“Fonzie syndrome”, or the supporting character that becomes more popular than intended, is a phenomenon usually associated with television. There are, however, instances of such characters making similar breakouts on the big screen. Probably the best‑known example is Jacques Clouseau, inspector of the French Sûreté, known as the protagonist of the long‑running and popular Pink Panther series of films. He first appeared as a side character in The Pink Panther, the 1963 crime comedy directed by Blake Edwards.
The title of the film refers to a precious pink diamond, owned by the Shah of the fictitious Oriental country of Lugash. The Shah has given the diamond to his daughter, Princess Dala (played by Claudia Cardinale). Following a coup, she is exiled and becomes involved in potential litigation over the diamond, which is demanded by the new government. She arrives in the popular Italian ski resort of Cortina d’Ampezzo. There she meets the rich British playboy Sir Charles Lytton (played by David Niven), unaware that he is actually “The Phantom”, the infamous cat burglar specialising in the theft of jewellery. As Lytton plots to steal the Pink Panther, the resort is also visited by Jacques Clouseau (played by Peter Sellers), a French police inspector determined to finally catch the elusive “The Phantom” in the act. His failure to apprehend “The Phantom” can be easily explained by his wife Simone (played by Capucine) being Lytton’s secret lover, confederate and fence. As she joins her husband and lover in Cortina, Lytton’s plans are further complicated by the arrival of his young American nephew George (played by Robert Wagner), who has his own plans for the Pink Panther.
The Pink Panther is, in essence, a light‑hearted, undemanding piece of cinematic entertainment that uses a formula which was quite effective in the early 1960s. It combines an international star ensemble cast, exotic locations, an upper‑class setting and mild comedy based on sexual innuendo. Some elements that made this film more successful than others are the likeable and catchy musical score by Edwards’ old collaborator Henry Mancini, as well as the ingenious animated opening titles that feature the character of the actual Pink Panther, which would later serve as the basis for a cartoon television series of its own. But the most important ingredient of The Pink Panther is Peter Sellers in the role of Clouseau. Brought onto the set as a replacement for Peter Ustinov, he did wonders with a relatively undeveloped and clichéd character and turned him into the formidable source of almost everything which is funny in this film. Clouseau is clumsy, inept and creates chaos and destruction with almost everything he touches, but those scenes, which turn the film towards slapstick, make him stand out as the most memorable character instead of Lytton, who was supposed to be the protagonist (and was even planned to have a film series of his own). While very entertaining and successful as a launching pad for an iconic film series, The Pink Panther has its problems. It is slightly overlong, with a musical number in the middle looking slightly out of place, and the character of George, introduced with the obvious intent to bring in the US cinema audience, could have been left on the cutting‑room floor. But it is nevertheless a very good start for the series and for a character that would, over the next decade and a half, become better with each new instalment.
RATING: 6/10 (++)
Blog in Croatian https://draxblog.com Blog in English https://draxreview.wordpress.com/ Leofinance blog https://leofinance.io/@drax.leo Cent profile https://beta.cent.co/@drax Minds profile https://www.minds.com/drax_rp_nc Uptrennd profile https://www.uptrennd.com/user/MTYzNA
Hiveonboard: https://hiveonboard.com?ref=drax Rising Star game: https://www.risingstargame.com?referrer=drax 1Inch: https://1inch.exchange/#/r/0x83823d8CCB74F828148258BB4457642124b1328e
BTC donations: 1EWxiMiP6iiG9rger3NuUSd6HByaxQWafG ETH donations: 0xB305F144323b99e6f8b1d66f5D7DE78B498C32A7
