The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976)

Following in the blush-covered paw prints of The Pink Panther (1964), A Shot in the Dark (1964), Inspector Clouseau (1968) and The Return of the Pink Panther (1975) comes the caper comedy The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976). By now, slow-witted Jacques Clouseau (Peter Sellers) has been promoted to Chief Inspector after driving his former boss Charles Dreyfus (Herbert Lom) crazy. As such, Dreyfus hatches a plot to blackmail the world with a doomsday device that will destroy the planet unless Clouseau is killed. As always, fans can count on laughs that are of the belly variety, physical humor of the bone-breaking variety, and an opening credit sequence of the animated variety — all with Henry Mancini’s signature score to keep things swinging. But did you know that Omar Sharif pops up in an uncredited cameo as an Egyptian assassin? And that director Blake Edwards also has a background cameo in the nightclub scene? Breast of all, Russian assassin Olga Bariosava (Lesley-Anne Down) flashes her flesh on screen! When she rolls over in bed, we can see her chest. Now, that’s what we call some undercover action! No wonder the movie was a hit both in movie goers’ spank banks and with box office tickets. Since its release, we have enjoyed the film’s sequels Revenge of the Pink Panther (1978), Trail of the Pink Panther (1982), Curse of the Pink Panther (1983) and Curse of the Pink Panther (1993) on the big screen while fantasizing about Ms. Down in our wet dreams!