman with James Caan on the set of "A Bridge Too Far"- 1976)
By Lee Pfeiffer
There's an old joke among writers about the naive young starlet who thought she could make it in Hollywood by sleeping with screenwriters. Indeed, the people who made it possible for hit films to exist by writing the scenarios the actors carried out on screen were often regarded as being very low on the industry totem pole- and relatively low-paid as well. Not so with novelist and screenwriter William Goldman, who elevated regard for screenwriters while demanding- and receiving- the kind of breakthrough salaries that revolutionized the film industry's respect for writers. Goldman has died from cancer in Manhattan at age 87. He was known to be opinionated, abrasive and demanding, but no one questioned his talents. He won Oscars for "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" and "All the President's Men". Among his other...
By Lee Pfeiffer
There's an old joke among writers about the naive young starlet who thought she could make it in Hollywood by sleeping with screenwriters. Indeed, the people who made it possible for hit films to exist by writing the scenarios the actors carried out on screen were often regarded as being very low on the industry totem pole- and relatively low-paid as well. Not so with novelist and screenwriter William Goldman, who elevated regard for screenwriters while demanding- and receiving- the kind of breakthrough salaries that revolutionized the film industry's respect for writers. Goldman has died from cancer in Manhattan at age 87. He was known to be opinionated, abrasive and demanding, but no one questioned his talents. He won Oscars for "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" and "All the President's Men". Among his other...
- 11/16/2018
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Tony Curtis grew up idolizing the suave and funny Cary Grant, emulated his romantic moves as an actor and then performed a brilliant impersonation of Grant for Billy Wilder. The next step had to be co-starring with the great man himself. Blake Edwards’ amiable, relaxed submarine movie allows Grant to play with ladies’ under-things, while Curtis wrestles with a pig.
Operation Petticoat
Blu-ray
Olive Signature Edition
1959 / Color / 1:78 widescreen / 120 min. / Street Date July 1, 2014 / available through the Olive Films website / 39.95
Starring: Cary Grant, Tony Curtis, Joan O’Brien, Dina Merrill, Gene Evans, Dick Sargent, Virginia Gregg, Gavin MacLeod, Madlyn Rhue, Marion Ross, Arthur O’Connell.
Cinematography: Russell Harlan
Original Music: David Rose
Written by Paul King, Joseph Stone, Stanley Shapiro, Maurice Richlin
Produced by Robert Arthur
Directed by Blake Edwards
The latest in Olive Films’ Signature Selection special editions is Operation Petticoat, a light comedy war movie noted for teaming Cary Grant with Tony Curtis.
Operation Petticoat
Blu-ray
Olive Signature Edition
1959 / Color / 1:78 widescreen / 120 min. / Street Date July 1, 2014 / available through the Olive Films website / 39.95
Starring: Cary Grant, Tony Curtis, Joan O’Brien, Dina Merrill, Gene Evans, Dick Sargent, Virginia Gregg, Gavin MacLeod, Madlyn Rhue, Marion Ross, Arthur O’Connell.
Cinematography: Russell Harlan
Original Music: David Rose
Written by Paul King, Joseph Stone, Stanley Shapiro, Maurice Richlin
Produced by Robert Arthur
Directed by Blake Edwards
The latest in Olive Films’ Signature Selection special editions is Operation Petticoat, a light comedy war movie noted for teaming Cary Grant with Tony Curtis.
- 12/2/2017
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
'The Pink Panther' with Peter Sellers: Blake Edwards' 1963 comedy hit and its many sequels revolve around one of the most iconic film characters of the 20th century: clueless, thick-accented Inspector Clouseau – in some quarters surely deemed politically incorrect, or 'insensitive,' despite the lack of brown face make-up à la Sellers' clueless Indian guest in Edwards' 'The Party.' 'The Pink Panther' movies [1] There were a total of eight big-screen Pink Panther movies co-written and directed by Blake Edwards, most of them starring Peter Sellers – even after his death in 1980. Edwards was also one of the producers of every (direct) Pink Panther sequel, from A Shot in the Dark to Curse of the Pink Panther. Despite its iconic lead character, the last three movies in the Pink Panther franchise were box office bombs. Two of these, The Trail of the Pink Panther and Curse of the Pink Panther, were co-written by Edwards' son,...
