The Inspector

This article is about the DePatie-Freleng animated series. For other uses, see Inspector (disambiguation). For the 1962 feature film starring Stephen Boyd and Dolores Hart, see The Inspector (1962 film). For the 2010s Litton Entertainment live-action series, see The Inspectors.
The Inspector
Voices ofPat Harrington Jr.
Paul Frees
Don Messick
Larry Storch
Marvin Miller
Mark Skor
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes34 (list of episodes)
Production
ProducersDavid H. DePatie
Friz Freleng
Running time5–6 minutes
Production companiesDePatie–Freleng Enterprises
Mirisch-Geoffrey-DePatie-Freleng
Original release
ReleaseDecember 21, 1965 (1965-12-21) –
May 14, 1969 (1969-05-14)

The Inspector is an American series of 34 theatrical cartoon shorts produced between 1965 and 1969 by DePatie–Freleng Enterprises and released through United Artists. The cartoons are dedicated to an animated version of Inspector Clouseau comically battling against a rogues' gallery of internationally styled villains.

Outside of the episode titles, much of the humor in these shorts is derived in part from the surreality of the villains and situations, and also from the stylized animated slapstick, the brunt of which is endured by the Inspector, who is often bested by his nemeses, forcing him to face the wrath of his supervisor, the blustery and ill-tempered Commissioner (based on Herbert Lom's portrayal of Commissioner Dreyfus, if somewhat more violent) who holds him in well-deserved contempt.[1]

Characters

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The Inspector

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The Inspector is a senior detective for the Sûreté and assisted in most earlier episodes by Sergeant Deux-Deux, who is voiced by Pat Harrington Jr.; In The Pink Panther Show bumpers, he is instead voiced by Marvin Miller. Though his actual name is never mentioned, the character is clearly based on Inspector Jacques Clouseau from The Pink Panther films (to the point its design was later reused in the opening credits of the 1968 Inspector Clouseau film, implying that both inspectors are in fact one and the same).[2] But in slight contrast to the completely inept live-action Clouseau, the animated Inspector is more competent, though still prone to bad luck and poor judgment.

Sergeant Deux-Deux

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The Inspector's young and timid assistant, Sergeant Deux-Deux (pronounced "Doo-Doo"), is a slow-talking Spaniard and gendarme. Like the Inspector, he is voiced by Pat Harrington Jr., and in bumpers for The Pink Panther Show, he is voiced by Marvin Miller; in "La Feet's Defeat", he is instead voiced by Don Messick, and the character is given a younger appearance and more naive personality. He frequently utters the exclamation "Jole Frijoles" ("Holy Beans") in exciting or extreme situations, and often replies to the Inspector in his native tongue, saying "Sí", only to be admonished by the Inspector who often tells him, "Don't say 'sí', say 'oui'", which sometimes leads to confusing situations between the two. Deux Deux usually responded afterwards by intoning: "Sí, I mean oui, Inspector." In one cartoon, Deux Deux said "ouisick" instead of "seasick". On a couple of occasions, when the Inspector is incapacitated, Deux-Deux himself almost effortlessly manages to apprehend the culprit. He thinks of the Inspector as his hero.

The Commissioner

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The Commissioner, as his name implies, is the commissioner of the French police force and the boss of the Inspector and Sgt. Deux-Deux. The Commissioner is a heavily built, blustery, ill-tempered, bullying, bald man dressed in a suit and a black tie. He was voiced by Larry Storch in his first two appearances, then by Paul Frees from 1966 to 1967 (sans 1967's "Canadian Can-Can", where he is voiced by Mark Skor), and by Marvin Miller in all remaining appearances. He is usually angry in his interactions with the Inspector, for instance because of the Inspector's failure to complete his missions or because the Inspector has inadvertently caused him physical harm. The short "That's No Lady - That's Notre Dame" introduces his wife (voiced by Diana Maddox) who refers to him as 'Henri'. Despite the Inspector's general incompetence (which the Commissioner acknowledges) the Commissioner never actually fires him, or at least not permanently.

