Could "The Birth of the Pink Panther" be the Death of the Pink Panther?

At least once each decade, Blake Edwards tries to revive his late, lamented "Pink Panther" series of films, which saw their heyday in the mid seventies. Last week, the inevitable announcements arrived: Steve Martin would portray Inspector Clouseau, and Jackie Chan will play his manservant, Cato.

Let me start by saying that I think that Steve Martin is terrific. He has the rare everyman type of charm that can disarm audiences even as he ridicules them. I also enjoyed Jackie Chan's performance in "Shanghai Noon" and its sequel, "Shanghai Knights." But pairing the two in this manner seems to indicate that "Birth of the Pink Panther," a prequel to the original series of movies, will be a "buddy" film, meaning that Cato will have a much larger role.

Cato's basic function in the original films (as portrayed by the wonderful Burt Kwouk) is to ambush Clouseau at every opportunity, since the bumbling detective has instructed him to do so, in order to hone his combat skills. This amounted to Cato appearing for about ten minutes in each of the films. That was more than enough. There just isn't enough dimension to this character, and that added to the charm of the films.

Here then, just in time for the holiday rental parties, is a viewers guide to the only "Panther" movies that are worth your time, and a rundown on why the others should best be avoided.

THE PINK PANTHER ***

Peter Sellers as Clouseau is almost a supporting player in this jewelry heist-in-high- society caper that really stars David Niven as Charles Lytton, a.k.a. "the Phantom," who plans to steal the diamond known as the Pink Panther from a visiting princess. His plans are complicated when his dashing young nephew (Robert Wagner) turns up on the scene and both begin romancing the princess. His associate also happens to be Clouseau's wife, to further complicate the issue. A solid start to the series, and it's fun to see Sellers take over and grow into the role that made him famous, but the familiar faces of Kwouk and Herbert Lom (as his long-suffering boss, Chief Inspector Dreyfus) have yet to be introduced.

A SHOT IN THE DARK *****

Frequently overlooked, this first "Panther" sequel has much to recommend it. Tycoon George Sanders insists that Clouseau investigates the murder that takes place on his estate, because he's convinced that the Inspector will never get to the bottom of the case. Clouseau falls for Maria Gambrelli (Elke Sommer), the maid who has been set up as the patsy in the case, and steadfastly stands by her, even as the body count mounts. Lom and Kwouk bow in the film, and the scene at the nudist camp are not to be missed.

INSPECTOR CLOUSEAU *
An effort to do a Clouseau film without Blake Edwards or Peter Sellers. In fact, there's no one here from the franchise represented. Producer Bud Yorkin ("Sanford and Son") directs, the wonderful, but woefully miscast Alan Arkin plays Clouseau. Horrible.

THE RETURN OF THE PINK PANTHER ****

After an absence of almost a decade, Peter Sellers and Blake Edwards reteamed in this film, and Christopher Plummer takes over for the unavailable David Niven as Charles Lytton comes out of retirement when the Pink Panther diamond is stolen once again, and the Phantom is evidently back at work. Trouble is, Lytton didn't do it. So while Clouseau searches for Lytton, Lytton investigates the theft. A bit overlong, but some classic Clouseau bits, notably the steam room scene.

THE PINK PANTHER STRIKES AGAIN *****

My favorite of all the "Panther" films changes the tone ever so slightly. A decidedly sci-fi bent creeps into the narrative, after former Chief Inspector Dreyfus, committed to an insane asylum at the end of the previous film, escapes the loony bin, abducts a scientist, and develops a death ray. He then proposes that the world deliver him Clouseau, or else he will destroy the U.N. building. In one hilarious sequence, fifty of the world's greatest hit men (and women) descend on Clouseau in Munich, and he dispatches them, one by one, without even knowing that they're there. This is also the film that features possibly the most famous Peter Sellers bit of all time