- 5/29/2017
- by altfilmguide
- Alt Film Guide
It is the late 1950′s in a well to do section of Manhattan and Jan Morrow (Doris Day) is getting annoyed with her neighbour Brad Allen (Rock Hudson). You see, they share a party line and he is always on the telephone serenading his various romantic conquests and Jan cannot make her calls. They have never met but through a mutual friend Allen works out who she is, introduces himself as Texan alter-ego Rex Stetson and tries to woo her. Will she work out his true identity? Will they fall in love? Will Doris Day sing a bit?
*****
Doris Day and Rock Hudson appeared together on screen a number of times and made for a beautiful pairing – she was all wholesomeness with a dash of sexiness, he was a tall, broad, dark, handsome rogue. Looking back on it now, especially within our current cycle of much more explicit adult comedies,...
*****
Doris Day and Rock Hudson appeared together on screen a number of times and made for a beautiful pairing – she was all wholesomeness with a dash of sexiness, he was a tall, broad, dark, handsome rogue. Looking back on it now, especially within our current cycle of much more explicit adult comedies,...
- 5/25/2012
- by Dave Roper
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Pillow Talk
Stars: Rock Hudson, Doris Day, Tony Randall, Thelma Ritter | Written by Stanley Shapiro, Maurice Richlin | Directed by Michael Gordon
When interior decorator Jan Morrow (Day) is forced to share a telephone party line with carefree playboy Brad Allen (Hudson). There is no connection between them until the two accidentally meet in person. As sparks begin to fly, the smitten Brad pretends to be a wealthy Texan, wooing Jan with late-night calls.
Available for the first time on Blu-ray, Hollywood classic Pillow Talk is making it HD debut as part of the Universal Pictures 100th Anniversary celebration in a fully restored and digitally re-mastered iteration which has been, judging by the fantastic picture quality, lovingly restored from the original film elements – this is the best the film has Ever looked, no doubt even better than the original cinema release. To go with the fantastic new picture quality, Pillow Talk...
Stars: Rock Hudson, Doris Day, Tony Randall, Thelma Ritter | Written by Stanley Shapiro, Maurice Richlin | Directed by Michael Gordon
When interior decorator Jan Morrow (Day) is forced to share a telephone party line with carefree playboy Brad Allen (Hudson). There is no connection between them until the two accidentally meet in person. As sparks begin to fly, the smitten Brad pretends to be a wealthy Texan, wooing Jan with late-night calls.
Available for the first time on Blu-ray, Hollywood classic Pillow Talk is making it HD debut as part of the Universal Pictures 100th Anniversary celebration in a fully restored and digitally re-mastered iteration which has been, judging by the fantastic picture quality, lovingly restored from the original film elements – this is the best the film has Ever looked, no doubt even better than the original cinema release. To go with the fantastic new picture quality, Pillow Talk...
- 5/6/2012
- by Phil
- Nerdly
See the first trailer for the comedy "The Pink Panther 2" (a.k.a. "The Next Pink Panther" and "The Pink Panther Deux") from Sony Pictures. Steve Martin reprises his role as the goofy Inspector Jacques Clouseau, he's joined by Jean Reno, Emily Mortimer, Andy Garcia, Alfred Molina, John Cleese, Aishwarya Rai and Yuki Matsuzaki. Dutch director Harald Zwart ("Hamilton") helms from the screenplay by Scott Neustadter, Michael H. Weber and Steve Martin based on the characters created by Maurice Richlin and Blake Edwards. This one sees release on February 6th next year. Martin wrote the story of the recent critically acclaimed Don Cheadle and Guy Pearce crime drama "Traitor"...
- 11/7/2008
- Upcoming-Movies.com
See the first trailer for the comedy "The Pink Panther 2" (a.k.a. "The Next Pink Panther" and "The Pink Panther Deux") from Sony Pictures. Steve Martin reprises his role as the goofy Inspector Jacques Clouseau, he's joined by Jean Reno, Emily Mortimer, Andy Garcia, Alfred Molina, John Cleese, Aishwarya Rai and Yuki Matsuzaki. Dutch director Harald Zwart ("Hamilton") helms from the screenplay by Scott Neustadter, Michael H. Weber and Steve Martin based on the characters created by Maurice Richlin and Blake Edwards. This one sees release on February 6th next year. Martin wrote the story of the recent critically acclaimed Don Cheadle and Guy Pearce crime drama "Traitor"...
