If we had to define the character by his personality, we could use the image of an English ‘gentleman’, with that characteristic ‘savoir faire’ that so well represents the poise and irony of Michael Caine, the elegance and intelligence of David Niven and the clownish grace of Charlot. Let’s mix it all up and there we will have our panther, facing grotesque situations with British phlegm together with the little man with the big nose who made him so angry. He turns 60 and his attractiveness does not lose its brilliance. If they already sang it in ‘From Head To Toes’, the closing theme of the cartoons, in which the feline was seen getting into the Panthermobile to go with Inspector Clouseau to the Chinese Theater: «Everyone loves a panther of pink color, it really is a wonderful cat. A gentleman, a scholar, an acrobat…».
And like Kasparov, Quentin Tarantino, Michael Jordan… as if he were a human being, the Pink Panther, fresh as a salad, has reached 60. In his case, it happens like with those people we all know by whom we don’t Years go by, who at 30 seemed older but at 60 they look splendid. That indefinite age is one of the strengths of the character born in 1963 by the cartoonist Friz Freleng for the credits of the Blake Edwards film and which had continuity in the cartoons. As the psychologist Marina E. Fernández explains: “On the one hand, he shows himself as a child who does not measure the consequences of his actions, but then he presents himself as an English gentleman, someone older.” And that appearance, sometimes a candid child, other times a rebellious adolescent, or even a curmudgeon adult, serves to hook fans of all ages.
Sophisticated, risky humor
It is clear that this is a character with a captivating way of being. Where does her appeal lie so that she continues to be so successful among young and old? It may seem surreal to delve into the personality of a cartoon, but by analyzing its behavior we find many reasons for its overwhelming success. Alfonso Rodríguez, known for being the director of the also successful ‘Pocoyó’, considers that the Pink Panther «is one of the most representative characters of the 20th century in the animation genre and one of my favorites of all time. His appeal lies in his unique visual style, simple and elegant, and in a sophisticated humor that was quite risqué in its day.”
“His appeal lies in his unique visual style, simple and elegant, and in a sophisticated humor that was quite risky in his time.
alfonso rodriguez
Director of the animated series ‘Pocoyo’
This is also how the psychologist sees it, who points especially to his “provocative” attitude: “He dedicates himself to living life, he does not work, he has no obligations or responsibilities, he lives breaking the rules and always trying to do what he wants, even if sometimes it comes out good and others not. This makes it very attractive in our eyes, since it is what any of us would like to do and cannot, because we owe ourselves to social norms and responsibilities”.
Male or female? Does not matter
A recurring question: what is the panther, boy, girl… better a ‘chique’? He seems to be a male specimen despite that confusing image smoking a cigarette holder, and the few times he spoke it was in a masculine voice, in fact it is David Niven’s. Although the character is mute, in two episodes he makes himself heard: in ‘Pink Ice’ he protects some diamonds: «They say that a stone that rolls doesn’t get mold, and we wouldn’t want this beautiful stone to get mold, right?». And in ‘Sink Pink’, inspired by Noah’s Ark, he blurts out: “Why can’t man be more like animals?”
![Image -](https://s3.ppllstatics.com/rc/www/multimedia/2023/05/25/pantera-rosaimagenzoom257x367NUEVA.jpg)
In reality, we are dealing with a guy who likes, even if he is a little misanthropic. “He has no friends, he always appears complicating the lives of others, especially his little man and his dog, which causes them anger and restlessness, they want to keep him away,” says the psychologist. He is not a sociable character, but that, far from making us uncomfortable, makes us laugh ».
Despite this, considers Marina E. Fernández, when her action has been disproportionate and has clearly harmed the other, sensitivity, guilt and remorse appear. But even acting against others, he is educated and there we could talk about a childhood in which he received good manners, greets with the hat, something related to the extreme education of the English gentleman ».
For the expert, the wide range of emotions he exhibits is essential, which would facilitate identification with him. «And of course, his impetus, he fights for his ideals without failing. He does not let setbacks discourage him and he does not lose his joy, his good humor. You can’t help it, you like him ».
![Eternal Clouseau](https://s1.ppllstatics.com/elcorreo/www/multimedia/2023/05/18/opt-capitulo-pelicula.gif)
The movie by Oskar Belategui
Eternal Clouseau
Without Blake Edwards (1922-2010) there would be no Holly Golightly played by Audrey Hepburn in ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’, the submarine painted pink by Cary Grant in ‘Operation Pacific’, Bo Derek’s dreadlocks in ’10, the woman perfect’ nor Inspector Clouseau. Neither was the Pink Panther, who, before being a cartoon and a cupcake, gave a name to a precious stone in the script of the 1963 comedy of the same name.
