The film concludes with the animated "Pink Panther" character appearing onscreen and opening its trench coat to reveal outtake footage from the previous Pink Panther films, which play alongside the end credits.
       Actor André Maranne is credited onscreen as “Andre Maranne.”
       According to a 25 Apr 1982 LAT article, filmmaker Blake Edwards was approached about making another Pink Panther film just months after Sellers’ death, but was preoccupied working on Victor/Victoria (1982, see entry). Eventually, he decided to write a script around excised footage from The Pink Panther (1964, see entry), A Shot in the Dark (1964, see entry), The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976, see entry), and Revenge of the Pink Panther (1978, see entry). Return of the Pink Panther (1975, see entry) was not included, as Edwards discovered that its producer, Sir Lew Grade, had destroyed all extraneous material from the picture. A total of eight sequences were used to comprise one third of Trail of the Pink Panther, while the remaining screen time consisted of replayed scenes from previous films, linked together by an original storyline involving reporter “Marie Jouvet,” played by Joanna Lumley. Screenwriters Frank and Tom Waldman wrote the scripts for Trail of the Pink Panther and Curse of the Pink Panther simultaneously, and planned to shoot them on a combined budget of $17 million, using many of the same sets. A 9 Mar 1982 HR article indicated that $6 million of that total was alotted for Trail of the Pink Panther, with an eighteen-week shooting schedule expected to take place in Paris and Nice, France; Valencia, Ibiza, and Cortina, Spain; and Casablanca. Trail of the Pink Panther was anticipated to be released 10 Dec 1982, followed by Curse of the Pink Panther in summer 1983.
       A 10 Feb 1982 DV brief announced that principal photography was set to begin 15 Feb 1982 at Pinewood Studios in London, England, followed by an 11 Feb 1982 DV report that actor Harvey Korman would arrive in London 6 Mar 1982 to reprise his role as “Professor Auguste Balls.” A 13 Apr 1982 HR story stated that filming was currently taking place in Valencia, assisted by security of Spain’s Policia Nacional and the U.S. Treasury Department, which protected actress Patti Davis, who was the daughter of then-President Ronald Reagan. Production was then scheduled to return to Pinewood Studios, while a second unit remained in Spain to shoot footage on the island of Ibiza. According to the article, the production schedule had been extended to twenty-two weeks, and also included the Italian town of Cortina d’Ampezzo among locations.
       The 14 Apr 1982 Var reported that actress Joanna Lumley joined the crew in the French Riviera, while Capucine and David Niven filmed footage for both projects at Victorine Studios in Nice. Production notes in AMPAS library files stated that French production manager Bernard Mazauric worked with a sixty-person crew on an unnamed property in the French Riviera, which served as the villa owned by “Sir Charles Litton” and “Lady Litton” in the film. Additional estate locations included the Château de Bellet and the Château Castellaras. “Hercule Lajoy’s” barge and the “Lugash” mosque sequences took place in Paris and at the Sacré Cœur basilica in the city’s Montmarte district. A second unit also worked in Italy to film a stunt skier for a shot that would precede footage from the first 1964 film. According to the 7 Apr 1982 DV and 11 May 1982 HR, Edwards was pleased with Davis’ performance in Valencia and subsequently wrote another scene for her character, requiring her to travel to Paris for further filming. A 15 Jun 1982 HR item announced the completion of principal photography, fifteen days ahead of schedule and slightly over the two films’ total projected budget.
       Although editor Ralph Winters is not credited onscreen, Trail of the Pink Panther and Curse of the Pink Panther marked his tenth and eleventh feature film collaborations with Edwards, following their most recent work together on Victor/Victoria, which was released 19 Mar 1982.
       The 14 Jul 1982 Var indicated that the film’s score was recorded with an eighty-member orchestra at CTS Studios in London. A 3 Sep 1982 HR brief stated that Ron Baker was hired to work on sound looping at Pinewood Studios, but he is not credited onscreen. A 10 Aug 1983 DV news story revealed that impressionist Rich Little recorded much of the dialogue for actor David Niven, who suffered from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. To prevent public speculation about Niven’s ailing health, Little’s involvement was kept secret until after the actor’s death on 29 Jul 1982.
       The 28 Jul 1982 Var credited Anthony Goldschmidt and the Intralink Film Graphic Design Co. for trailers and advertising campaign promoting the film’s 17 Dec 1982 release.
       On 20 Dec 1982, HR announced that Sellers’ widow, Lynne Fredrick, filed a multimillion dollar lawsuit in London court against United Artists (UA) of distributor M-G-M/UA Entertainment Co., and Blake Edwards’ Lakeline Productions Limited, claiming that the late actor’s contracts on the Pink Panther films did not allow for the posthumous use of his work. The case finally went to trial three years later, when the 27 Feb 1985 DV reported that although the defendants claimed they were never prohibited from releasing the footage, Sellers’ lawyer argued the actor’s perfectionism indicated that the decision would go against his wishes. The 25 May 1985 Chicago Tribune stated that Frederick was approached about the concept for the film only three days after Sellers’ death, and the project entered production despite her opposition. After a nineteen-day hearing in Mar 1985, a London judge ruled that Trail of the Pink Panther breached the Performers Protection Act, designed to uphold the works of performing artists, and awarded Frederick $1 million in damages. Although the court denied her request to bar the film from further exhibition, an 11 Jun 1985 DV news item indicated that the widow was granted an additional $475,000 interest from the earlier settlement. UA appealed the court’s decision, but the 17 Dec 1986 Var stated that their attempts were unsuccessful.
      Animated opening credits are preceded by following dedication to actor Peter Sellers, who died 24 Jul 1980, before production began: “To Peter...the one and only Inspector Clouseau.” End credits conclude with the following statements: “The producers wish to thank the following companies and organizations for their collaboration in the making of this film: Hyatt Regency Hotel – Nice, Trans World Airlines, Paris – Sheraton Hotel, Hitachi Corporation, Aeroport de Paris, H. Stern Jewelry, Mairie de Nice, Renault/American Motors, Mairie d’Antibes, Animal Action,” and, “Made by Lakeline Productions Limited and Amjo Productions Limited at Pinewood Studios, Iver, Bucks, England, and on location in Paris the South of France and Cortina, Italy.” The statement, “Coming Soon Curse of the Pink Panther, advertises the next Pink Panther film, which was shot concurrently and released 12 Aug 1983.