Production

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Pat Harrington Jr. provided voices for both the Inspector and Deux-Deux; (in "La Feet's Defeat", Deux-Deux is voiced by Don Messick and sports a younger, more naive appearance.) The Commissioner was voiced by Larry Storch for his first two appearances, before Paul Frees took on the role up until "Bomb Voyage", and voiced the character one last time in "Le Escape Goat". In "Canadian Can-Can", the Commissioner is voiced by Mark Skor, who also voiced the evil face of Two-Faced Harry, the short's antagonist. The Commissioner was then voiced by Marvin Miller for his remaining appearances.[1] Miller also assumed the role of both the Inspector and Sgt. Deux-Deux in the wraparound bumpers produced for the inaugural season of The Pink Panther Show.[1]

The first entry in the series, The Great De Gaulle Stone Operation, preceded screenings of the 1965 James Bond film Thunderball.

The Inspector character design remained basically the same throughout the DePatie–Freleng shorts, and was used in the opening credit sequence of the 1968 live-action film Inspector Clouseau (with Alan Arkin as Clouseau), but in the opening titles of later Pink Panther features beginning in the 1970s, his look is changed dramatically to resemble Sellers, and then Steve Martin in the 2006 reboot of the series.[1]

The theme music heard during the titles of the cartoon was the instrumental "A Shot in the Dark" by Henry Mancini, from the 1964 feature film of the same name (the second entry in the Pink Panther live-action film series). Additional music in the cartoons was composed initially by William Lava, then Walter Greene. Two shorts had their own unique arrangement of the theme music during the opening sequence, Napoleon Blown-Aparte and Cock-A-Doodle Deux Deux.[1]

17 entries made their television debut during the inaugural season (1969–1970) of The Pink Panther Show, featuring shorter opening titles (minus credits).[1] The remaining 17 entries appeared during the show's second season with complete theatrical opening titles.[1]

List of shorts

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1965

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# Title Date Director Story Synopsis Notes
01 The Great De Gaulle Stone Operation December 21, 1965 Friz Freleng John W. Dunn The Inspector is assigned to guard a valuable diamond known as the De Gaulle Stone, but must retrieve it when he inadvertently lets it get stolen by the three-headed jewel thief, the Matzoriley Brothers: Weft (voiced by Paul Frees), Wight (voiced by Pat Harrington, Jr.), and Wong (also voiced by Frees). This is the first cartoon in the Inspector series. This cartoon was originally released in theaters with the fourth James Bond film Thunderball during its original theatrical run.

1966

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# Title Date Director Story Synopsis Notes
02 Reaux, Reaux, Reaux Your Boat February 1, 1966 Gerry Chiniquy John W. Dunn The Inspector is after the notorious smuggler Captain Clamity and his first mate Crab Louie (both voiced by Paul Frees). In their various attempts to board Clamity's ship, the pair's rowboats are broken in two by the criminals in various ways, causing the Inspector's portion of the boat to sink into the ocean along with him, while Deux-Deux's half stays afloat. The Commissioner does not appear.
03 Napoleon Blown-Aparte February 2, 1966 Gerry Chiniquy John W. Dunn The Mad Bomber (laughter provided by Larry Storch) escapes from Le Prison and swears vengeance on the Commissioner for imprisoning him there. The Commissioner assigns the Inspector to protect him, but the Inspector's incompetence results in him continually failing to prevent his boss from being blown up with an endless number of bombs at the Mad Bomber's disposal. An alternative rendition of The Inspector theme, "A Shot in the Dark", is featured during the credits. Final cartoon to feature Larry Storch as the voice of the Commissioner.
04 Cirrhosis of the Louvre March 9, 1966 Gerry Chiniquy John W. Dunn The insidious criminal known as the Blotch plans to steal all the paintings from the Louvre and the Inspector and Deux-Deux arrive in an attempt to foil his plot. First cartoon to feature Paul Frees as the voice of the Commissioner.
05 Plastered in Paris April 5, 1966 Gerry Chiniquy John W. Dunn The Inspector and Deux-Deux are assigned to chase a supposed fugitive known as "X" across the globe.
06 Cock-A-Doodle Deux Deux June 15, 1966 Robert McKimson Michael O'Connor The largest diamond in the world, the Plymouth Rock, has been stolen from Madame Marquise de Poule Bon (voiced by Helen Gerald) at her chateau and the Inspector is assigned to solve the case. After finding that Madame de Poule Bon was a chicken plucker in her past, he investigates the chateau, only to find out that Madame's servants are all chickens and he must deduce which one could have pulled off the theft. An alternative rendition of The Inspector theme "A Shot in the Dark" is featured during the credits. Final cartoon to be fully scored by William Lava.
07 Ape Suzette June 24, 1966 Gerry Chiniquy John W. Dunn While training Sergeant Deux-Deux in self-defense, the Inspector gets a phone call from the Commissioner, who assigns them both to investigate the theft of a shipment of bananas. The Inspector interrogates a diminutive sailor (voiced by Paul Frees) who pleads innocence, but when the Inspector attempts to fight him, the scrawny sailor's gorilla accomplice Judy gets in all the punches. First cartoon to be scored by Walter Greene. The Commissioner does not appear.
08 The Pique Poquette of Paris August 25, 1966 George Singer John W. Dunn The Inspector and Sergeant Deux-Deux attempt to apprehend the notorious multi-armed pickpocket Spider Pierre (voiced by Paul Frees). The Commissioner does not appear.
09 Sicque! Sicque! Sicque! September 23, 1966 George Singer John W. Dunn After the Sûreté apprehend a mad scientist in Rue Morgue, who is carted off to an insane asylum, the Inspector and Sergeant Deux-Deux are assigned to inspect the scientist's mansion. Deux-Deux clumsily drinks a swig of a strange potion, and, from then on, transforms at infrequent intervals into a Mr. Hyde-type monster who, in routines, torments and attacks the Inspector (who has no idea that the creature is actually Deux-Deux) upon every transformation. The Commissioner does not appear.
10 That's No Lady — That's Notre Dame! October 26, 1966 George Singer John W. Dunn The Inspector is assigned to apprehend a particular purse snatcher who is operating in the Hotel D'Hote - where the Commissioner lives. He sets up a sting operation by disguising himself as a woman, but catches the eye of the Commissioner, who thinks the Inspector is a woman, and attempts to have an affair with him, with the Inspector soon falling afoul of the Commissioner's jealous wife (voiced by Diana Maddox).
11 Unsafe and Seine November 9, 1966 George Singer John W. Dunn The Inspector and Deux-Deux travel across the world on an undercover search for an agent, getting into all sorts of accidents along the way.
12 Toulouse La Trick December 30, 1966 Robert McKimson John W. Dunn After notorious desperado Toulouse le Moose jumps bail, he escapes to Cherbourg, where he is apprehended, and the Inspector is tasked with returning him to Paris; he handcuffs himself to Toulouse to prevent him from escaping and disposes of the keys, which causes problems on the way to the station. Sgt. Deux-Deux and the Commissioner do not appear.

