Bumbling Inspector Jacques Clouseau falls in love with murder suspect Maria Gambrelli and tries to clear her name.
Ballon household: Benjamin Ballon and his wife Madame Ballon, Henri Lafarge the head Butler and his wife Madame Lafarge the Cook, Miguel Ostos the Head Chauffeur, Maria Gambrelli the third maid, Pierre the second Chauffeur and his wife Dudo the head Maid, Georges the Gardener and his wife Simone the second Maid, Maurice the second Butler. Affairs: Monsieur Ballon and Maria, Maria and Miguel, Henri and Dudo, Madame Ballon and Henri, Pierre and Simone. Who killed who: Madame Ballon accidentally shot Miguel because she suspected her husband of having an affair with Maria and wanted to kill him. Madame LaFarge killed Georges because he threatened to break up with her. Simone killed Dudo to eliminate her because she was in the way of her affair with Pierre. Monsieur Ballon killed Henri because he was having an affair with his wife. Blackmailers: Georges blackmailing Monsieur Ballon (Seen leaving Maria's room). Maurice blackmailing Madame Ballon. (Seen leaving Maria's room).—Bert Weissensee
Due to an error by Paris police captain Charles Dreyfus's deputy, disaster-magnet detective inspector Jacques Clouseau is assigned to the murder in politically influential industrial tycoon Benjamin Ballon's grand home on Sir's Spanish private limo drive Miguelr. Although foxy maid Maria Gambrelli is found in the room holding the murder weapon, Clouseau insists to search for another culprit and Ballon has political authorities revert Dreyfus's order to pull Clouseau from the case. While his investigation stumbles nowhere, but Maria works her siren charms on Clouseau into an affair, more Ballon-related murders occur, there and in a nudist club, with her repeatedly as obvious suspect. Later the body count speeds up around the by now couple, while Dreyfuss's frustration drives him into accidents, therapy and psychopathic hatred for Clouseau, who still discovers countless affairs at Ballon's involving staff and family.—KGF Vissers
When rich M. Ballon's spanish driver is found shot dead, Inspector Jacques Clouseau is the first official on the scene. All evidence suggests Maria Gambrelli, the maid, to be the murderer. But Clouseau, being attracted to the beautiful girl, is convinced that she is hiding something. So, he has her released from jail and tries to follow her secretly. Things do not work out the way the inspector wanted and people keep being murdered, and each time innocent Maria seems to be the killer. But with someone important wanting Clouseau and nobody else to cover this case, his tolerance-challenged boss Charles Dreyfuss is close to losing his mind when casualties keep turning up. And Clouseau keeps on causing trouble without knowing it...—Julian Reischl <[email protected]>
The famous French detective, Inspector Jacques Clouseau, investigates the murder of a man at a country house. The owner of the house always seems to know more than he should, and although the evidence continually suggests that the maid Maria committed the crime, Clouseau always does the opposite expected of him, much to the disgruntlement of his superior, Dreyfus.—Graeme Roy <[email protected]>
Late at night at the country home of millionaire Benjamin Ballon, several of its occupants are moving about rooms, hiding and spying on others. The household consists of: Ballon's wife Dominique; Henri LaFarge, the head butler, and his wife Madame LaFarge, the cook; Miguel Ostos, the head chauffeur; Pierre, the second chauffeur, and his wife Dudu, the head maid; Georges the gardener, and his wife Simone, the second maid; Maria Gambrelli, the third maid; and Maurice, the second butler.The night's events soon end with gunshots in the room of Maria, with Miguel found murdered.
Inspector Clouseau (Peter Sellers) of the Surete, a bumbling and incompetent detective, is called out to the scene, accompanied by his assistant Hercule Lajoy. Clouseau arrives at country home of Paris plutocrat Benjamin Ballon (George Sanders) to investigate the murder of his Spanish chauffeur Miguel. The chauffeur was having an affair with the maid, Maria Gambrelli (Elke Sommer), who claims that he often beat her.
All the evidence points to Gambrelli as the killer. She was found in her room, bolted from inside, with the gun in her hands, with no recollection of how it got there. Maria says that she and Miguel were having sex when someone entered the room and shot at Miguel 4 times. The gun was registered to Miguel and was kept in the glove compartment of the Ballon Rolls Royce.Clouseau refuses to admit her guilt after he develops an instant attraction to her. Clouseau is convinced that Maria is shielding someone.