- 11/7/2008
- Upcoming-Movies.com
See the first trailer for the comedy "The Pink Panther 2" (a.k.a. "The Next Pink Panther" and "The Pink Panther Deux") from Sony Pictures. Steve Martin reprises his role as the goofy Inspector Jacques Clouseau, he's joined by Jean Reno, Emily Mortimer, Andy Garcia, Alfred Molina, John Cleese, Aishwarya Rai and Yuki Matsuzaki. Dutch director Harald Zwart ("Hamilton") helms from the screenplay by Scott Neustadter, Michael H. Weber and Steve Martin based on the characters created by Maurice Richlin and Blake Edwards. This one sees release on February 6th next year. Martin wrote the story of the recent critically acclaimed Don Cheadle and Guy Pearce crime drama "Traitor" alongside helmer Jeffrey Nachmanoff. Before that, he was in the romantic comedy "Baby Mama" with Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. See the trailer here! The Pink Panther 2 (2009)(Released date: February 6, 2009) - Rate & Review this! - Add to your List!
- 11/7/2008
- Upcoming-Movies.com
See the first trailer for the comedy "The Pink Panther 2" (a.k.a. "The Next Pink Panther" and "The Pink Panther Deux") from Sony Pictures. Steve Martin reprises his role as the goofy Inspector Jacques Clouseau, he's joined by Jean Reno, Emily Mortimer, Andy Garcia, Alfred Molina, John Cleese, Aishwarya Rai and Yuki Matsuzaki. Dutch director Harald Zwart ("Hamilton") helms from the screenplay by Scott Neustadter, Michael H. Weber and Steve Martin based on the characters created by Maurice Richlin and Blake Edwards. This one sees release on February 6th next year. Martin wrote the story of the recent critically acclaimed Don Cheadle and Guy Pearce crime drama "Traitor"...
- 11/7/2008
- Upcoming-Movies.com
The last time we saw Inspector Clouseau, the once-illustrious Pink Panther franchise had fallen on hard times with actor (now TV director) Ted Wass stuck in the thankless role of attempting to fill the late Peter Sellers' formidable footwear in 1983's "Curse of the Pink Panther".
That title would have been equally apropos of the current incarnation, simply titled "The Pink Panther", which finally arrives after being bounced around the release schedule numerous times, in part because of Sony's purchase of MGM/UA.
Even with the inspired choice of Steve Martin in the Clouseau role, this "Panther" picture is more bumbling and fumbling than the blissfully oblivious, accident-prone Inspector.
The painfully unfunny results -- a couple of exceptions, like the "hamburger" bit, have already begun to lose their comic luster thanks to all the advance advertising -- likely won't have audiences tickled pink.
Even with the added enticement of the lovely Beyonce, whose current hit "Check on It" has been remixed with a little Mancini, there's a stale, warmed-over feel to the entire production that ultimately will keep ticket sales in check.
There's slapstick and then there's the finely honed variety of physical comedy introduced by Sellers and director Blake Edwards in 1964's "The Pink Panther". Putting a broader stamp on a distinct style that paid homage to the likes of Chaplin, Keaton and Jacques Tati, the collaboration flourished over the course of a half-dozen pictures, all bearing Henry Mancini's immortal signature theme.
But even though Martin (who shares screenplay credit with "Stripes" scribe Len Blum) and director Shawn Levy worked together before in the first "Cheaper by the Dozen" remake, they fail to generate the necessary comic sparks. Too many of the gags fall flat on their face long before the inspector does, and the entire pace feels like it's on some sort of three-second delay.
The downbeat upshot strands a lot of usually reliable talent, also including Kevin Kline as Clouseau's pompous superior and Jean Reno as Clouseau's stoic assistant, as well as Emily Mortimer and Kristin Chenoweth, in a comedy vacuum, timing their performances to a nonexistent laugh track.
Despite being filmed in New York, Paris and Prague, followed by some reshoots in Vancouver, the picture might as well have been shot on a studio backlot for all the excitement those backdrops manage to impart.
