The Pink Panther Cartoon Collection - Volume 1 ...
In the era of hyper-kinetic, ADHD-paced cartoons, The Pink Panther Cartoon Collection - Volume 1 offers a soothing, intelligent alternative. The pacing is slow enough for a five-year-old to follow, but the intellectual wit (parodies of The Prisoner, The Italian Job, and art films) flies over children's heads directly to adults.
There is no modern "lesson" or forced sentimentality here. The Panther does not learn to share. He does not apologize. He simply is. He exists in a world of beige reality, and he paints it pink. That existential simplicity is precisely why these cartoons remain evergreen.
This collection is highly regarded because it presents the Pink Panther cartoons uncut and in their original theatrical aspect ratio. Many previous TV broadcasts and VHS releases cut the cartoons for time or cropped them from widescreen to "pan and scan." This set restores them to how audiences saw them in cinemas.
The cartoons are presented in chronological order of their theatrical release, starting from the very first short in 1964. The Pink Panther Cartoon Collection - Volume 1 ...
If you know an aspiring animator, do not buy them a book on complex software. Buy them The Pink Panther Cartoon Collection - Volume 1. Why? Because these shorts are masterclasses in timing.
Without dialogue, the Pink Panther cartoons rely entirely on visual rhythm. The characters move like dancers in a ballet of destruction. You will see holds (pauses) that last exactly three beats too long, creating unbearable tension. You will see "take" reactions—where a character explodes with surprise—that rival Tex Avery’s best work.
Specifically, watch Sink Pink (1965), where the Panther tries to build an ark in a hardware store. The way the nails, boards, and tar buckets react physically to the character’s actions is a textbook study in secondary action and squash-and-stretch principles. This volume is a university degree in comedy for the price of a movie ticket. In the era of hyper-kinetic, ADHD-paced cartoons, The
For those wondering exactly which cartoons are featured, this volume typically focuses on the original theatrical run. While specific distributors (like MGM or Kino Lorber) vary by region, "Volume 1" universally refers to the first batch of restored shorts.
Expect to find gems such as:
The volume generally includes the first 15 to 20 shorts in chronological order, allowing viewers to watch the animation quality improve and the director rotation (including Hawley Pratt and Gerry Chiniquy) shift over the mid-1960s. The volume generally includes the first 15 to
No review of this collection would be complete without discussing the Panther’s foil: The Little Man (often voiced by the legendary Rich Little or portrayed as a silent, white-gloved character). Unlike Tom & Jerry’s violent mutual destruction, the Panther’s relationship with the Little Man is nuanced.
In The Pink Panther Cartoon Collection - Volume 1, the Little Man is usually the aggressor (trying to enforce rules, paint the house, or trap the cat), and the Panther is the passive-aggressive defender. The Panther never looks angry; he looks disappointed. He sighs, he adjusts his cuffs, he sips a tiny cup of coffee while the Little Man’s house explodes behind him. This dynamic is established perfectly in the first handful of shorts found here.