In the opening credits, the Pink Panther's actions and costumes provide references to Carmen Miranda, Esther Williams, Charles Chaplin, Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire, Groucho Marx, George Raft and Boris Karloff (as Frankenstein's monster).
During the closing credits, the straightjacket-bound Dreyfus is shown watching and commenting on the words, particularly when Peter Sellers' credit comes up as "Clouseau." Dreyfus also writes "The End" on the wall of his padded cell with his feet.
During the animated opening credits, the credit for the Hal David song "The Greatest Gift" is the first credit seen after the title, occurring between the star and supporting cast credits. In the 1970s, songwriting credits usually appeared about midway though the opening credits and usually were paired with the film's composer credit; it was unusual for a song credit to be singled out in such a way.