‘The Pink Panther (1963)’ Blu-ray Review
Stars: Peter Sellers, David Niven, Claudia Cardinale, Robert Wagner, Capucine, Brenda de Banzie, Colin Gordon, John Le Mesurier | Written by Maurice Richlin, Blake Edwards | Directed by Blake Edwards
As a child, I grew up watching The Pink Panther cartoon, endlessly fascinated by the suave, mischievous antics of the iconic pink feline. As I got older, that early affection naturally led me to discover the Pink Panther films starring Peter Sellers, where the character’s world expanded into something even more absurd and brilliant.
The film series began in 1963 with The Pink Panther, directed by Blake Edwards and headlined by Sellers in his legendary role as Inspector Clouseau. Now, 62 years later, Kino Lorber Studio Classics have brought this timeless comedy back into the spotlight with a Blu-ray release sourced from a brand-new 4K scan.
Sir Charles (David Niven), an urbane British playboy who is secretly also smooth criminal “The Phantom.” Trailed by the accident-prone French detective Inspector Jacques Clouseau (Peter Sellers) among the jet set, the suave jewel thief sets his sights on stealing The Pink Panther — a large pink diamond whose name derives from its shimmering resemblance to a leaping feline — away from its keeper, the lovely and feisty Princess Dala (Claudia Cardinale). Robert Wagner and Capucine co-star, as Sir Charles’ sly nephew George and Clouseau’s utterly unfaithful wife Simone.
Blake Edwards co-wrote the screenplay with Maurice Richlin, crafting a script that’s smartly structured and effortlessly playful. Edwards then brings that material vividly to life from the director’s chair, balancing farce and elegance with remarkable confidence. The film makes wonderful use of its European locations, particularly Cortina d’Ampezzo, which Edwards frames so lovingly that the setting almost becomes a character in its own right.
The cast is pitch-perfect across the board, with everyone clearly operating at the top of their game. Peter Sellers, of course, is the undeniable highlight, delivering a performance that remains endlessly funny decades later. Just as iconic is the score by Henry Mancini – instantly recognisable from its opening bars and forever ingrained in pop culture. It’s little surprise that the American Film Institute ranked The Pink Panther at No. 20 on its 100 Years of Film Scores list.
Kino Lorber has transferred The Pink Panther to Blu-ray in 1080p and it is presented in 2.35:1 aspect ratio. The audio track is an English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. There is also the option for English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing. This Blu-ray transfer is taken from a brand new 4k scan of the 35mm Technirama Camera negative. Which means the picture is crisp and clean, the colours are simply gorgeous, and the flesh tones are correct. I was simply blown away at how gorgeous this film looks on this release. In addition to a stunning new 4K scan of this classic comedy. Kino Lorber ported some classic bonus features to this Blu-ray, including:
Special Features:
- Commentary track by C-writer and Director Black Edwards
- The Pink Panther Story: Documentary
- The Coolest Cat in Cortina – A Conversation with Robert Wagner
- An Italian Indian: The Pink Panther Princess Claudia Cardinale
- Behind the Feline
- Diamonds
- The Tip-Toe Life of a Cat Burglar
- Theatrical Trailer
All these bonus features really take this release from good to great. But Kino Lorber didn’t even stop there. The Blu-ray insert is a reversible one with two different kinds of artwork. I love the artwork, so for me this is a truly wonderful bonus feature.
***** 5/5
There is nothing like the comedy of Peter Sellers as Inspector Clouseau. And now, to see his first adventure in spectacular, crystal-clear quality is simply priceless. So why not add this new Blu-ray release to your collection by heading over to Amazon and ordering your copy today. You won’t be disappointed.
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