Capucine

(Note: this is a direct sequel to Trail of the Pink Panther with most of the cast from the previous film) In Lugash, the fabled Pink Panther diamond is stolen by a man named Gino Rossi (Christopher Reich) (a replay of the opening scene in 'Trail of the Pink Panther') from a museum in the Middle Eastern country of Lugash. Rossi then offers it to Countess Chandra (Joanna Lumley) at her private spa on the island of Majorca. However, the sale is interrupted by Chief Inspector Jacques Clouseau of the Sûreté, France's national police force. When Rossi takes aim at the inspector, Chandra shoots the thief dead and points her gun at the Inspector. The French government is shaken by the disappearance of its greatest detective, and assigns Chief Inspector Dreyfus (Herbert Lom), aided by "Aldous," the Huxley 600 super computer, to find a suitable candidate to solve the mystery. However, Dreyfus is overjoyed to be free of the dimwitted Clouseau and sabotages the computer, programming it to determine the world's least capable detective. Aldous selects Officer Clifton Sleigh (Ted Wass), a well-meaning but inept New York City policeman. In New York City, Clifton Sleigh is shown to bungle a sting operation when he dresses up as a woman to nab a purse snatcher, only to get accosted by a leering dirty old man, a pimp and a couple of prostitutes whom think that he's intruding on their turf, and falsely arrested by a pair of beat cops who think he's a prostitute while the purse snatcher steals another woman's purse right under everyone's nose. At the precinct, Clifton's beleaguered commander, Lieutenant Palmyra, is incredulous when he informs Clifton about his assignment to France, but gladly consigns the city's worst detective to the Sûreté. Meanwhile, a group of Mafia bosses celebrate their improved fortunes since Clouseau's disappearance, and their leader, Bruno (Robert Loggia), assures the inspector's permanent absence by hiring an assassin to kill Clifton before he leaves the U.S. However, Clifton proves to be a difficult target, and the gunman falls to his death while taking aim. Another killer awaits Clifton at the airport in Paris, but he trips and falls on his own knife. When Clifton enters Dreyfus's office to meet with him for the first time, he bumps into the desk, which pushes the inspector through the open window and into the concrete fishpond below two stories below. While Dreyfus recovers from his injuries as a result of a broken leg, Clifton breaks into Clouseau's apartment, now a museum dedicated to the detective, and is attacked by Cato (Burt Kwouk), Clouseau's manservant. Clifton defeats Cato, who refers the detective to Professor Auguste Balls (Harvey Korman), the creator of Clouseau's disguises and the last known person to see him alive. Clifton goes to the professor's shop, and though Balls has no information on Clouseau, he does offer the detective his latest invention, the Instant Companion, an inflatable, lifelike female doll. Another attempt on Clifton's life only stiffens his resolve, and he notifies Dreyfus that he will begin his investigation at the theft scene in Lugash. The President of Lugash, who has already spent the insurance money from the stolen diamond, is forewarned of Clifton's arrival and instructs his Secret Police to send the detective back to France before he can collect any evidence. From her private spa on the island of Majorca, Chandra follows Clifton's progress with amusement, and shares the news with Clouseau, whose face is obscured by bandages following plastic surgery. Clifton's next destination is Nice on the French Riviera, where he meets Sir Charles Litton (David Niven), his wife, Lady Simone Litton (Capucine), and Litton's newer, George (Robert Wagoner). The detective's clumsiness prompts the Littons to ask if he is related to Clouseau. Clifton denies any relation, recalling that the President of Lugash posed the same question. Sir Charles admits to being interrogated by Clouseau shortly after the robbery, but denies any guilt, along with the rumor that he is the brilliant jewel thief known as "The Phantom," and that George is his successor. He then advises Clifton to continue his investigation in Valencia, Spain. In Spain, Clifton hires a taxicab to bring him to his