EXTRAS:
Booklet
scan
including photos & complete
liner notes (With thanks to Mike
Newcomb for his scanning efforts)
Henry Mancini, “The
Pink Panther Final Chapters
Collection”, Quartet Records #QR474
(2021).[3-CD Set]
Quartet Records, in collaboration
with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, presents a
mammoth 3-CD set with Henry
Mancini’s (BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S,
CHARADE, VICTOR/VICTORIA, SANTA
CLAUS: THE MOVIE) complete scores
for the last three films in the Pink
Panther franchise directed by Blake
Edwards but filmed without the
inimitable Peter Sellers as
Inspector Clouseau (Sellers died in
1980).
TRAIL OF THE PINK PANTHER (1982) and
CURSE OF THE PINK PANTHER (1983)
were shot at the same time, and both
focus on attempts to explain
Clouseau’s mysterious disappearance.
In the first film, Joanna Lumley
plays a journalist who collects
information about the famous
inspector, and in CURSE it’s a
clumsy American policeman (Ted Was)
who is in charge of the
investigation. Both films feature
some of the saga’s most famous
faces: David Niven, Capucine, Robert
Wagner, Robert Loggia, Harvey
Korman, Burt Kwouk as the Japanese
butler Cato, and, of course, Herbert
Lom as Chief Inspector Dreyfuss,
Clouseau’s nemesis.
SON OF THE PINK PANTHER (1993) was
Edwards’ last effort to revive the
franchise that had given him so much
success in the past, but without the
presence of Peter Sellers it was not
successful. With Roberto Benigni as
a mysterious secret son of Clouseau
who is also a policeman, the film
essentially buried the saga until it
was revived years later by a
different team with Steve Martin as
the French inspector.
If these three films deserve to be
remembered, it is for having been
lucky enough to have the faithful
Henry Mancini composing the music.
Each score is a treat, featuring
touching melodies, funny tunes,
romantic and action pieces and
source music—all handled with the
composer’s usual elegance and good
taste. SON OF THE PINK PANTHER was
also the last score written by
Mancini before he passed away, as
well as the last film directed by
Blake Edwards, thus closing a circle
of 28 films together and additional
collaborations for television.
TRAIL OF THE PINK PANTHER was
released in a Pink Panther
compilation in 1982 with only two
tracks specially recorded for the
album; the full score was not
released until 2011 by Intrada.
CURSE OF THE PINK PANTHER had its
first official release in 2010 by
Quartet Records, and SON OF THE PINK
PANTHER was issued by Milan Records
in 1993 in a short but beautiful
album assembled by Mancini himself.
For this box set we are presenting,
for the first time, the entire score
prepared by Mancini for the film,
with several unreleased pieces and
the actual film versions of others.
TRAIL and CURSE are remastered
reissues of the previous—and long
out-of-print—Intrada and Quartet
releases. CURSE is also presented
with its original cue-sheet titles.
This collection has been produced,
restored and mastered by Chris
Malone. The set includes a lavishly
designed 24-page booklet with in
depth liner notes by film music
writer John Takis.
Tracklist:
DISC 1
TRAIL OF THE PINK PANTHER
1. Main Title (5:03)
2. Salute to Balls (3:18)
3. The Bagman (2:20)
4. Scotland Yard (0:29)
5. In a Mist (2:15)
6. The Message (1:34)
7. One on One (1:22)
8. The Easy Life in Paris Nº 1
(1:29)
9. Bruno’s Theme (1:19)
10. TV News Theme (0:24)
11. Break In (1:48)
12. Son of One on One (1:06)
13. The Easy Life in Paris Nº 2
(1:33)
14. Bruno’s Theme (2:35)
15. Swine Rabbit (1:28)
16. Family History (2:05)
17. German Invasion (1:29)
18. The End of Clouseau? (0:54)
19. End Credits (4:32)
Bonus Tracks:
20. Strum Chord (0:19)
21. Twist (0:29)
22. Martha: M’Appari Tutti’Amor
(3:22)
23. Trail of The Pink Panther
(The Pink Panther Theme) (5:03)
24. The Easy Life in Paris (Album
Version) (2:53)
DISC 2
CURSE OF THE PINK PANTHER
1. Main Title (5:14)
2. First Shoot (1:18)
3. The Plan (1:07)
4. Watching the Tube (0:49)
5. Clifton Sleigh Theme (3:43)
6. Bruno’s Theme (1:07)
7. First Hit / Second Hit (1:02)
8. The Clouseau Museum (2:54)
9. Third Hit (0:17)
10. Where Are We? (1:18)
11. Fourth Hit (0:38)
12. Sidewalk Café (3:13)
13. Son of Sidewalk Café (3:10)
14. The Registration (1:57)
15. Mr. Chong Chops (1:08)
16. Fiesta (3:50)
17. Brass Band Olé (2:20)
18. Viva Valencia (1:57)
19. Sevillians (3:30)
20. Mr. Chong Chops II (1:52)
21. Cliff and Dishy (3:48)
22. Shooting Gallery (2:05)
23. End Title (The Pink Panther
Theme) (4:01)
Bonus Tracks:
24. Main Title (Alternate
Version) (5:15)
25. The Plan (Alternate Version)
(1:20)
26. Fiesta (Instrumental) (2:33)
27. Sevillians (Alternate
Version) (2:50)
28. Bullfight (0:38)
DISC 3
SON OF THE PINK PANTHER
1. The Pink Panther Theme (Film
Version) (Performed by Bobby
McFerrin) (3:47)
2. Son of the Pink Panther (1:36)
3. The Snatch, Part 1 (2:24)
4. The Snatch, Part 2 (0:51)
5. Piano Source (0:58)
6. Visit to the Hospital (2:24)
7. The Bike Chase (1:55)
8. The Dreamy Princess (0:18)
9. Looking for a Doctor (1:05)
10. The King Palace (1:49)
11. Rendezvous With Cato, Part 1
(2:50)
12. The Dreamy Princess, Part 1
(1:38)
13. Now Where Was I? (0:27)
14. The Dreamy Princess, Part 2
(2:24)
15. Attempted Murder (1:15)
16. Mama and Dreyfus (1:20)
17. Rendezvous With Cato, Part 2
(1:54)
18. Chinese Source (1:19)
19. A Change of Plans (0:56)
20. Jump! (0:25)
21. Belly Up (1:28)
22. Belly Down (1:06)
23. Riot at Omar’s (2:42)
24. The Show Down (4:11)
25. Wedding March / The Ceremony
/ Drums and Bugles (1:33)
26. The Pink Panther Theme (End
Credits) (4:24)
Bonus Tracks:
27. Mama and Dreyfus (Album
Version) (1:46)
28. God Bless Clouseau (2:05)
29. Samba de Jacques (2:27)
30. The Pink Panther Theme (Album
Version) (Performed by Bobby
McFerrin) (3:10)