1967

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# Title Date Director Story Synopsis Notes
13 Sacré Bleu Cross February 1, 1967 Gerry Chiniquy John W. Dunn When the Inspector and Deux-Deux go after the trigger-happy criminal Hassan the Assassin (voiced by Paul Frees), Deux-Deux gives the Inspector a rabbit's foot that he claims will bring good luck to him (given that it happens to be Friday the 13th), but unfortunately for the Inspector, it does the exact opposite. The Commissioner does not appear.
14 Le Quiet Squad May 17, 1967 Robert McKimson Jim Ryan The Commissioner is overworked and needs absolute quiet, or he goes into uncontrolled fits of temper. The Inspector is assigned to look after him, but has trouble with a noisy cat that poses a threat to the Commissioner's calmness. Sgt. Deux-Deux does not appear.
15 Bomb Voyage May 22, 1967 Robert McKimson Tony Benedict The Commissioner is kidnapped by extraterrestrials, and so the Inspector and Deux-Deux travel to their planet to rescue him.
16 Le Pig-Al Patrol May 24, 1967 Gerry Chiniquy Jim Ryan The Inspector is sent to apprehend a biker gang led by the notorious Pig-Al (voiced by Marvin Miller) for the crime of disturbing the peace. Sgt. Deux-Deux does not appear.
17 Le Bowser Bagger May 30, 1967 Gerry Chiniquy Jim Ryan The Inspector is partnered with Private Bowser, a very energetic police dog, in his efforts to track down a thief. First cartoon to feature Marvin Miller as the voice of the Commissioner. Sgt. Deux-Deux does not appear.
18 Le Escape Goat June 29, 1967 Gerry Chiniquy Jim Ryan After being suspended for letting notorious criminal Louie le Finke (voiced by Pat Harrington, Jr.) escape, the Inspector tries to stop Louie from carrying out his threats of taking vengeance on the Commissioner, but ends up becoming part of the manhunt himself when, due to a series of misunderstandings, the Commissioner thinks the Inspector is trying to exact revenge on him for being suspended. Final cartoon to feature Paul Frees as the voice of the Commissioner. Sgt. Deux-Deux does not appear.
19 Le Cop on Le Rocks July 3, 1967 George Singer Jim Ryan The Inspector is sent to prison, having been mistaken for a bank robber who looks exactly like him. His constant attempts to escape add even more years to his sentence. Sgt. Deux-Deux and the Commissioner do not appear.
20 Crow De Guerre August 16, 1967 Gerry Chiniquy John W. Dunn Summoned to the Chateau Splendid to find a jewel thief, the Inspector finds that the perpetrator is actually a thieving crow, who continually outwits him at every turn. Sgt. Deux-Deux and the Commissioner do not appear.
21 Canadian Can-Can September 20, 1967 Gerry Chiniquy John W. Dunn Sent to Canada on an exchange program, the Inspector is assigned to catch Two-Faced Harry, who has a well-mannered, innocent face (voiced by Pat Harrington, Jr.) on one side of his head and an evil, vicious face (voiced by Mark Skor) on the other side. Only cartoon to feature Mark Skor as the voice of the Commissioner. Sgt. Deux-Deux does not appear.
22 Tour de Farce October 25, 1967 Gerry Chiniquy Jim Ryan The Inspector is assigned to drop off burly convict Mack le Truck (voiced by Marvin Miller) at the Devil's Island prison, but through his own mistake, they both end up stranded on a deserted island. Mack attempts to kill him in retaliation, leaving the Inspector to fight for his life. Sgt. Deux-Deux and the Commissioner do not appear.
23 The Shooting of Caribou Lou December 20, 1967 Gerry Chiniquy John W. Dunn On holiday in Canada as a Mountie, the Inspector is kidnapped by the diminutive, yet aggressive fur trapper, Caribou Lou (voiced by Mark Skor), who holds him hostage. Sgt. Deux-Deux and the Commissioner do not appear.

