Looking for soft, funny entertainment?
I see many people today that don't know what TV series to watch, in the endless ocean of Netflix, Amazon, and other featuring companies.
Well, the actor I'm about to introduce you and the Pink Panther small series of films has it all: fun, crime (not-so-much, in the end), adventure, disasters. Even love stories.
Plus: a tremendously tough Asian servant, that bumps in during the most pleasant and interesting moments of a great detective and police officer's life.
British-born actor Peter Sellers' film career started during the 1950s.
Although the essence of his work was usually comedy, often parodying characters of authority such as military officers or policemen, he also performed in other film genres and roles.
Films demonstrating his artistic range include I'm All Right Jack (1959), Stanley Kubrick's Lolita (1962), and Dr. Strangelove (1964), What's New, Pussycat? (1965), Casino Royale (1967), The Party (1968), Being There (1979), and five films of the Pink Panther series (1963–1978). (source: Wikipedia)
Sellers' versatility enabled him to portray a wide range of comic characters using different accents and guises, and he would often assume multiple roles within the same film, frequently with contrasting temperaments and styles.
Satire and black humor were major features of many of his films, and his performances had a strong influence on several later comedians. Sellers was nominated three times for an Academy Award, twice for the Academy Award for Best Actor, for his performances in Dr. Strangelove and Being There, and once for the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film for The Running Jumping & Standing Still Film (1959). (source: Wikipedia)
In this post, I wanted to remember some of his most hilarious works, consisting of the The Pink Panther Series, that I advise everyone to see if you are looking for something funny, yet very soft.
The Pink Panther is a British-American media franchise primarily focusing on a series of comedy-mystery films featuring an inept French police detective, Inspector Jacques Clouseau. (Peter Sellers, source: Wikipedia).
Most of the films were written and directed by Blake Edwards, with theme music composed by Henry Mancini.
The series were very influential. Elements and characters inspired by the films were adapted into other media, including books, comic books and animated series.
A large number of comic books, animated series, and videogames were created, featuring the sparkling , original character of the Pink Panther.
The first film in the series, called The Pink Panther (1963), derives its name from the eponymous pink diamond that has an enormous size and value. The diamond is called the "Pink Panther" because the flaw at its centre, when viewed closely, is said to resemble a leaping pink panther. (Wikipedia)
A Shot in the Dark (1964), was the first to feature the Clouseau character as the protagonist of the film, investigating a murder. This film marked the first appearance of many of the tropes and supporting characters long associated with the series, including Commissioner Dreyfus (portrayed by Herbert Lom), his assistant François (portrayed by André Maranne), and Clouseau's manservant, Cato (portrayed by Burt Kwouk). (Wikipedia)
The 1968 film Inspector Clouseau stars Alan Arkin as Clouseau, and does not feature any other recurring characters from the rest of the series.
The Return of the Pink Panther. More than a decade after his previous portrayal, Peter Sellers returned as Clouseau in 1975's The Return of the Pink Panther. The film marked the return of the famous "Pink Panther" diamond as well as most of the creative team associated with the prior films, including director Blake Edwards, composer Henry Mancini, Herbert Lom as Dreyfus, Burt Kwouk as Cato and André Maranne as François.
In The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976), Dreyfus' insanity reached its zenith, as he tried to blackmail the rest of the world into breaking down Clouseau. Many funny adventures wait for you also in this episode.
Revenge of the Pink Panther (1978) pitted Clouseau against the French Connection. It is the last in which Sellers played Clouseau. He died two years after its release.
Many other movies (totally eleven) continued the series of the famous, mysterious, and hilarious detective that tried to solve incredible planetary conflicts.
One of the series that's clearly inspired from Peter Seller's movies is Johnny English, starring the famous Howard Atkinson.