This is the absolute best of the Pink Panther movies...period. The first film (THE PINK PANTHER) really was not a film about Inspector Clouseau, but more of a caper film starring David Niven and the emphasis was definitely not on crazy humor, but on sophisticated comedy (and to me, to was a lot more dull). The three later Peter Sellers Panther films (RETURN OF THE PINK PANTHER, THE PINK PANTHER STRIKES AGAIN and REVENGE OF THE PINK PANTHER) were okay, but just didn't match this wonderful film. Perhaps it was because after a while, the Panther films seemed like self-parody and the scripts were getting progressively weaker.

Clouseau is out to investigate a murder and suspects Maria Gambrelli (Elke Sommer) through much of the film. As a result of these suspicions, he follows her everywhere--leading to one of the funniest scenes in the film. She goes to a nudist camp and he follows--not realizing where he's going. And the complications resulting from that are AMAZINGLY funny and silly.

Apart from Ms. Sommer, the film receives wonderful support from George Sanders and Herbert Lom, as the poor and beleaguered Chief Inspector Dreyfus. A wonderful cast, writing and performance by Sellers make for a funny film.

This is easily the best of the franchise. I was laughing so much, and the first time I saw this with my family, everyone was rolling about on the floor laughing. The only other time that has happened was when watching "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" (which isn't as amusing anymore). Peter Sellers, who I've admired since Dr. Strangelove, is in his element here as Clousseau. Who can forget the scene when he breaks everything in the billiard room? The storyline is a bit daft and starts a little slow, but the performance of the star more than compensates. The jokes are repeated, like Clousseau getting arrested 5 times,but they do that all the time in comedy, so that isn't an issue. I loved all the jokes, interpreted by the likes of George Sanders(who was in the Jungle Book, one of the best early Disneys)and Herbert Lom. This is off target, but there was another pink panther film, Pink Panther Strikes Again, I think, when Clousseau is swinging on a bar above the stairs,and he lets go off the bar, and falls down the stairs. That made me laugh. I absolutely love Shot in the Dark though. 9/10.Bethany Cox

The popularity of Peter Sellers's Inspector Clousseau from the The Pink Panther it warranted the bumbling French detective getting center stage in what turned out to be a series of films. For the rest of his life Sellers was assured of movie profits by just making another Clousseau film.

A Shot In the Dark also introduced two new characters to the series, Clousseau's supervisor Chief Inspector Dreyfus played by Herbert Lom and his houseboy/karate teacher Kato who was played by Bert Kwouk. Dreyfus became almost as popular as Clousseau himself. Herbert Lom's career had been spent playing mostly villains and pretty serious and deadly ones at that.

Inspector Clousseau can best be described as a human train wreck. The slightest motion on his part is a recipe for disaster. Best to be about ten feet from him at any given time and even that won't always work. His klutziness drives Lom to the brink of insanity here and in future films, he crossed over the line.

But he's got instincts which is why I'm sure he remains an inspector of the Surete. He draws a case involving a murder at wealthy baron George Sanders's house and it seems kind of open and shut that the maid, Elke Sommer did it. But Sellers listens to his hormones talking and refuses to make the arrest. And as more dead bodies keep piling up around Sommer, the more Sellers listens to that voice south of the Equator.

With Clousseau, Peter Sellers joins the ranks of such great cinema clowns as Charlie Chaplin and Stan Laurel. Sit back and don't eat while watching A Shot In The Dark, you won't be able to hold it down.