Pink Panther - His royal pinkness
The Pink Panther is a series of American comedy movies which feature the French police detective, Jacques Clouseau. He is a simpleton who believes himself that he is a detective and a genius. He speaks English with a thick French accent. Peter Sellers (who originated it) is closely associated with the role and most of the films were directed by Blake Edwards. The popular jazz-based music which is usually recognized just by hearing the first few notes of the tune was composed by Henry Mancini.
The “Pink Panther” is a large (and fictitious) diamond which is the plot of the first film in the series. The focus is centered around the theft of this diamond. Its name is derived from the flaw at its center, which is said to resemble a pink panther when held up to the light in a certain way. This phrase has been used for all of the subsequent films in the series, even when the jewel had nothing to do with the plot.
In the original Pink Panther movie, the focus was on David Niven’s role as Sir Charles Lytton, who is actually the jewel thief, also known as “the Phantom,” and his plan to steal the jewel from its original owner. Because the movie was such as success with the United Artists executives, they decided to develop it into a series of animated shots. By the late 1960’s, these shots were being broadcast by Saturday Morning Cartoons and new shots were being added for both the television broadcasts and the upcoming move release.
The cartoon series basically centered around the same idea, where the Pink Panther kept trying to paint things in his own color. The cartoon character also appears at the end of the first film, where he is mixed with live footage while driving through the streets in Rome, holding up a scroll with the words “THE END.”
After the theatrical cartoons ended sometime in 1980, the Pink Panther appeared in a few television specials. Three years later, Hanna-Barbera Productions created a new Saturday Morning Cartoon series which was called “The Pink Panther and Sons”. This series was relatively short-lived as well as the series that was attempted in 1993.
The Pink Panther is still alive and well. He is currently the mascot for Sweet and Low artificial sweetener and has been since 2001. He is also the mascot and icon for Owens Corning’s line of fiberglass insulation.