Miraculously, Mancini's score is about the only thing that manages to emerge unscathed, even with composer Christophe Beck's attempts at a techno-tinged update.
The Pink Panther
Columbia Pictures
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and Columbia Pictures present
a Robert Simonds production
a Shawn Levy film
Credits:
Director: Shawn Levy
Screenplay: Len Blum and Steve Martin
Story: Len Blum and Michael Saltzman
Based on characters created by: Maurice Richlin & Blake Edwards
Based on the Pink Panther films by: Blake Edwards
Producer: Robert Simonds
Executive producers: Tracey Trench, Ira Shuman
Director of photography: Jonathan Brown
Production designer: Lilly Kilvert
Editors: George Folsey Jr., Brad E. Wilhite
Costume designer: Joseph G. Aulisi
Music: Christophe Beck
Cast:
Inspector Clouseau: Steve Martin
Dreyfus: Kevin Kline
Gilbert Ponton: Jean Reno
Xania: Beyonce Knowles
Cherie: Kristin Chenoweth
Nicole: Emily Mortimer
Yuri: Henry Czerny
MPAA rating PG
Running time -- 92 minutes...
That title would have been equally apropos of the current incarnation, simply titled "The Pink Panther", which finally arrives after being bounced around the release schedule numerous times, in part because of Sony's purchase of MGM/UA.
Even with the inspired choice of Steve Martin in the Clouseau role, this "Panther" picture is more bumbling and fumbling than the blissfully oblivious, accident-prone Inspector.
The painfully unfunny results -- a couple of exceptions, like the "hamburger" bit, have already begun to lose their comic luster thanks to all the advance advertising -- likely won't have audiences tickled pink.
Even with the added enticement of the lovely Beyonce, whose current hit "Check on It" has been remixed with a little Mancini, there's a stale, warmed-over feel to the entire production that ultimately will keep ticket sales in check.
There's slapstick and then there's the finely honed variety of physical comedy introduced by Sellers and director Blake Edwards in 1964's "The Pink Panther". Putting a broader stamp on a distinct style that paid homage to the likes of Chaplin, Keaton and Jacques Tati, the collaboration flourished over the course of a half-dozen pictures, all bearing Henry Mancini's immortal signature theme.
But even though Martin (who shares screenplay credit with "Stripes" scribe Len Blum) and director Shawn Levy worked together before in the first "Cheaper by the Dozen" remake, they fail to generate the necessary comic sparks. Too many of the gags fall flat on their face long before the inspector does, and the entire pace feels like it's on some sort of three-second delay.
The downbeat upshot strands a lot of usually reliable talent, also including Kevin Kline as Clouseau's pompous superior and Jean Reno as Clouseau's stoic assistant, as well as Emily Mortimer and Kristin Chenoweth, in a comedy vacuum, timing their performances to a nonexistent laugh track.
Despite being filmed in New York, Paris and Prague, followed by some reshoots in Vancouver, the picture might as well have been shot on a studio backlot for all the excitement those backdrops manage to impart.
Miraculously, Mancini's score is about the only thing that manages to emerge unscathed, even with composer Christophe Beck's attempts at a techno-tinged update.
The Pink Panther
Columbia Pictures
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and Columbia Pictures present
a Robert Simonds production
a Shawn Levy film
Credits:
Director: Shawn Levy
Screenplay: Len Blum and Steve Martin
Story: Len Blum and Michael Saltzman
Based on characters created by: Maurice Richlin & Blake Edwards
Based on the Pink Panther films by: Blake Edwards
Producer: Robert Simonds
Executive producers: Tracey Trench, Ira Shuman
Director of photography: Jonathan Brown
Production designer: Lilly Kilvert
Editors: George Folsey Jr., Brad E. Wilhite
Costume designer: Joseph G. Aulisi
Music: Christophe Beck
Cast:
Inspector Clouseau: Steve Martin
Dreyfus: Kevin Kline
Gilbert Ponton: Jean Reno
Xania: Beyonce Knowles
Cherie: Kristin Chenoweth
Nicole: Emily Mortimer
Yuri: Henry Czerny
MPAA rating PG
Running time -- 92 minutes...
- 2/26/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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