The Pink Panther (1963 film)

The Pink Panther
Theatrical release poster by Jack Rickard
Directed byBlake Edwards
Screenplay by
Produced byMartin Jurow
Starring
CinematographyPhilip Lathrop
Edited byRalph E. Winters
Music byHenry Mancini
Production
companies
Distributed byUnited Artists
Release dates
  • December 18, 1963 (1963-12-18) (Italy)
  • March 18, 1964 (1964-03-18) (U.S.)
Running time
113 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$10.9 million (US/Canada)[1]

The Pink Panther is a 1963 American comedy film directed by Blake Edwards and distributed by United Artists. It was written by Maurice Richlin and Blake Edwards. It is the first installment in The Pink Panther franchise. Its story follows Inspector Jacques Clouseau as he travels from Rome to Cortina d'Ampezzo to catch a notorious jewel thief known as "The Phantom" before he is able to steal a priceless diamond known as "The Pink Panther". The film stars David Niven, Peter Sellers, Robert Wagner, Capucine and Claudia Cardinale.

The film was produced by Martin Jurow and was initially released on December 18, 1963, in Italy followed by the United States release on March 18, 1964. It grossed $10.9 million in the United States and Canada.[2] The film received mixed reviews from critics upon its release but would later receive positive reviews and has an 89% approval rating based on 34 votes on Rotten Tomatoes.[3] In 2010, the film was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the United States National Film Registry, as being "culturally, historically, and aesthetically significant".[4][5]

  1. ^ "The Pink Panther (1963)". The Numbers. Nash Information Services. Retrieved July 12, 2012.
  2. ^ "The Pink Panther". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2020-02-14.
  3. ^ The Pink Panther (1963), retrieved 2020-02-14
  4. ^ Morgan, David (December 28, 2010). "'Empire Strikes Back' among 25 film registry picks". CBS News. CBS Interactive. Retrieved December 28, 2010.
  5. ^ Barnes, Mike (December 28, 2010). "'Empire Strikes Back', 'Airplane!' Among 25 Movies Named to National Film Registry". The Hollywood Reporter. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved December 28, 2010.