The Return of the Pink Panther The Return of the Pink Panther The Return of the Pink Panther is a 1975 comedy film and the fourth film in The Pink Panther series. The film stars Peter Sellers, returning to the role of Inspector Clouseau, for the first time since "A Shot in the Dark" (1964), after having declined to reprise the role in "Inspector Clouseau" (1968). The film was a commercial hit and revived the previously dormant series. Herbert Lom reprises his role as Chief Inspector Charles Dreyfus from "A Shot in the Dark"; he remained a regular thereafter. The character of Sir Charles Lytton, the
The Pink Panther creation, or "The Thin Man" was used in a series of detective films. "A Shot in the Dark," a film which was not originally intended to feature Clouseau, is the first of two films in the series (the other being "Inspector Clouseau") that features neither the diamond nor the distinctive animated Pink Panther in the opening credits and ending. Many critics, including Leonard Maltin, regard this film as the best in the series. In the original film, released in 1963, the main focus was on David Niven's role as Sir Charles Litton, the infamous jewel thief nicknamed "the Phantom," and