hotel (driven by the same driver that reporter Marie Jouvet interacted with in the previous film), but soon discovers Bruno's henchmen in pursuit. After barely escaping with his life, Clifton evades the gangsters with the help of his Instant Companion, which creates the illusion of a young couple on vacation. However, a misplaced cigarette causes an air leak in the doll, and Clifton returns to his hotel to re-inflate his "companion" with a gas pipe, while he updates Dreyfus by telephone. Clifton survives the resulting explosion and travels to Valencia, where a fiesta is underway. Bruno's men continue their pursuit, but Clifton eludes them in the crowded streets and takes refuge in a nightclub, where he meets Juleta Shane (Leslie Ash), a young Englishwoman with an aptitude for martial arts. Together they subdue the gangsters and make their way back to the hotel, where Juleta tries to seduce Clifton. Meanwhile, Dreyfus observes the couple from a nearby window and telephones Valencia police chief Vichila, saying that Clifton is an impostor. When Juleta attempts to poison Clifton's drink, she is shot with a tranquilizer dart by an unseen assailant, and Vichila arrives moments later to arrest Clifton. The police chief informs Clifton that his companion is actually Julie Morgan, Countess Chandra's personal secretary. When a policeman unwittingly drinks the poisoned wine and falls dead in the streets, Clifton takes advantage of this to escape into a crowd of revelers. George drives past and offers the detective a ride to the Litton yacht. The next morning, Clifton joins the Littons as they sail to Majorca, while Chief Vichila advises Chandra to expect a visit from the detective. Unable to reach the spa from the coast, Clifton par-ascends over the structure, but is shot down by the wheelchair-bound Dreyfus, who is driven over a cliff by the gun's recoil. Unfazed by Clifton's crash-landing through her stained-glass ceiling, Chandra invites the detective to join her and her "lover" for a drink. Clifton is awe-struck by Clouseau's resemblance to actor Roger Moore (credited as Turk Thrust II), and overlooks the inspector's French accent and profound stupidity. Chandra convinces Clifton that Clouseau, under the alias of the late "Gino Rossi," visited the spa a year earlier before traveling to Madrid for plastic surgery. Clifton notifies the Sûreté of his findings and returns to Paris. Meanwhile, Chandra and Clouseau open their safe to gaze at the Pink Panther, but find only a white glove in its place. "Swine Phantom!" says Clouseau/Roger Moore. At Sûreté headquarters, Dreyfus declares the case closed after determining (incorrectly) that Clouseau, posing as Rossi, stole the diamond. Relieved to have Clouseau out of his life, Dreyfus sets fire to the inspector's dossier, but the flames quickly engulf his desk, and Clifton comes to the rescue with a fire hose. The force of the water blasts the inspector through the open window and into the concrete fishpond below... again. In the final scene, on the Litton yacht, George admires the stolen Pink Panther diamond, while Sir Charles comments on the disappearance of his one white glove. Simone hints that she is continuing the legacy of "The Phantom." The three criminals then toast to their success. In a post-credits scene, the animated Pink Panther is shown stealing the Pink Panther jewel. Realizing it's heavy, he slips out of the shot and drops the diamond off-screen, shattering it; the credits roll shortly afterwards.

When the famous Pink Panther diamond is stolen once again from Lugash, Chief Inspector Clouseau (Peter Sellers) is called on the case by Deputy Commissioner Lasorde (Marne Maitland) despite protests by Chief Inspector Dreyfus (Herbert Lom). Lasorde has received a request for assistance by the President of Lugash (Harold Kasket) himself, who has asked for Clouseau personally. Dreyfus is under therapy with Dr Longet (Ronald Fraser), due to his obsession with Clouseau. Dreyfus derives pleasure from the through of Clouseau dying. While on the case, Clouseau is followed by the mob who are seeking to assassinate him. Clouseau gets himself a disguise designed by Prof. Auguste Balls (Harvey Korman) and his wife Martha (Liz Smith). The disguise consists of a wig, a false