Trail of the Pink Panther series regulars include Herbert Lom as Chief Inspector Dreyfus, Graham Stark as Hercule LaJoy (last seen in the 1964 Pink Panther film "A Shot in the Dark"), Burt Kwouk as Clouseau's faithful man servant Cato and André Maranne as Sgt. François Chevalier. "Trail" featured the animated opening and closing credits, animated by Marvel Productions and written and directed by Art Leonardi. Director Blake Edwards dedicated the film to Sellers, "the one and only Inspector Clouseau." Despite the dedication, Sellers' wife Lynne Frederick filed a $3 million lawsuit against the film's producers and the studio, claiming that the film diminished Sellers'
Curse of the Pink Panther had been the stars of the original "Pink Panther" film. This was Niven's final film and due to his failing health, his voice was dubbed by impressionist Rich Little during post-production. Roger Moore's scenes were shot during a break from shooting "Octopussy". He was credited as "Turk Thrust II", a nod to actor Bryan Forbes, who was credited as "Turk Thrust" in the 1964 Clouseau film, "A Shot in the Dark". Clouseau turning to a life of crime and living together with a criminal Countress was an element borrowed from Peter Sellers' unfilmed "Romance of the Pink Panther" script which