Editing The Pink Panther (section)

====''Curse of the Pink Panther'' (1983)====
{{Main|Curse of the Pink Panther}}
1983's ''Curse of the Pink Panther'' is the first to feature a different lead character, blundering American detective Sgt. Clifton Sleigh, portrayed by [[Ted Wass]]. Inspector Clouseau and the Pink Panther diamond, both of which had disappeared in ''Trail'', are pursued by Sleigh. Clouseau returns, after having plastic surgery to disguise his identity, in a cameo appearance by [[Roger Moore]] (who is credited as "Turk Thrust II"). Although intended to spawn a new series of misadventures for the inept Sergeant Sleigh, the film's dismal box-office performance and critical drubbing, along with a complicated series of lawsuits between Edwards and [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]], led to a decade-long hiatus of the series. The lawsuit was eventually settled out of court in 1988, around the time Edwards came up with one final film idea that would ultimately become the unofficial series finale.