The Pink Panther Film Collection

British comedians always seem to have a leg up on their international counterparts. Perhaps because there's always a hint of their dramatic heritage lurking right underneath the surface, masking something a bit more serious and sad underneath. That's certainly the case with Peter Sellers who was able to stretch his legs in more demanding roles like Clare Quilty in Lolita and Chance the gardener in Being There. But the actor found his greatest success emulating physical comedians like Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin as Inspector Clouseau in director Blake Edwards' series of increasingly outlandish Pink Panther films, now gathered in on complete set for the first time on Blu-ray.

The original Panther (1963) was actually built around star David Niven as Sir Charles Lytton, a devil-may-care playboy moonlighting as the "Phantom," an international jewel thief whose latest acquisition (the titular diamond) is being pursued by Clouseau, a bumbling French inspector who drifts in and out of the film as nothing more than comic relief and a convenient scapegoat. But the film, which has aged poorly in comparison to heist flicks like How to Steal a Million and Topkapi!, stumbled onto its real star in Sellers, who went on to become the focus of the rest of the series.

A Shot in the Dark (1964) is the first genuine exercise in slapstick and sight gags that would come to define the franchise, introducing recurring characters like long-suffering Chief Inspector Dreyfus (Herbert Lom) and manservant / sparring partner Kato (Burt Kwouk), who keeps Clouseau in peak shape by staging surprise attacks in at the most inconvenient times. It's also the most balanced entry in the series, retaining Edwards' penchant for slick shot compositions and clever recurring jokes that pay off time after time. Co-written by William Peter Blatty (The Exorcist) from a stage play that was adapted to fit the Clouseau character, it's the most entertainingly literate and energetically paced in the set and superior to the first film in nearly every way.

After a lengthy break in which Clouseau was played by a Alan Arkin in another film adaptation and turned into a cartoon for a series of MGM shorts, Sellers and Edwards reunited in 1975 for The Return of the Pink Panther, a fairly sloppy attempt to recreate the formula from ten years ago. Sellers adds a few more twists (his accent becomes a weapon of mass destruction) and pushes Dreyfuss even further to the breaking point, but it all seems to rely too much on improvisation rather than careful comedic timing.

The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976) would rush headlong into Bond territory with Dreyfuss, now a full-fledged supervillain, holding the world hostage unless Clouseau is killed. Despite the exaggerated gags and pop culture references, this one holds it own and features some of Sellers most irresistibly goofy comedy bits. Revenge of the Pink Panther (1978) finds the French detective dodging another assassination attempt, then using his "death" to uncover the mystery of who wanted him dead in the first place. And, finally, Trail of the Pink Panther (1982) is an odd continuation of the series that deals with Sellers death two years earlier by mixing in outtakes of his previous performance with "interviews" from series regulars. It's a bit like one of those Gamera entries made up only of monster highlights and boring cutaways, but its great to have here for completions sake.

Shout's attractively packaged box set features all six films in HD with a healthy amount of extras. Transfer-wise, the pictures all look solid with the mid-70s stuff coming off the best. Panther gets the most bonus features, all carried over from the previous release, including a spot-on commentary track from Edwards, Pink Panther Story documentary, Robert Wagner interview, featurettes on the surprising success of the cartoon spinoffs and a conversation with former jewel thief Bill Mason. The Pink Panther Strikes Again features a new interview with actress Lesley-Anne Down and every title gets a selection of theatrical trailers, TV spots and stills. Some well-thought out liner notes provide a history of the franchise and a bit more appreciation for Sellers skill in creating one of the most memorable comic icons in film history.