In 1963 a film was released which, had its original casting remained intact, would probably be barely remembered today - The Pink Panther, directed by Blake Edwards. With Peter Ustinov as a sure-footed and dependable French police inspector on the trail of a notorious jewel thief it would doubtless have made respectable money and garnered warm reviews but would hardly have spawned a slew of spin-offs - while in fact, the follow-up film, A Shot In The Dark, came out a mere three months after The Pink Panther opened in North American theatres.

All this was due to the last-minute casting of Peter Sellers as Inspector Jacques Clouseau, following Ustinov's departure from the project. Between them, Sellers and Edwards totally revised the character of the inspector, making him much more comedic, and what emerged was one of the most beloved and memorable characters in cinema history.

Although the film was a starring vehicle for David Niven as Sir Charles Lytton AKA The Phantom – described by Clouseau as “the surest, cleverest most ingenious criminal in all the world” - and very much in the style of one of those undemanding frothy sixties romps set in glamourous international locations, Sellers went into it a supporting actor and emerged as the standout star.

This week one half of The Sitcom Club and Jaffa Cakes For Proust Gary Rodger joins Tyler to talk about The Pink Panther. Some questions arise:

... How did Clouseau rise to prominence in the French Sûreté?

... What motive did Mme Clouseau have for marrying him in the first place?

... Would the film have benefitted from 100% less Wagner?

... What was an original Pink Panther?

... Who might have had a hand in the famous car chase sequence?

... How did the Princess change ethnicity?

... Who are the audience meant to root for?

... How is this a sex comedy if nobody gets any?

... Just who WERE in those gorilla suits?

... Why was Michael Trubshawe in this film?

... And wasn't Colin Gordon marvellous?

Plus much more!

The Sitcom Club: https://www.podnose.com/the-sitcom-club