The Pink Panther

First in the popular series that has repeatedly sidetracked Edwards ever since, with Sellers' death not even staunching the flow. Live action cartoonery had been underworked since Tashlin mapped its possibilities with Jerry Lewis, but the novelty value of Sellers' disaster-prone Inspector Clouseau, funny French accent and all, wore off quicker than its commercial value. The eponymous diamond, which reappeared in 1974's The Return of the Pink Panther - and was here sought by suave thief Niven - was symptomatically forgotten in subsequent efforts which still bore its name.