The Pink Panther is one of cinema's most iconic characters. Moreover, the animated feline is responsible for introducing to audiences the equally venerated Detective Inspector
Jacques Clouseau.
As the most hapless and inept law enforcement officer ever to grace the silver screen, Clouseau was portrayed by British actor Peter Sellers in a series of highly successful comedy-crime mysteries in the 1960s and '70s. The 'Pink Panther' franchise continued even after Sellers' untimely death, but in time, the cases went cold.
So, how did a lithe and sophisticated rose-colored cartoon cat help turn a bumbling French police officer into one of the most legendary fictional crime-fighting characters in cinema history? To solve the case, click through the gallery and investigate further.