David Niven plays jewel thief Sir Charles Lytton, known as the Phantom, in The Pink Panther (1963).
Sir Charles is a sophisticated thief pursuing the famous Pink Panther diamond. The film’s plot also follows the bumbling French police inspector Jacques Clouseau, played by Peter Sellers, whose investigation creates much of the comedy.
Blake Edwards directed the film, which combines heist, comedy, and romantic elements. Robert Wagner plays George Lytton, Sir Charles’s nephew, while Claudia Cardinale plays Princess Dala, the diamond’s owner.
The Pink Panther began a long-running film series centered increasingly on Clouseau. The jewel itself also inspired the animated pink panther character used in the film’s opening titles.