Main Cast: Roberto Benigni, Herbert Lom, Claudia Cardinale, Debrah Farentino, Jennifer Edwards
Release Year: 1993
Country: US
Run Time: 93 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG
Plot
After the death of Peter Sellers in 1980, writer/director Blake Edwards assembled a new "Pink Panther" film from outtakes of Sellers as Inspector Clouseau from previous movies in the series (the result was called The Trail of the Pink Panther) and later made two attempts to revive the series with another actor. In this case, Edwards cast Roberto Benigni as Jacques Gambrelli, a hopelessly inept French policeman who turns out the be the illegitimate son of Inspector Clouseau. Gambrelli becomes involved with the investigation of a kidnapping involving the beautiful Princess Yasmin (Debrah Farentino) literally by accident, when he crashes into a car driven by Police Commissioner Dreyfus (Herbert Lom). Gambrelli soon becomes smitten with Yasmin, while the investigation suggests that the kidnapping was set up by her mother, the Queen (Shabana Azmi), and her lover, General Jaffar (Aharon Ipale). Claudia Cardinale who played a different character in the original Pink Panther returns, while Burt Kwouk returns as the violent Korean manservant Cato. Roberto Benigni's Gambrelli proved no more successful at the box office than Ted Wass's Clouseau-like Clifton Sleigh in The Curse of the Pink Panther (1983), though after his multiple-Oscar winning success with 1998's La Vita e Bella, Roberto's probably gotten over it. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Robert Davi - Hans; Anton Rodgers - Chief Lazar; Burt Kwouk - Cato; Graham Stark - Dr. Balls; Shabana Azmi - The Queen; Nicoletta Braschi - Jacqueline; Oliver Cotton - King; Noel Davis; John Francis - Yacht Captain; Andrew Hawkins - French Agent; Aharon Ipalé - General Jaffar; Joe James - Doctor; Jacinta Mulcahy - Louise Chauvin; Nadim Sawalha - Lugash Agent; Liz Smith - Madame Balls; Mike Starr - Hanif; Savant Tanney; Buddy Uzzaman - Wasim; Bill Wallis - President; Dermot Crowley - Francois; Mark Schneider - Arnon; Steven Crossley - Reporter; Henry Goodman - Anchorman Andre; Jon Paul Morgan - Colonel Al-Durai; Nancy Klopper
Credit
David Minty - Art Director, John Siddall - Art Director, Les Tomkins - Art Director, Nancy Klopper - Casting, Emma Porteous - Costume Designer, Blake Edwards - Director, Robert Pergament - Editor, Nigel Wooll - Executive Producer, Henry Mancini - Composer (Music Score), Ken Weston - Musical Direction/Supervision, Michael Roberts - Camera Operator, Peter Mullins - Production Designer, Dick Bush - Cinematographer, Adam Greenberg - Cinematographer, Tony Adams - Producer, Peter Howitt - Set Designer, Blake Edwards - Screenwriter, Stephen A. Hope - Music Editor, Don Lusher - Musical Performer, Kay Rose - Supervising Sound Editor, Kevin Bartnof - Foley Artist
Princess Yasmin of Lugash (Debrah Farentino) is kidnapped because of her strong ties between France and Lugash. Chief Inspector Dreyfus (Herbert Lom) is called into find her. While on the road, he has a run in with the kidnappers, and a local officer, Jacques Gambrelli (Roberto Benigni). Gambrelli goes into the trunk of the van and falls for the Princess.
This was the first Pink Panther film in a decade, following two unsuccessful attempts to continue the series following the death of Peter Sellers, who originated the character of Clouseau. Considered a relaunch of the series, the plan was for Benigni - a popular Italian comedian who had yet to be discovered in America - to continue on where Sellers had left off. Son of the Pink Panther failed to generate critical or commercial success, the loss of Sellers proving once again to be too great. (This is the only Pink Panther movie to date to go straight to video in Britain.) Benigni was not Edwards' first choice for the role. Kevin Kline, Rowan Atkinson, Gérard Depardieu and Tim Curry, were all considered before Benigni won the role.
The beginning of the movie features a new arrangement of The Pink Panther Theme beatboxed by Bobby McFerrin. At the end, the original version is played. Perhaps appropriately, this was the final film scored by Henry Mancini.
