The Pink Panther Classic Cartoon Collection

Strangely, the Pink Panther did not even crack TV Guide's list of the top 50 cartoon characters of all time (heck, even Pikachu was No. 15!). But this sleek, five-disc, 124-cartoon set makes a pretty convincing case for reconsideration. Certainly, few ‘toons enjoyed such auspicious beginnings: co-created by Warner Bros. veteran Friz Freleng, the Pink Panther practically stole Blake Edwards' classic 1963 live-action comedy out from under Peter Sellers with his virtuoso turn in the animated opening credits. "The Pink Phink," his very first cartoon, earned an Academy Award! That stylized, color-splashed winner leads off the first disc, which also includes such favorites as "The Pink Blueprint" (also Oscar-nominated), "Sink Pink" and "Pink Ice," the only cartoons in which the Pink Panther has a closing line of dialogue, as well as "Pink, Plunk, Plink," featuring a cameo appearance by Henry Mancini, composer of the Pink Panther theme. That jaunty piece of music is at the heart of PP's enduring appeal, because, while certainly charismatic, he doesn't have as distinct a personality as his higher-ranking cartoon brethren: in some shorts, he's a mischief-making prankster, while in others, he's like a feline Mr. Hulot, reacting to life's absurdities. Impressionist Rich Little and the great Paul Frees (perhaps best known as the voice of Rocky & Bullwinkle villain Boris Badenov) contribute voices to some of the cartoons, but the dialogue-free ones are best (and someone had the task of coming up with titles incorporating the word "Pink"—"Pinkadilly Circus," "Cat and the Pinkstalk," "In the Pink of the Night," "Pink-tails for Two," to name a few). Animation buffs will be tickled you-know-what by the robust DVD extras, which include the animated main title sequences from five Pink Panther movies (as the films got worse, the cartoons were the dwindling franchise's saving grace), and a handful of featurettes, including one devoted to Freleng. Recommended. (D. Liebenson) [Blu-ray/DVD Review—Jan. 23, 2018—Kino Lorber, 128 min., not rated, DVD: $19.95, Blu-ray: $29.95—Making its latest appearance on DVD and debut on Blu-ray, 1964-1966's The Pink Panther Cartoon Collection, Volume 1 features a decent transfer and a DTS-HD 2.0 soundtrack. Extras include audio commentary for selected films by author Mark Arnold, historian Jerry Beck, filmmaker Greg Ford, cartoon writer William Hohauser, and veteran DePatie-Freleng storyman Bob Kurtz, as well as archival sound-bites from animation pioneer Friz Freleng. Bottom line: Blu-ray quality doesn't really add much to these low-budget cartoons.] [Blu-ray/DVD Review—July 24, 2018—Kino Lorber, 125 min., not rated, DVD: $19.95, Blu-ray: $24.95—Making its latest appearance on DVD and debut on Blu-ray, 1966-68’s The Pink Panther Cartoon Collection, Volume 2 features a decent transfer and a DTS-HD 2.0 soundtrack. Extras include audio commentary by author Mark Arnold, historian Jerry Beck, filmmaker Greg Ford, cartoon writer William Hohauser, and veteran DePatie-Freleng storyman Art Leonardi, as well as 'From Page to Screen' segments on the shorts 'The Pink Blueprint' (7 min.) and 'In the Pink' (6 min.), plus the TV version of 'Pink Outs' (6 min.). Bottom line: a fine collection, albeit one not much improved by the Blu-ray format.] [Blu-ray/DVD Review—Sept. 18, 2018—Kino Lorber, 138 min., not rated, DVD: $19.95, Blu-ray: $29.95—Making its latest appearance on DVD and debut on Blu-ray, 1968-69’s The Pink Panther Cartoon Collection, Volume 3 features a decent transfer and a DTS-HD 2.0 soundtrack. Extras include audio commentary by author Mark Arnold, historian Jerry Beck, filmmaker Greg Ford, cartoon writer William Hohauser, and animator Mike Kazaleh, and a 'Behind the Feline: The Cartoon Phenomenon' production segment featuring executive producer David DePatie and creator Blake Edwards (11 min.). Bottom line: once again, more good cartoons that are not much improved by the Blu-ray format.] [Blu-ray/DVD Review—Apr. 23, 2019—Kino Lorber, 153 min., not rated, DVD: $19.95, Blu-ray: $29.95—Making its latest appearance on DVD and debut on Blu-ray, 1976-78’s The Pink Panther Cartoon Collection, Volume 5 features a decent transfer and a DTS-HD 2.0 soundtrack. Extras include audio commentary by author Mark Arnold, historian Jerry Beck, filmmaker Greg Ford, cartoon writer William Hohauser, and DePatie-Freleng director Art Leonardi, as well as animated main titles for all eight Blake Edwards Pink Panther films (33 min.), and a segment on 'How to Draw the Pink Panther' with Leonardi (4 min.). Bottom line: as we’ve noted before, these are fine cartoons, although not much improved on Blu-ray.]