1968

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# Title Date Director Story Synopsis Notes
24 London Derriere February 7, 1968 Gerry Chiniquy Jim Ryan Having chased international jewel thief Louie le Swipe around Europe, the Inspector tries to nab him in London. Unfortunately, he runs afoul of the no-gun laws that the U.K.'s police must abide by. He works alongside a British police captain from Scotland Yard (voiced by Lennie Weinrib) in order to bring Louie to justice. The first two scenes of this short feature music reused from The Great De Gaulle Stone Operation. Sgt. Deux-Deux and the Commissioner do not appear.
25 Les Miserobots March 21, 1968 Gerry Chiniquy Jim Ryan The Inspector is fired after being replaced by an efficient police robot. He constantly tries to destroy it with the hope of getting his job back, but all attempts prove fruitless; ultimately, the Commissioner himself is fired and replaced by the same robot. This title is pun on the phrase "Les Miserables", Sgt. Deux-Deux does not appear.
26 Transylvania Mania March 26, 1968 Gerry Chiniquy John W. Dunn The Inspector is sent to find a scientist in Transylvania who is making monsters without a license. The scientist is a vampire (voiced by Hal Smith), who needs a brain for his latest monster, and the Inspector arrives at just the right moment; as such, he and his dimwitted, brawny accomplice, Urg (voiced by Marvin Miller) go after him. Sgt. Deux-Deux and the Commissioner do not appear.
27 Bear De Guerre April 26, 1968 Gerry Chiniquy Jim Ryan The Inspector goes quail hunting in a forest - illegally, at that - but runs afoul of a short-tempered brown bear (voiced by Marvin Miller) who thinks he is being hunted. Sgt. Deux-Deux and the Commissioner do not appear.
28 Cherche Le Phantom June 13, 1968 Gerry Chiniquy Tony Benedict Given the choice of assignment to either find a gorilla that has escaped from the Paris Zoo or to catch a phantom hiding in the Paris opera house, the Inspector chooses to go after the phantom.
29 Le Great Dane Robbery July 7, 1968 Gerry Chiniquy Jim Ryan The Inspector must get past a vicious guard dog named Tiny in order to retrieve a code cipher stolen from a French intelligence unit. Moreover, the Inspector is not happy that this assignment came right before his scheduled vacation on a sea cruise and, as a result, pours on the effort so as not to miss the boat. Sgt. Deux-Deux does not appear.
30 Le Ball and Chain Gang July 24, 1968 Gerry Chiniquy Jim Ryan The Inspector tries to get into the house of an argumentative couple named Charlie and Edna (voiced by Hal Smith and June Foray, respectively), who think they are about to be arrested, when all the Inspector was trying to do was to notify Charlie that he is to serve jury duty. Sgt. Deux-Deux and the Commissioner do not appear.
31 La Feet's Defeat July 24, 1968 Gerry Chiniquy Jim Ryan The Commissioner assigns the Inspector and Deux-Deux to capture Muddy la Feet. They encounter many booby traps along the way, which Deux-Deux sets off. Sgt. Deux-Deux and the Commissioner's final appearances. Sgt. Deux-Deux appears as a much younger and more naive version than in other shorts and is voiced by Don Messick instead of Pat Harrington, Jr.

