Factual error: Inspector Clouseau's watch may be broken but Hercule's doesn't keep very good time either. They synchonise watches at 7:47. 18 seconds later, Hercule says he has 7:47 and 23 seconds. (01:28:14)
A Shot in the Dark (1964)
1 factual error - chronological order
Directed by: Blake Edwards
Starring: Herbert Lom, Peter Sellers, George Sanders, Elke Sommer
Continuity mistake: During the interview with Maria, her headscarf disappears from Inspector Clouseau's desk. (00:34:28)
Dominique Ballon: Well, shall we settle this thing now or do you intend making me late for the recital?
Benjamin Ballon: We can't just fire her. She's given us no cause.
Dominique Ballon: Cause? We are up to our necks in dead bodies! What are you waiting for, the last act of Hamlet?
Benjamin Ballon: If you are going to compare the Ballon household with a Shakespearean tragedy, I suggest that Macbeth would be more appropriate.
Trivia: When Clouseau spins the globe in his office after the first interrogation of Maria, the part calls for him to catch his hand. Peter Sellers ad-libbed a line about Africa being all over his hand. Just before the dissolve to the next scene, the actors start to grin at the ad-lib. (00:35:45)
More questions & answers from A Shot in the Dark
Answer: In this particular film, he's referred to solely as "Commissioner" and is then Chief Inspector in every subsequent Pink Panther film in which he appears (up until "Son of the Pink Panther" [1993], Herbert Lom's last appearance in the role, when he is again Commissioner). If you're after a reason, there likely isn't an official one, though perhaps Dreyfus's murder spree and mental breakdown in this film led to his demotion.