BLAKE EDWARDS

Bil’s rating (out of 5):  BB. 

United Kingdom/USA, 1982.  United Artists, Blake Edwards, Titan Productions, Lakeline Productions Ltd., Amjo Productions.  Story by Blake Edwards, Screenplay by Blake Edwards, Geoffrey Edwards, Tom Waldman, Frank Waldman.  Cinematography by Dick Bush.  Produced by Tony Adams, Blake Edwards.  Music by Henry Mancini.  Production Design by Peter Mullins.  Costume Design by Patricia Edwards.  Film Editing by Alan Jones.  

Strictly for fans of Peter Sellers. In this Pink Panther comedy, Joanna Lumley stars as an optimistic television journalist who is searching all of Paris for the whereabouts of the missing Inspector Clouseau. Interviewing his friends and associates (mostly a Who’s Who of actors from the previous films, including David Niven, whose illness required celebrity impersonator Rich Little to dub his dialogue, and Capucine), she is given examples of Clouseau’s genius and perhaps a few of his slapsticky downsides as well. Basically, it’s an excuse to show outtakes and unused footage from previous Panther movies with a lame story surrounding it (Sellers had died a few years before the film was made). Blake Edwards’ intentions are well-placed, as this great comedian deserves any manner of tribute, but this particular effort fails to live up to its potential. Best to stick with any of the original films instead.