Edwards asked animator Friz Freleng to draw a mute character for the credits. He liked it so much that it ended up being turned into an Oscar-winning animated short and, shortly after, into a cartoon series. Not David Niven, not Robert Wagner, not Capucine, not Claudia Cardinale. The stars of ‘The Pink Panther’ were Peter Sellers, who replaced Peter Ustinov at the last minute, and a cartoon that over time has become a pop icon and a paradigm of sophistication…
![From the credits to a series of its own](https://s2.ppllstatics.com/elcorreo/www/multimedia/2023/05/18/opt-show-b.gif)
Cartoon by Borja Crespo
From the credits to a series of its own
There was a time when, for those with gray hair will understand, seeing the DePatie-Freleng studios stamp on a cartoon series was, indisputably, a sign of difference and quality. In a golden age for American cartoons, an era of handbells that began in the 1960s and lasted until the mid-1980s, the animated series ‘The Pink Panther’ broke the mold and became a classic of the genre, enduring and incontestable. His creative boldness is such that, sixty years later, he has held up and continues to transmit a certain avant-garde spirit.
Although today such succulent material is not legally available on any platform, something incomprehensible, like the films of Peter Sellers and Steve Martin, the pink anthropomorphic figure whose cake sweetened the snacks of more than a generation is part of Our collective memory is pure pop culture, with the energy that Henry Mancini’s very personal chords instill in the graphic section. History of cinema, of the audiovisual medium, of television, without dialogues and showing a wonderful psychedelia that lasts over time…
![The favorite snack of the EGB generation](https://s3.ppllstatics.com/elcorreo/www/multimedia/2023/05/18/opt-pastel.gif)
the cupcake by Oskar Belategui
The favorite snack of the EGB generation
A nutritionist would not approve its composition based on 38% sugar, vegetable fats, emulsifiers, colorings, acidulants and other dirty things. But the ‘Pink Panther’ cake is part of the sentimental memory of the EGB generation, who in their fifties still have it within reach in any supermarket.
Passed away last year, Claudio Biern Boyd, the creator of ‘D’Artacan and the three musket dogs’ and distributor in Spain of the drawings of ‘Marco’, ‘The Mayan Bee, ‘Vickie the Viking’ and ‘The Pink Panther’, among many other series, he arrogated his paternity. “If you eat a Pink Panther, it’s thanks to a conversation I had with Bimbo’s commercial director at its factory in Granollers,” he recounted. “Can you do some strawberry?” I asked. The pity is that the royalties do not reach me because I no longer carry the character ».
In addition to Biern Boyd, the other creator of this bun with an amazing pink chocolate coating that fascinated the children was the chemist and Bimbo employee Josep Pujol Codina, who died in 2019, who in 1973 began to experiment with Bucaneros cupcakes, white chocolate cast and dye. As Pujol confessed, from the outset the invention had “an inedible appearance” due to its artificiality. After applying for the license to Metro Goldwyn Mayer, the Pink Panthers became the favorite snack for children at a time when the term light was unknown.
![The theft of the most expensive necklace in the world](https://s1.ppllstatics.com/elcorreo/www/multimedia/2023/05/18/opt-capitulo-figura.gif)
the band of thieves by Óscar B. de Otálora
The theft of the most expensive necklace in the world
Between 2010 and 2016, police officers from 23 countries met once a year in Switzerland to discuss what they could do against the ‘Pink Panthers’. For Interpol, putting an end to this gang of thieves capable of looting the most important jewelry stores in the world without problem was a priority. But it wasn’t easy at all. Because a bank with a recently painted sign was one of the few clues that the gang left behind after committing their crime.
When the ‘Pink Panthers’ went to rob a jewelry store, one of their customs consisted of painting the benches around the establishment so that no one could sit down. This guaranteed that there would be no witnesses to their assaults. This is just one of the tricks used by these elusive raiders about which very little is known today.
The ‘Pink Panthers’ gang was given this name by Interpol after the 1963 Peter Sellers film. It is known that its members were Serbs, Montenegrins or Croats. From the few arrests made so far, it is known that they are former Balkan soldiers who, after the wars that devastated their countries, became white-collar thieves. They make up a band characterized by daring, imagination and millionaire hits. Among his ‘victims’, for example, is the ‘Countess of Vendome’, one of the most expensive necklaces in the world. This ornament made up of 116 125-carat diamonds was stolen without the ‘Pink Panthers’ disheveled in 2004 in Japan. He is valued at over $30 million and has never been seen again.
![feline jazz](https://s2.ppllstatics.com/elcorreo/www/multimedia/2023/05/18/capitulo-musica.gif)
Music by Cesar Coca
feline jazz
In the history of cinema there is a film that is remembered above all for the cartoons that appeared with the credits and the music that played during them. It happens with ‘The Pink Panther’: few could explain the specific plot of the film beyond the clumsiness of its protagonist; even less do they remember that the aforementioned panther in the story was not a feline but a diamond. But there may not be more celebrated cartoons than those of DePatie and Freleng. No more easily identifiable music than that written by Henry Mancini.
Mancini achieved enormous success in Hollywood in the sixties, breaking with the music that had been made up to then. A composer of inexhaustible inspiration but not as technically trained as Steiner, Korngold or Herrmann -the war meant that he could barely spend a year at the Juilliard School-, he opted for a different path from the late-romantic symphonism that they had made the norm during the golden age of cinema. With smaller orchestral groups and incorporating the rhythms of jazz and Latin music, Mancini’s production fits much better into the pop aesthetic of the sixties. And in that context, ‘The Pink Panther’ is exemplary.
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