The Pink Panther (1963) - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray

It was just over eight years ago that I got to review the Shout Select six-film The Pink Panther Collection on Blu-ray. And just like every period in my life, I have no idea how many times I’ve seen these hilarious collaborations between Peter Sellers and Blake Edwards. The two men might not have gotten along (putting it lightly), but they made some incredible films. Several of them! And that might not have been the case had this feature stuck to its origins. The Pink Panther could have still spawned a franchise, but it could have been another star's vehicle instead of a tour-de-force showcase of Sellers' natural comedic genius. 

While I’ll let my words from my old review largely stand pat, I’ll take a moment here to express some thoughts on The Pink Panther. So, up front, this isn’t my favorite film in the series. I enjoy it. I watch it on a semi-near-yearly basis. But I think it’s the weakest of the core five films overall. I feel that way because this was originally intended to be a vastly different film with David Niven as the true headliner, as the dashing thief Sir Charles Lytton. Clouseau wasn’t supposed to be a major player, a side character, originally cast to be played by Peter Ustinov. As things happen with any production, casting changed, and Sellers stepped in...and then fell over. A lot. Because Blake Edwards encouraged improvisation, Sellers quickly outpaced the rest of the cast and stole the spotlight, and, as they say, the rest was history. It’s still a very entertaining film, but it’s also a very different flavor of comedy from the rest of the franchise. You can feel what was originally intended of the film versus what it became in practically every other scene. One moment, it's a dashing, stylish heist picture. The next is a perfectly timed pratfall or sight gag from Sellers, stealing the scene (and ultimately the film) away from the rest of the cast. The pace and energy are very different anytime Sellers isn't in the room.

Here’s what I had to say about the entire series back in 2017 

Vital Disc Stats: The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray 
The Pink Panther makes off with its first 2160p release as a two-disc 4K UHD + Blu-ray set from Kino Lorber Studio Classics. The 4K is pressed on a BD100 disc with a Region A BD50 serving up 1080p and the bulk of the extras. The discs are housed in a standard black two-disc case with reversible insert art and slipcover.

After watching through the franchise, I’ll start off by saying I wish the rest of the films all looked this good! Essentially, this is pristine. Reportedly sourced from a new 35mm scan of the original Technirama negative, this is a drop-dead gorgeous transfer from frame one. You’d be forgiven if, in some instances, you swore the film was shot yesterday and not 62 years ago. I was struck by the lifelike details, fine facial features, the Mod clothing textures, luxurious fashions, the interior decor, and the incredible costume party finale. Film grain has a nice, fine, appropriately cinematic texture without any compression issues or smoothing or ever appearing too intrusive. Only a time or two did I notice any sort of slight speckle or oddity, and then they were so fleeting they barely registered. The Dolby Vision grade is right on point, letting the bright, bold colors pop beautifully, but also naturally. Reds, yellows, and blues all get their time to shine without appearing oversaturated. Skin tones are also human and normal without looking too pinked or peached. Black levels are deep and inky with strong shadows for a notable sense of depth to the image. Front to back, this is about as close as flawless gets for this one without any issue to knock the score fore.

On the audio front, we have two tracks to choose from - DTS-HD MA 2.0 and 5.1. The 2.0 is the default, and I’d have to say, for good reason, it’s just a stronger, more natural presentation. The 5.1 is good when and where it counts, but for long stretches, it felt a bit thin in the surrounds, leaving most of the weight on the Front/Center channels. And at that, I felt like the dialog was a few notches too low and needed a volume boost. Comparatively, the 2.0 track was much more present and lively, and as I said, natural-sounding. It didn’t feel artificially spread to give you a surround effect. But credit where it’s due, the 5.1 isn’t bad. When it counts, it delivers, but for long stretches, it seemed barely noticeable. For my money, the 2.0 is more balanced and effective and a more enjoyable track. 

Bonus features for this set carry over the archival extras from the Shout Select set. (Correction, hit publish, forgetting the Claudia Cardinale interview was also from the previous set). While older, there's still some good material here to enjoy. 

• Audio Commentary featuring Blake Edwards
• The Pink Panther Story: Documentary 
• Behind the Feline - The Cartoon Phenomenon 
• The Coolest Cat in Cortina - A Conversation with Robert Wagner
• An Italian Indian - The Pink Panther Princess with Claudia Cardinale 
• Diamonds - Beyond the Sparkle 
• The Tip-Toe Life of a Catbergler - Interview with Jewel Thief Bill Mason 
• Franchise Trailer Gallery:
• The Pink Panther
• A Shot in the Dark
• The Return of the Pink Panther
• The Pink Panther Strikes Again
• Revenge of the Pink Panther
• Trail of the Pink Panther
• Curse of the Pink Panther
• Son of the Pink Panther
• The Party

I may not feel the original The Pink Panther is the best of the series, but that’s because of the weight of the increasingly sillier Sellers-focused sequels pushes it down the stack. On its own, in a way, The Pink Panther plays like a light-hearted, silly swinging version of Topkapi. It’s got an international flavor, an all-star cast, and it just so happened to feature Peter Sellers, whose natural comedic timing just stole the entire film and spawned a franchise in the process. On 4K UHD, the film makes a grand entry with a gorgeous Dolby Vision transfer that’s a substantial improvement over the previous Blu-ray with solid audio options and a decent selection of archival extras. Recommended