The Pink Panther diamond is stolen once again from Lugash and the authorities call in Chief Inspector Clouseau from France. His plane disappears en-route. This time, famous French TV reporter Marie Jouvet sets out to solve the mystery and starts to interview everybody connected to Clouseau. Each interviewee Dreyfus, Sir Charles & Lady Lytton (an ex-wife of Clouseau), George Lytton, Hercule Lajoy (assistant in "A Shot In The Dark"), and Cato tell of their run-ins with Clouseau. She is also kidnapped by mobster Bruno Langlois who doesn't want Clouseau found but she continues and finds Clouseau Sr., Clouseau's father. Is Clouseau alive or is he dead? Each interview has not-yet-seen or famous clips from the previous movies (since Peter Sellers has sadly passed away) as Marie continues to get a honest view or impression of the great French detective...
—Lee Horton



Inspector Clouseau mysteriously disappears and a journalist attempts to uncover the mystery. New scenes are interspersed with old footage of Peter Sellers from the previous films.





SYNOPSIS

When the famous Pink Panther diamond is stolen once again from Lugash, Chief Inspector Clouseau (Peter Sellers) is called on the case despite the protest of Dreyfus (Herbert Lom). While on the case, it is revealed he is being followed by the mob.

Clouseau first goes to London to investigate Sir Charles Lytton (Clouseau is not aware he is in fact living in the South of France, but nobody bothers to tell him). Traveling to the airport, he accidentally blows up his car, but believes it to be an assassination attempt. Clouseau decides to disguise himself (wrapped in several bandages) while on the flight, which leads to an awkward hassle with Scotland Yard (there to pick him up).

Meanwhile, it is confirmed there might be an assassination attempt against Clouseau, and he is ordered not to go to Lugash. Unfortunately, Clouseau is later told by Dreyfus to go to Lugash.

En route Clouseau disappears, and Marie Jouvet (Joanna Lumley), a journalist investigating his disappearance, sets out to discover his background by interviewing people with whom he was involved over the years.

It is here from this point onward that the movie provides ample flashbacks to scenes from the earlier Pink Panther films ('The Pink Panther', 'A Shot in the Dark', 'Return of the Pink Panther', etc.). She interviews many people who knew Clouseau whom include Hercule Lajoy (Graham Stark), Cato Fong (Burt Kwouk), Dreyfus, his long-suffering assistant Sergeant Francois Duval (André Maranne), as well as Sir Charles Lytton (David Niven), his wife Lady Simone (Capucine), who was once married to Clouseau, as well as Lytton's playboy nephew George (Robert Wagner).

Jouvet also interviews Clouseau's father (a heavily disguised Richard Mulligan), at his vinery, providing glimpses of Clouseau's bumbling childhood (played by Lucca Mezzofanti as a child), and his early career in the French Resistance (played as a young adult by Daniel Peacock).

Jouvet does encounter a run-in with the mafia, led by Bruno Langlois (Robert Loggia), the main antagonist of 'Revenge of the Pink Panther' as well as this two-part story made by this and the next film. Langlois politely warns Jouvet to stop searching for Clouseau (Clouseau apparently caused trouble for Langlois in the past), but Jouvet refuses, and complains to Dreyfus about the threat. Dreyfus, who wants Clouseau dead just as much as Langlois does, presses no charges against Langlois, much to Jouvet's frustration.

The movie ends with Jouvet concluding that Clouseau must be alive and in hiding somewhere. In the final shot, Clouseau (played by Joe Dunne only seen from behind) is seen standing looking over a seaside cliff, when a seagull flies over and messes the sleeve of his coat. The words "Swine seagull!" are heard in the distinctive 'over French' accent of Clouseau. The animated Pink Panther in the Clouseau suit, is watching the sunset then turns around and looks at the camera. A montage of funny clips of the late Peter Sellers from other Pink Panther films is seen during the end credits.