The Pink Panther

Just the thought of Henry Mancini's legendary music puts you in the right mood. With Blake Edwards' crime comedy, a new icon was born - Peter Sellers as the clumsy Inspector Clouseau.

The clumsy Inspector Clouseau (Peter Sellers) is on the hunt for the "Phantom", a jewel thief. The criminal narrowly escapes him in Rome and he follows the trail to Cortina d'Ampezzo. Clouseau suspects that the phantom wants to steal the "pink panther" here. The legendary diamond belongs to Princess Dala (Claudia Cardinale). When the inspector arrives at the wintry ski resort, the confusion takes its course.

Accompanied by Henry Mancini's harmonious score and in glorious Technicolour, the film revels in the 1960s décor and tourist locations. Added to this is Blake Edwards' slapstick comedy, choreographed down to the last detail, which is characterised by chaos and absurd coincidences. The highlight is perhaps the best roundabout scene in film history. Peter Ustinov cancelled shortly before the start of filming, so the then unknown Peter Sellers was given the role of Inspector Clouseau. Thanks to his unique talent, the actual supporting character became the main attraction of the film and almost completely overshadowed the great stars Claudia Cardinale and David Niven.