After the unexpected smash hit that was Blake Edwards' Pink Panther feature, it was only natural that a spinoff series would be made. Following legendary animation director Friz Freleng and producer David DePatie's contributions to the original film, they got the greenlight to make a whole plethora of theatrical and televised cartoons starring the titular panther. The first of the batch, The Pink Phink, proved to be such a big success that it won the oscar for Best Animated Short Film in 1965. Looking back at the film nearly 60 years later, it's easy to see why its value holds up arguably more than the original movie.
The plot centers around the Pink Panther attempting to repaint a house in pink rather than the color its primary painter is doing his job with: blue. At its core, the short is essentially a series of competitive games over which color suits an interior design better, albeit with hysterical set pieces. In some ways, one could see this film as a commentary on rebellious nature over conformity, as the painter has to suffer with the panther constantly thwarting his general work plans based on preference alone. Considering that many of the later Pink Panther shorts would be satirical nods to these kinds of themes, as well as other DePatie-Freleng series, one could relate this to how the 1960s was a fairly nonconformist twist thanks to counterculturalism and the arising rebels of the day. Thanks in part to Friz Freleng's impeccable comedic timing and the brilliant choice to execute the gags through pantomime, the short says way more than it needs to in going against the rules. It's easy to see how the Pink Panther became a symbol of defiant youth both during its time and possibly as much today.
Going into the pantomime aspects, the choice to make the art direction fairly minimal works well in favor of the animation. As the panther and painter are intentionally different colors, with one being pure pink and the other being pure white, they contrast each other brilliantly to stand out in terms of physical appearance just as much as their behavior. Although their motion feels timed to a bunch of musical beats, they feel natural enough to bounce off one another without going all over the place. Speaking of music, composer Bill Lava elevates the short's soundtrack by mixing Henry Mancini's timeless Pink Panther theme and his own material as solid tempos that suit the setting of the cartoon. Next to some periodically spaced sound effects, the soundtrack feels appropriately timed through the work of the visual comedic timing. It's easy to see why the panther is remembered as one of the last great cartoon characters of his time, because he says so much through so little. Besides, his lack of verbal language is always in lieu of a well rounded rebel.
Whether or not The Pink Phink deserved its Oscar win, its incredible timing and artistic dedication makes it a delightful pilot to a series on par with the Pink Panther cinematic franchise. Considering how much of a success the Pink Panther cartoons would become for both pop culture and the people who made them, it's safe to say they have stood the test of time arguably more than the original feature. I absolutely recommend this short for newcomers to the Pink Panther franchise, at least if you're more into the character than the features. It'll be worth seeing something outside of your normal colors.
The plot centers around the Pink Panther attempting to repaint a house in pink rather than the color its primary painter is doing his job with: blue. At its core, the short is essentially a series of competitive games over which color suits an interior design better, albeit with hysterical set pieces. In some ways, one could see this film as a commentary on rebellious nature over conformity, as the painter has to suffer with the panther constantly thwarting his general work plans based on preference alone. Considering that many of the later Pink Panther shorts would be satirical nods to these kinds of themes, as well as other DePatie-Freleng series, one could relate this to how the 1960s was a fairly nonconformist twist thanks to counterculturalism and the arising rebels of the day. Thanks in part to Friz Freleng's impeccable comedic timing and the brilliant choice to execute the gags through pantomime, the short says way more than it needs to in going against the rules. It's easy to see how the Pink Panther became a symbol of defiant youth both during its time and possibly as much today.
Going into the pantomime aspects, the choice to make the art direction fairly minimal works well in favor of the animation. As the panther and painter are intentionally different colors, with one being pure pink and the other being pure white, they contrast each other brilliantly to stand out in terms of physical appearance just as much as their behavior. Although their motion feels timed to a bunch of musical beats, they feel natural enough to bounce off one another without going all over the place. Speaking of music, composer Bill Lava elevates the short's soundtrack by mixing Henry Mancini's timeless Pink Panther theme and his own material as solid tempos that suit the setting of the cartoon. Next to some periodically spaced sound effects, the soundtrack feels appropriately timed through the work of the visual comedic timing. It's easy to see why the panther is remembered as one of the last great cartoon characters of his time, because he says so much through so little. Besides, his lack of verbal language is always in lieu of a well rounded rebel.
Whether or not The Pink Phink deserved its Oscar win, its incredible timing and artistic dedication makes it a delightful pilot to a series on par with the Pink Panther cinematic franchise. Considering how much of a success the Pink Panther cartoons would become for both pop culture and the people who made them, it's safe to say they have stood the test of time arguably more than the original feature. I absolutely recommend this short for newcomers to the Pink Panther franchise, at least if you're more into the character than the features. It'll be worth seeing something outside of your normal colors.