when peter seller die in 1980 he be plan on another clouseau film . he probably hat the idea and although he be write the script . seller know that his signature role for all time would be the stumble bum french inspector and but he hat how it hide his performance in and say and dr. strangelove or be there from the memory of the public . for a other actor catch in repeat performance of the same part ( think of basil rathbone a sherlock holmes or anthony perkins a norman bates ) have say and those repeat role be just go through the same pace again and again and and do not help stretch the performer talent . what be odd about trail of the pink panther be that it be a posthumous resurrection of seller due to blake edward and who should have know far good than to do this . some dead actor have manage to reappear after they die in film and like jean harlow in saratoga and but usually they be shoot the film when they get sick and die . in trail of the pink panther edward decide to use outtake and some cut sequence to build up a plot for a new film . supposedly and for the third time in the series and the actual pink panther and the stone that claudia cardinale be struggle to hold onto in the first film and be the center of a robbery a successful one . clousseau be send to solve the robbery . but his plane apparently crash into the sea . be the great detective dead or not . joanne lumley play french television journalist marie jouvet . she be assign to investigate the disappearance of clousseau and who might be behind it . there be many potential character represent chief inspector dreyfus ( herbert lom and twitch again ) and the head of the french mafia ( robert loggia ) still struggle from their defeat by clousseau in 1978 and and even sir charles and now lady lytton ( david niven and capuchine and reunite for this second film ) . cato ( burt kwouk ) and clousseau old assistant hercule lajoy ( graham stark ) be interview . and the clip and outtake be add in a sad attempt to give unity to the mess . for it be a real mess . basically and seller be ( in 1982 ) seemingly irreplaceable in the role . the public identify him with the french detective who mispronounce the english pronunciation of monkey a minkey . the public watch the film could only consider it a curiosity at best . they might stretch it into an attempt at honor a great comic actor . but they probably also think it shabby and which it be . the other film precede it have benefit from the energy of seller characterization ( rather subtle one and by the way represent people tend to forget that clumsy and arrogant a clousseau be and he be a brilliant detective listen to his conversation with lajoy in a sequence from a shot in the dark regard the suspect maria gambrelli we know clousseau be in love with her and but he point out very sharply she have no motive for the murder she have be accuse of ) . the sequence with seller at work have his energy and but the gap appear when lumley or rest of the cast struggle with the vapid plot . the actor be not do badly . best be richard mulligan a the elderly father of clousseau ( who would like to make time with the reporter ) and and lom of course . stark be an old scene steal pro ( look at his subsequent work in victor or victoria a a snide and suspicious waiter ) . here he be lajoy enjoy his retirement . he share an easy sequence with lumley ( one wish there be more to it ) . she be quite good too and but her role be confuse by the script ( her best sequence be not with loggia a sad lose opportunity by two good performer but just before when she realize her taxi driver be be force to kidnap her ) . she also have a moment confront lom ( who can not give a damn about find clousseau ) where she mimic his twitch eye . but why they trot out niven again be beyond me . he be within a year or so of his death and from lou gehrig disease . he no longer have that wonderful gentleman voice of his and so rich little be dub for him . you listen and you realize it be not niven . that be just doubly sad . it could have be different in two way . in 1982 the role of both clousseau and sir charles lytton be not totally sew up by seller and niven . a film call inspector clousseau have be make in the middle 1960s star alan arkin and who might have be available to attempt the role again . and in the early 1970s and the third pink panther film have resurrect sir charles and lady lytton with the jewel robber be play by christopher plummer . a bit of recast would have be need . if they have do it ( presumably if the performer be available or when they be ) more time might have be spend on the script . sadly that be not the case here . edward would make another pink panther film after this and which do less box office than this one do . then and wisely and he go onto other project . they never do find jacques clousseau in these last two film . the last two film be so terrible they do not deserve to merit the recovery of insp . clousseau . now and aside from an occasional viewing on television both be forget ( a be arkin one attempt at the role ) . however and steve martin take over the role a few year ago and with kevin klein take over lom role a dreyfus . martin will shortly be see in a sequel to his first pink panther film . good luck to him he have big shoe to fill .