nose and teeth. Clouseau first goes to London to interrogate Sir Charles Litton (David Niven) (having forgotten that the Sir Charles Litton lives in the South of France) and that Prince Charles lives in London. Traveling to the airport driven by Sgt. Francois Chevalier (André Maranne), he accidentally blows up his car, but mistakenly believes it to be an assassination attempt. Clouseau disguises himself in a heavy cast while on the flight, which causes complications in the air (when he attempts to go to the toilet with his cast on) and on land and leads to an awkward introduction to the Scotland Yard detectives who meet him at Heathrow. The Yard is represented by Superintendent Quinlan (Leonard Rossiter), Alec Dummond (Colin Blakely) and Inspector McLaren (Dudley Sutton). Meanwhile, Dreyfus learns from Scotland Yard that Libyan terrorists may have marked Clouseau for assassination once he announces his intent to visit the scene of the crime in Lugash. Rather than order him back to Paris, Dreyfus orders him to continue on to Lugash as planned. Colonel Bufoni (Peter Arne) is the right hand man to the President of Lugash and advises him the Clouseau reaching Lugash is not good news as that would put Lugash in a negative light in the international community. The President asks Bufoni to take care of the situation, with a promise of a promotion to General. Clouseau's plane crashes on route to Lugash. All aboard are believed lost at sea. Marie Jouvet (Joanna Lumley), a television reporter covering the story, sets out to interview those who knew the detective best. All of these interview scenes provide flashbacks to scenes of earlier Pink Panther films (The Pink Panther, A Shot in the Dark, The Return of the Pink Panther, The Pink Panther Strikes Again, and Revenge of the Pink Panther). Dreyfus is barely able to contain himself when Jouvet describes Clouseau as an athlete, an expert marksman, a born leader, a karate black belt, and so on. To prepare for unforeseen attacks, Clouseau would assign his manservant Cato (Burt Kwouk) to attack him at any time of day or night. Jouvet interviews Clouseau's former assistant Hercule Lajoy (Graham Stark). Hercule says that while Clouseau was obsessed with facts, but he made decisions based on his intuition. He was always proven right at the end of a case. Clouseau's meeting with Princess Dalia (Claudia Cardinale) who claims to be the real owner of the Pink Panther. Jouvet meets Lady Simone Litton (Capucine), Clouseau's ex-wife, who is now married to Charles Litton whom Clouseau accused of being the Phantom. For a while it looked like Clouseau was the Pink Panther and was even sent to prison for the same reason. Charles Litton says that Clouseau was a fool, but he epitomized determination. Jouvet also interviews Clouseau's father, at his winery in the south of France. He uses naked French beauties to crush his grapes into wines. Clouseau's father provides glimpses of Clouseau's childhood (Lucca Mezzofanti) (who was born on Sep 8th, 1920) (as a child he always wanted to be a policeman and was very resourceful), and his early career during college (Daniel Peacock), nearly leading him to commit suicide after a girl of his dreams marries another person, especially in the French Resistance involving him failing to detonate a bridge full of crossing Nazis. Jouvet also has an unpleasant encounter with Mafia don, Bruno Langlois (Robert Loggia), an antagonist. Langlois warns Maria to stop asking questions about Clouseau as business is booming in the French underworld with the detective missing. Jouvet refuses and tries to file a complaint against Langlois with Chief Inspector Dreyfus. Dreyfus, who wants Clouseau dead just as much as Langlois does, refuses to press charges citing circumstantial evidence, much to Jouvet's frustration. The film ends with Maria hoping that Clouseau might be alive. Clouseau is seen standing looking over a seaside cliff, when a seagull flies over and messes the sleeve of his coat. The words "Swine seagull!" are heard in the distinctive 'over French' accent of Clouseau. The next shot shows the animated Pink Panther in trench coat and trilby hat, revealed to be in place of Clouseau watching the sunset; he turns around to face the camera and flashes his coat open.