1969

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# Title Date Director Story Synopsis Notes
32 French Freud January 22, 1969 Gerry Chiniquy Jack Miller A crooked Russian actress, Melody Mercurochrome (voiced by June Foray) and her "maid" — her husband in drag (voiced by Marvin Miller; voiced in his disguise by Foray), who is also a psychiatrist — are trying to snatch the Du Barry diamond, which the Inspector is guarding. Sgt. Deux-Deux and the Commissioner do not appear.
33 Pierre and Cottage Cheese February 26, 1969 Gerry Chiniquy The Inspector is assigned to meet a Chinese special agent outside an abandoned house, who will help him capture criminal Dirty Pierre le Punk (voiced by Marvin Miller) who is allegedly hiding out in the house. The agent is a Chinese robot by the name of Charlie (voiced by Pat Harrington, Jr.), who gives the Inspector ideas to catch Pierre, which always fail miserably. It is later revealed that the robot is actually Pierre in disguise, and when the real Chinese agent (also voiced by Harrington) arrives to meet the Inspector, he is chased into the horizon by a furious Inspector. The Chinese agent appears to be a parody of Charlie Chan. Sgt. Deux-Deux and the Commissioner do not appear.
34 Carte Blanched May 14, 1969 Gerry Chiniquy David Detiege The Inspector ends up on the run from the law when a malignant voiceover (voiced by Marvin Miller) convinces him that he has accidentally stolen a shopping cart from his local supermarket. Sgt. Deux-Deux and the Commissioner do not appear. Final cartoon of the series.

Cast

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  • Pat Harrington Jr. – The Inspector, Sergeant Deux-Deux (except for La Feet’s Defeat - in this entry, Sergeant Deux-Deux is portrayed by Don Messick)
  • Paul Frees – The Commissioner (1966–1967)
  • Larry Storch – The Commissioner (1965–1966) (The Great DeGaulle Stone Operation, Napoleon Blown-Aparte)
  • Marvin Miller – The Commissioner (1967, 1968–1969), The Inspector and Sgt Deux-Deux (The Pink Panther Show)
  • Mark Skor – The Commissioner (1967) (Canadian Can-Can)

Home video

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A DVD containing the first 17 shorts was released on March 4, 2008, from MGM Home Entertainment/20th Century Fox Home Entertainment.[citation needed]

A DVD set titled Pink Panther and Friends Classic Cartoon Collection released on January 27, 2009, by MGM contains the previously released set of the first 17 shorts and a second set of the last 17 shorts.

The first season of The Pink Panther is available for viewing on Amazon Video in the United States.[3]

On April 26, 2016, Kino Lorber released The Inspector: The DePatie-Freleng Collection on DVD and Blu-ray - this 2-disc DVD and Blu-ray release set collects the 34 (17 for each disc) classic shorts, along with retrospective featurettes focusing on DePatie-Freleng Enterprises.[4]

Revival

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The Inspector was revived in 1993 for the syndicated series, The Pink Panther, voiced by Brian George. The Inspector often works alongside the Pink Panther when he is depicted in law enforcement.[1]

In other media

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A back-up feature starring the Inspector appeared regularly in The Pink Panther and the Inspector comic books published by Gold Key comics, and he also starred in his own title. He also appears in the computer game The Pink Panther: Passport to Peril, where he hires the Pink Panther to help him fight crime. The Inspector and Deux-Deux also appear in the 1981 story record A Pink Panther Christmas from Kid Stuff Records, in which they try to capture The Pink Panther while he is helping Santa Claus.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Beck, Jerry (2006). Pink Panther: The Ultimate Guide to the Coolest Cat in Town. New York, New York: Dorling Kindersley, Ltd. ISBN 0-7566-1033-8.
  2. ^ Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. p. 95. ISBN 0-8160-3831-7. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  3. ^ amazon.com The Pink Panther Show – Season 1 at Amazon Video
  4. ^ "The Inspector Blu-ray (The DePatie-Freleng Collection)".
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