This is the sixth in Blake Edwards's Inspector Clouseau comedy series which began in 1962's The Pink Panther. The present work may be appreciated as a tribute to the screen humor of Peter Sellers who died in 1980. The Trail of the Pink Panther includes footage from previous capers as well as out-takes never before seen by the public.
When the famous Pink Panther diamond is again stolen from the Jewel Vault in Lugash, the call goes out to Chief Inspector Clouseau for assistance. The accident-prone detective visits Balls (Harvey Korman) and creates several new disguises. However, on the way to Lugash, his plane is lost.
Marie (Joanna Lumley), a TV reporter, sets out to review the career of Chief Inspector Clouseau,. She learns about his exploits from his nemesis Dreyfus (Herbert Lom), his karate-crazy houseboy Cato (Burt Kwouk), his former sidekick Hercule (Graham Stark), and the thief (David Niven) who married Clouseau's former wife (Capucine). Other stops include sessions with the head of the French mafia (Robert Loggia) and Clouseau's dotty father (Richard Mulligan).
The construct for this Panther flick is rickety, but slapstick fans will savor old and new bits by Peter Sellers, the prime farceur of his age.