As a child, Princess Dala receives a gift from her father, the Shah of Lugash--"the Pink Panther," the largest diamond in the world. This huge pink gem has an unusual flaw: looking deeply into the stone, one perceives a tiny discoloration resembling a leaping panther. Twenty years later, Dala has been forced into exile following her father's death and the subsequent military takeover of her country. The new government declares her precious diamond the property of the people and petitions the World Court to determine ownership. However, Dala refuses to relinquish it. Noted jewel thief Phantom has struck again in Rome and escaped with half a million dollars in jewels. In Paris, police inspector Jacques Clouseau is assigned to apprehend the Phantom. Clouseau knows that Phantom is working with a woman, who manages to escape when the police intercept her meeting with The Phantom. Clouseau does not know that the woman is his wife, Simone. Simone (Capucine) is the paramour of Charles and helper in the Phantom's crimes and she has become rich by acting as a fence for the Phantom under the nose of her amorous but oblivious husband. Clouseau wonders how Simone can afford expensive items such as a luxurious mink coat on a police officer's salary. Several years later, Dala (Claudia Cardinale) relaxes on holiday at an exclusive ski resort in Cortina D'Ampezzo. Also staying is a noted English playboy, Sir Charles Lytton (David Niven) who leads a secret life as a jewel thief called "The Phantom" and has his eyes on the Pink Panther. The famed diamond is insured for $0.5 million. His unwitting American playboy nephew George (Robert Wagner) follows his uncle to the resort, also hoping to steal the jewel and blame it on the Phantom. George poses as a recent college graduate about to enter the Peace Corps so his uncle continues to support his lavish lifestyle. In reality, George left the US as he was $40,000 in debt. Charles orchestrates the kidnapping of Dala's dog and then appears at the right time to be the savior and become a hero. As such, he gains a dinner invitation from Dala and starts to get close to her. He manages to get Dala to come to his hotel room and seduces her. Charles tempts Dala by calling her the virgin queen, as that is the image that she has cultivated for herself in the media. Charles intrigues Dala enough to get her to agree to drinking Champagne, against her religious principles. When Dala is slightly drunk, Charles kisses her. The same night Charles realizes that George has also come over from the US and staying in his room. On the Phantom's trail is French police inspector Jacques Clouseau (Peter Sellers) of the Sûreté. Clouseau arrives at the resort with Simone. Simone and Charles have booked their rooms next to each other. Simone goes to Charles' room at night but ends up kissing George in the dark. To cover her real purpose, Simone pretends that she had come in to meet George. Charles believes George is naive and studious. He asks Simone to keep George out of trouble and away from Dala, lest he ruins their careful plans. Meanwhile George takes his turn at seducing Dala. Clouseau is so clueless and clumsy that while several theft attempts are made at a fancy-dress party, he looks everywhere but the right place. Meanwhile, Simone dodges her husband (who is always trying to have sex with her) by giving him random chores to perform, while trying to avoid George who has grown enamored of her and aid Charles, who has grown enamored of Dala and is ambivalent about carrying out the theft. The night before their departure, George accidentally learns of his uncle's criminal activities. Jack finds out that the accomplice who kidnapped Dala's dog works for Charles and is convinced that Charles and Phantom are one and the same. Dala tells Jack that there is a fancy-dress party the same night and is sure that Charles will attend the party in disguise and try to steal the diamond. During a costume party, Sir Charles and his nephew attempt to steal the diamond, only to find the jewel already missing from the safe. In spite of himself, the buffoonish inspector discovers the two in the act. They escape during the confusion of the evening's climactic fireworks display, resulting in a car chase throughout the town streets. Despite all odds, Sir Charles and his accomplice George are captured when all the vehicles collide with one another. Later, Simone informs Dala that Charles wished to call off the theft and asks her to help in his defense. Dala then reveals that it was she herself who stole the diamond to avoid deportation back to Lugash. However, the Princess is also smitten with Sir Charles and has a plan to save him from prison. At the trial, Charles' and George's convictions seem inevitable when the defense calls as their lone witness a surprised Clouseau. The barrister asks a series of questions that suggest Clouseau himself could be the Phantom. An unnerved Clouseau pulls out his handkerchief-from which drops the jewel, promptly rendering him unconscious from shock. As Clouseau is driven away to prison, he is mobbed by a throng of enamored women. Watching from a distance, a regretful Simone expresses fears he will rot in prison. Sir Charles reassures her that when the Phantom strikes again, Clouseau will be exonerated. Sir Charles, Simone, and George drive away to continue their life of crime as Dala leaves to return to her country. Meanwhile, in the police car, the officers express their envy that Clouseau is now the object of affection of young women everywhere. As they ask him with obvious admiration how he committed so many robberies, Clouseau's mood gradually changes: "Well, you know . . . it wasn't easy." Pink Panther as a traffic warden is run over by the car carrying Clouseau and attempting to chase after it. He pulls himself together.

The romantic story of Hungarian pianist Franz Liszt (Sir Dirk Bogarde), whose scandalous love affair forced him to abandon his adoring audiences.