1963 crime caper comedy
Rating: 15/20
Plot: A bumbling inspector tries to stop a notorious jewel thief from stealing the titular treasure. He's also trying to have sex with his wife.
I thought for sure I saw this as a kid, but I don't think my parents would have let me watch it when I remember seeing it. Maybe I just saw the opening credits with the animation.
This isn't consistently funny, but it definitely has its moments. Peter Sellers brings the slapstick, silly but funny in nearly every scene he's in. There are only so many times you can watch a guy run into or trip over things though. Claudia Cardinale is cute as a button, especially during a sequence where she's a little tipsy and making me very jealous of a tiger-skin rug on the floor. Robert Wagner, David Niven, and Capucine (an actress who apparently only needed one name) are also good. This is more of an ensemble cast than I would have thought. I imagine the Steve Martin reboot of this is mostly Steve Martin running into or tripping over things.
Highlights include a nutty car chase featuring four vehicles, two driven by men in gorilla suits, and a pair of police officers running around in a zebra costume; a very lengthy sequence with characters trying to escape a hotel room without being seen; and another scene that I can't remember.
I'm not familiar with the sequels to this, but I'll probably check them out. What else do I have to do with my life?
Oh, I should mention the Henry Mancini score. So there--I've mentioned it.
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