It is a known fact that I am a thief. I am a member of a special group of people who take, borrow, enhance, and reinvent what is seen or imagined. Movie and theatre directors steal from other movie and theatre directors. It is what we do for the sake of creating art, and I, for one, am not embarrassed to admit it. We all pluck it and use it. Stealing is also a huge compliment to whoever thought of it first. Often, we can give what we see a new twist by modernizing an old technique. It is our homage to the greats who came before us, and who knows… maybe someone will steal from us in the future. One can hope.
In 1963, I was only a freshman in high school, but I was already deeply in love with movies and the stage. I used to spend hours shopping for character traits by just sitting and taking mental notes in airport waiting areas. I would see as many movies and plays as I could. I read voraciously about staging and creating unique individuals. I could actually see them in my mind. I spoke, questioned, and discussed with whomever I could find in my chosen field that I was obsessed with. I was, at the time, like a squirrel storing precious jewels away deep in my subconscious. My head was always full of ideas and visions I wanted to accomplish now or in the near future. I thought of it as a Rolodex. Give it a try and see what happens. When I became a director years later, I had a wealth of options to choose from and put to good use. I would always reflect on why I had done so much legwork. I was ready before I even started. I used to thank the universe every day.
One of my all-time favorites was THE PINK PANTHER. It literally contained a treasure trove of brilliant gems within its two-hour viewing time. The opening, featuring the animated, tiptoeing Pink Panther, set the audience up for what was to come. It was different, clever, funny, and very pink. THE PINK PANTHER musical theme ignited the lighthearted tone. There was no doubt that the film would be a comedy. Those opening, melodic notes found their way into our hearts, and I, for one, can never forget them decades later. Everyone hummed and laughed in unison. The composer, Henry Mancini, outdid himself, receiving an Oscar nomination to prove it.
Blake Edwards (VICTOR/ VICTORIA), the director and writer, would go on to create eight more Pink Panther films. He had a specific set of ideas as to how he envisioned the crazy plot and cast of characters. In his mind, David Niven (Sir Charles) would be the lead actor, but that was not what actually happened. The incomparable Peter Sellers walked into Edward’s life, and the entire film shifted its concept. This all happened just two weeks before filming began, when Peter Ustinov was initially cast as Inspector Clouseau. It was written as a straight, level-headed role. Ha! When Edwards and Sellers had their first conversation, lightbulbs exploded. Clouseau became the bumbling, naive, constantly falling Inspector who everyone would grow to love and cherish. Edwards and Sellers created Clouseau together. Every gesture, movement, costume, and the infamous accent were magically created in those fourteen days. Edwards set up a camera all around Sellers so as not to miss a single nuance of his hysterical performance. They were a genius duo who knew how to make audiences gleefully scream with laughter, and as a result, THE PINK PANTHER was a huge box office success.
Inspector Clouseau was an homage to all the great slapstick comedians who came first. The character stood on the shoulders of Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, and many others. The four-car chase scene was straight out of an Alfred Hitchcock playbook, including the old man in the center of the street trying to get across. This bit has been used dozens of times since, as well (One of my favorites was in WHAT’S UP, DOC?). The hilarious gorilla mirror scene was borrowed from a film made in the early 1900s and later reimagined over the years, even by stars such as Lucille Ball and Bette Midler. The good stuff will always be recycled.
Bob Wagner played George, the hunky, handsome nephew, in one of Wagner’s earliest roles. In later interviews, he said it was his favorite except for the bubble bath scene. The production team used an industrial-strength bubble concoction that was too strong. It ended up burning Wagner’s skin and left him blind for a month. Luckily, no scarring occurred.
The Princess (Claudia Cardinale) was recommended by Audrey Hepburn, who turned down the part. Cardinale was a gorgeous young starlet who was not well-known at the time. As a side note, Claudia did not speak any English, and her entire part was dubbed. Never say looks don’t mean anything in Hollywood.
THE PINK PANTHER is a timeless, physical comedy classic. It is filled with schtick that never gets old. It contains genius cat-and-mouse moments that remain as engaging over sixty years later. It launched a humongous franchise and a cartoon that went on to be one of the longest-running television series. It made the world see Peter Sellers as a virtuoso comedian. The movie stood magnificently and tirelessly upon the strong shoulders of those who came before it. I’m betting Sellers and Edwards had been compiling a spectacular Rolodex for years. Sometimes it is okay to be a “phantom” thief.
THE PINK PANTHER is available on TCM.
