In honor of the Pink Panther’s 40th anniversary, MGM Home Entertainment unwraps the perfect birthday present on April 6th – The Pink Panther Film Collection – a collectible six-disc Special Edition DVD gift set, including a bonus disc of special features. Created and directed by Blake Edwards (Breakfast At Tiffany’s, 10) and starring comical genius Peter Sellers (Dr. Strangelove), The Pink Panther Film Collection features five of the cool cat’s classics, including The Pink Panther, A Shot In The Dark, The Pink Panther Strikes Again, Revenge Of The Pink Panther and Trail Of The Pink Panther, which all include new transfers and have been remastered in 5.1 stereo sound. Adding to the festivities, the black patent leather packaging showcases the Pink Panther’s new millennium look, illustrated by ultra-chic artist Shag (a.k.a. Josh Agle) who credits the Pink Panther as a source of inspiration in the development of his own distinctive style.
The Pink Panther Film Collection will tickle you pink with a bonus disc of special features which contains a new “The Pink Panther Story” documentary, a new “Behind The Feline: The Cartoon Phenomenon” featurette, six of the original animated short films including Oscar® winner The Pink Phink, an audio commentary by producer/director/writer Blake Edwards for The Pink Panther, a trivia track and a photo gallery (see below). Available for pre-order on March 9th, The Pink Panther Film Collection is priced at the suggested retail price is $69.96.
The special features highlighted in The Pink Panther Film Collection include:
- “The Pink Panther Story” documentary, which is a new half-hour behind-the-scenes look at the creation of the Pink Panther film franchise, including vintage photos and interviews with Edwards, Walter Mirisch, writer Ralph E. Winters and others.
- “Behind-The-Feline: The Cartoon Phenomenon” featurette 10-minute feature on the history of the Pink Panther cartoon character, including interviews with Edwards, cartoon co-creator David DePatie and others.
- Original Pink Panther animated short films Oscar winner,
- The Pink Phink
- Pink, Plunk, Plink
- Psychedelic Pink
- Pinkfinger
- The Great DeGaulle Stone Operation
- The Ant And The Aardvark
- Audio commentary Feature-length commentary by Edwards on The Pink Panther.
- Trivia track Facts and trivia on The Pink Panther.
- “Shots In The Dark” photo gallery Still photos from the various films in the collection.
The Pink Panther
Arriving at a posh resort with her precious “panther” – a large gem with the image of a leaping feline inside – sexy Princess Dala (Claudia Cardinale) meets the debonair Sir Charles (David Niven). She is unaware, however, that Charles, a.k.a. “The Phantom,” is a professional thief who steals from the rich and gives to…himself! Enter Jacques Clouseau (Sellers), the clumsiest Inspector ever to trip over a vase. Can he stop Charles’ attempts to relieve the princess of her diamond? Can he even exit a room without breaking off the doorknob? Or will The Phantom steal away the “cat” and leave Clouseau to hold the bag? The film co-stars Robert Wagner and Capucine.
DVD Special Features: Audio commentary and trivia track
A Shot In The Dark
The French have a word for a man like Clouseau (Sellers): idiot! Across Paris, baffled citizens want to know if the Inspector is in hot pursuit of a criminal… or just in love with one! Mistakenly assigned to a high-prestige case in which a millionaire’s chauffer has been murdered, Clouseau finds himself falling (literally) for the prime suspect – a beautiful parlormaid (Elke Sommer) whose talent for being in the wrong place at the wrong time is almost as great as his. But as the body count grows higher, and the parlormaid’s criminal record grows longer, Clouseau realizes he’ll have to find the “real” culprit quickly – or his career will be finit!
The Pink Panther Strikes Again
“Give me ten men like Clouseau, and I could destroy the world,” said Inspector Dreyfus (Herbert Lom) in A Shot In The Dark. But in The Pink Panther Strikes Again, he actually tries! Driven mad by Clouseau’s (Sellers) incompetence, Dreyfus commandeers a doomsday device and threatens global destruction. His only demand? Clouseau’s death. The world community’s response? “No problem!” But Clouseau’s dumb luck serves him so well that the 26 assassins hired to kill him can’t manage – though he may do the trick himself by tripping over his own two feet! The film co-stars Colin Blakely and Lesley Anne-Down and features an uncredited cameo by Omar Sharif.
Revenge Of The Pink Panther
The world believes that Clouseau (Sellers) has become the victim of Douvier (Robert Webber), a drug lord who has just blown the hapless inspector’s home into a million pieces. At the funeral, Inspector Dreyfus (Herbert Lom) performs the eulogy with tears in his eyes – from attempting to suppress his happiness! But it’s Clouseau who has the last laugh. Very much alive, he has headed for Hong Kong with the drug lord’s discarded mistress (Dyan Cannon) to investigate Douvier and a heroin deal worth 50 million francs. But can Clouseau, disguised as the Godfather, intercept the deal? Will Inspector Dreyfus, who’s also on the case, see past the disguise in time to avoid killing his subordinate… or will he just kill him anyway?
Trail Of The Pink Panther
When Clouseau’s (Sellers) plane is reported missing, his long-suffering nemesis Dreyfus (Herbert Lom) has an odd way of grieving him: he simply can’t stop laughing! But when a reporter (Joanna Lumley) attempts to memorialize the crime-fighting hero, she comes up against not just a gloating Dreyfus but Clouseau’s ex-wife (Capucine), the notorious Phantom (David Niven) and even his lustful lush of a father (Richard Mulligan)!
About The Pink Panther’s 40th Anniversary
Created by Friz Freleng and David DePatie, the slick and evasive Pink Panther character was first introduced to the world on April 11, 1964, in the opening credits of the big-screen comedy farce, The Pink Panther. Since then, the character has become an icon, and the franchise has received countless honors, including an Oscar for The Pink Phink animated short and three GRAMMY awards for the cartoon’s famous theme song by Henry Mancini. On April 11, 2004, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. celebrates the Pink Panther’s 40th anniversary. To commemorate this milestone, celebratory events will take place worldwide, and more than 160 licensees and partners will issue Pink Panther products, including the U.S. Postal Service’s special Henry Mancini/Pink Panther stamp. For more information on the Pink Panther, log onto www.pinkpanther.com. or you can buy it now by clicking here.