Before Clouseau can investigate further, his superior Commissioner Dreyfus removes him from the investigation out of fear he will bungle a high-profile case as Ballon is very influential in political circles. Clouseau finds himself returned to the investigation after Dreyfus is ordered by his superiors to do so, through Ballon's political influence
Maria tells Clouseau that Miguel was about to break up with her, and the night of his murder was their last night together. So, Maria told him that she was already seeing someone else to make him jealous.Georges (David Lodge) the Gardener is shown to blackmail Mr Ballon saying that he saw Ballon climbing down Maria's window on the night of Miguel's murder. The next day Georges is found murdered with Maria found with the bloody scissors in her hand.
For the real culprits to keep the truth hidden from Clouseau's boss, Commissioner Charles Dreyfus (Herbert Lom), they must commit more murders. With the murders of Georges the gardener, Dudu (Ann Lynn) the maid, and Henri LaFarge, the head butler, the situation becomes untenable.Despite the facts, Clouseau continues to believe she is innocent, which leaves Dreyfus dismayed at his incompetence in the case and the scandals he causes. After the body of Henri is found in the closet of Maria's bedroom, Clouseau is once more removed from the case.
Clouseau sets her free each time but is himself arrested police four times in quick succession (first for selling balloons without a license, then for selling paintings without a license, then for hunting without a license, and finally with Maria Gambrelli for public nudity, after they flee a nudist community). In order to keep his mind sharp for the case, Clouseau eventually instructs his manservant Cato (Burt Kwouk) to attack him at every opportunity (which becomes a staple running gag for the rest of the Pink Panther movies featuring Sellers).
During investigations Clouseau makes Ballon admit that he was having an affair with Maria, and was also in her room, before Miguel death, but left shortly before the shooting & had no idea who had shot Miguel. Then Dudu is found dead at the same nudist camp, which Maria happened to be visiting that particular day.
As Clouseau continues to bungle the case, Commissioner Dreyfus becomes increasingly agitated, as by accidentally cutting off his thumb and stabbing himself with a letter-opener.Although Dreyfus begins to suspect Ballon is trying to cover up facts about the murders, assuming that he is shielding someone with Maria's help, Clouseau's theory about her innocence leaves Dreyfus worried that he could be undone. When he is forced to put Clouseau back on the case, Dreyfus eventually suffers a nervous breakdown upon hearing of Clouseau going out for the evening with Maria.Concealing himself, he stalks Clouseau in order to assassinate him, but accidentally kills a doorman instead, as well as two cafe customers and a Cossack dancer. The increased notoriety of the case as a result of the incidents, coupled with proving Clouseau's theory correct, slowly cause Dreyfus to become unhinged.
When Clouseau confronts the Ballon household with his conclusions, it is revealed that Ballon, his wife Dominique (Tracy Reed), Madame LaFarge (Vanda Godsell), Pierre the driver (Maurice Kaufmann), and Simone the maid (Moira Redmond) are all guilty of murder.Dominique reveals she killed Miguel by mistake, believing he was her husband who she thought was having an affair with Maria.Madame LaFarge murdered Georges, with whom she was having an affair, because he was about to leave her for Dominique.Simone killed Dudu in order to maintain her affair with Pierre; and Ballon murdered Henri because he was having an affair with Dominique. Pierre also reveals that Maurice was blackmailing Ballon.
Meanwhile, Dreyfus, revealed to be the stalker targeting Clouseau previously, plants a bomb in Clouseau's car in one more attempt to kill him.
As a massive argument breaks out, Clouseau's aide-De-camp Hercule LaJoy (Graham Stark) knocks out the power as part of an earlier, now unnecessary ruse to catch the murderer. The guilty take the opportunity to escape in Clouseau's car, but it is destroyed by a bomb set by Commissioner Dreyfus.
Having witnessed the explosion, Dreyfus angrily confronts Clouseau and indirectly confesses to his own murders, but Clouseau is unable to make sense of Dreyfus's ranting and has Hercule drag him away to cool off. Clouseau and Maria celebrate the clearing of her name with a long and passionate kiss - which is swiftly interrupted by another sneak attack by Cato.
