History Film / TheReturnOfThePinkPanther

* AcmeProducts: A van labelled “Acme Pool Service” reverses into a pool.

* ArtisticLicenseGunSafety: Chief Inspector Dreyfus of the Sûreté (who should certainly know how to handle a gun) twice confuses a realistic gun-cigarette-lighter with his similar-looking pistol, firing the pistol when he thinks he's lighting a cigarette. The first time he does so, he only blackens his face. The second time, he shoots (part of?) his nose off.

* MathematiciansAnswer: Clouseau asks if a man can give him directions. The man's answer: Yes.

* WronglyAccused: Sir Charles claims to be this when the Pink Panther is stolen. [[spoiler:As it turns out, his wife stole the Pink Panther.]]

* RegionalRiff: The generic middle eastern music that plays to signify that the action has moved to Lugash.

* AffablyEvil: The "Fat Man" and Colonel Sharkey -- a crime boss and SecretPolice head, respectively -- both come off as this, even when discussing committing murder with their intended victim.

* BitchInSheepsClothing: Sharkey initially comes across as a cordial and competent investigator who's willing to acknowledge Clouseau's suggestion that analyzing the wax used in the theft might lead to a clue. Then, it's mentioned that he's using the theft of the diamond as a pretext to purge his political opponents.

* PinballProtagonist: If Clouseau had been cut from the movie, the only part of the actual investigation that would change is the question of how the Littons escaped from Colonel Sharkey in the climax, as without Clouseau's bumbling, [[spoiler:Dreyfus wouldn't have been there to try to shoot him and end up killing Sharkey by mistake.]]

* LandlineEavesdropping: Inspector Clouseau picks up a phone in an attempt to spy on the wife of Cat Burglar Charles Litton, subverted when we learn the conversation is occurring inside the house to draw him to a false lead.

* LiteralMinded: The Swiss cab driver Clouseau tells to 'follow that car'. He does so. On foot, leaning Clouseau sitting in the back seat of the taxi with a confused expression. A few minutes later, as Clouseau walks past the cab again, the cabbie's still running after the car.

* NoFourthWall:

* ArtisticLicenseGunSafety: Chief Inspector Dreyfuss of the Sûreté (who should certainly know how to handle a gun) twice confuses a realistic gun-cigarette-lighter with his similar-looking pistol, firing the pistol when he thinks he's lighting a cigarette. The first time he does so, he only blackens his face. The second time, he shoots (part of?) his nose off.

* ArtisticLicenseGunSafety: {{Parodied}} with the realistic gun-cigarette-lighter Dreyfuss uses. He confuses it with his similar-looking pistol and shoots part of his nose off.

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Lady Litton isn’t mentioned at all in the WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue despite being the one who actually stole the diamond.

* ShoutOut: During the animated opening credits, the Pink Panther imitates several famous movie actors, including Creator/CarmenMiranda, Creator/CharlieChaplin and Creator/BorisKarloff.

* {{Corpsing}}: InUniverse. Lady Litton clearly recognizes Clouseau in disguise without any effort every time they meet, and is visibly trying not to crack up at his antics whenever he does something stupid.

* AsideGlance: After verbally fending of a surprise attack by Cato at a Japanese restaurant, he tells a departing Cato, "There is a time and a place for everything!", before giving the camera a crazed look while adding, "And this is it!", before attempting a sneak attack.

[[quoteright:310:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/the_return_of_the_pink_panther.jpeg]]

* Leitmotif: A rearrangement of the Pink Panther theme music pops up frequently in the film.

* AffablyEvil: The "Fat Man" and Colonel Sharkey - a crime boss and SecretPolice head, respectively - both come off as this, even when discussing committing murder with their intended victim.

The Pink Panther diamond is stolen from a Lugash museum, and Clouseau is called upon to seek it out once more. The evidence suggests the Phantom is again responsible, but in fact Sir Charles Lytton (Creator/ChristopherPlummer) has been framed. The film follows the parallel plots of Clouseau trailing Lytton's wife Claudine (Catherine Schell) to Switzerland and Lytton's journey to Lugash to try and find out who actually did it. Meanwhile, Chief Inspector Dreyfus' (Creator/HerbertLom) repeated attempts to kill Clouseau land him in a mental institution at the end, leading directly into ''Film/ThePinkPantherStrikesAgain''.

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Lady Litton isn’t mentioned at all in the WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue despite being the one who actually stole the diamond. Assuming the museum guide relaying the story at the end knows the whole plot, she presumably went to prison.

[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/the_return_of_the_pink_panther18670.png]]

The Pink Panther diamond is stolen from a Lugash museum, and Clouseau is called upon to seek it out once more. The evidence suggests the Phantom is responsible, but in fact Sir Charles Lytton (Creator/ChristopherPlummer) has been framed. The film follows the parallel plots of Clouseau trailing Lytton's wife Claudine (Catherine Schell) to Switzerland and Lytton's journey to Lugash to try and find out who actually did it. Meanwhile, Chief Inspector Dreyfus' (Creator/HerbertLom) repeated attempts to kill Clouseau land him in a mental institution at the end, leading directly into ''Film/ThePinkPantherStrikesAgain''.

* RunningGag: Poor Pepi keeps getting his fingers broken.

* BitchInSheepsClothing: Sharkey initially comes across as a cordial and competent investigator whose willing to acknowledge Clouseau's suggestion that analyzing the wax used in the theft might lead to a clue. Then, its mentioned that he's using the theft of the diamond as a pretext to purge his political opponents.

* AnimatedCreditsOpening: Produced by Creator/RichardWilliams' Studio. It can be seen here [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUOql_oIprc here]].