Like many other children I thought that The Pink Panther was a cartoon due to the popularity of its mascot and was left disappointed and confused when I saw that this was not the case. Much later I learned that there is an entire series of these films about the bumbling Jacques Clouseau but I still remembered my early irritation and never watched any of them. Since I’ve been working through all of the classics of cinema, it’s only fair to give what is considered one of the greatest comedies of all time a shot.

Inspector Jacques Clouseau hunts for the elusive Phantom who has successfully carried out many high profile heists. He suspects that the villain will next be targeting the fabulous Pink Panther diamond owned by the Princess Dala and this is indeed true. The Phantom is the famed playboy Sir Charles Lytton and his partner is Clouseau’s own wife Simone. While Dala is staying at a ski resort, they arrange for Lytton to get close to Dala by arranging for her cat to be kidnapped so that he can heroically swoop in to help. However their plans are frustrated when Lytton’s nephew unexpectedly shows up while on the run from moneylenders. Clouseau continues his investigation at the resort as well but is continually rebuffed by his wife without suspecting anything.

Peter Sellers has been hailed as the comedic genius of his generation but I have to say that I did not find this film to be funny at all. The gags are too obvious and too silly. Clouseau’s unbelievable level of clumsiness, constantly tripping and knocking into objects for example, is irritating rather than amusing. He has no redeeming qualities at all and his infinite devotion to his wife only makes him a subject for mockery. It’s really difficult to accept why anyone else thinks he is anything close to a competent police officer. The one exception is the climactic chase scene involving two gorilla costumes which is quite well done and as my wife notes feels reminiscent of old Hong Kong comedies to our generation. Sellers however doesn’t really contribute to the scene at all. I also dislike the characters and relationships here. Dala really does fall for Lytton despite the obviousness of his ploy and Simone doesn’t mind at all. Plus how does Lytton’s nephew fit in on all this? It’s just dumb all around.

That said, this film features good production values and surprisingly excellent cinematography. The striking colors and shot composition particularly stand out. Director Blake Edwards clearly is skilled so I feel that it’s a bit of shame that after the runaway commercial success of this film, he spent the rest of his career making further entries in this franchise. Even I didn’t like him here Peter Sellers is a great actor as can be seen from his performance in Lolita and Dr. Strangelove. Similarly Claudia Cardinale is an actress with plenty of stature. It’s a little disconcerting to see them in what I feel is a very inconsequential film.

Obviously this franchise has its share of fans, but I really didn’t like this film at all. For the most part, I didn’t find it funny and its plot and characterization are laughable. I also note that this early version of Inspector Clouseau seems incomplete, lacking the exaggerated French accent that most people would probably associate with the character. The best that can be said of this is that it’s mascot and music are both iconic and memorable.