When Warner Brothers shut down its animation department in 1962, Freleng teamed up with cartoon producer David DePatie to make animated commercials and industrial films. At this time, directory Blake Edwards approached Freleng about providing animation for the opening moments of his next film, The PINK PANTHER.

Though the theatrical cartoons continued for almost twenty years, it is the earlier entries - those directed by Friz Freleng and Hawley Pratt - which are considered classics. Freleng and Pratt placed the Panther in many offbeat situations: spoofing 60s trends such as secret agents in PINKFINGER and youth culture in PSYCHEDELIC PINK ; exploring musical themes in PINK, PLUNK, PLINK and romping into the surreal in PINK PUNCH. However the most entertaining of all the shorts are those featuring "the little man," who can turn up as anyone - including a safecracker in DIAL 'P' FOR PINK and a drunk in PINK PAJAMAS.













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When Edwards directed an Inspector Clouseau follow-up the next year, a similar situation occurred. The DePatie/Freleng opening title for A SHOT IN THE DARK, (1964) brought demands for yet another theatrical series. The resulting group of witty and distinctive cartoons, entitled THE INSPECTOR, featured the voice talents of comedian Pat Harrington as both the not-so-clever Inspector and his faithful assistant Deaux-Deaux.

ACTIVITY: Females spend just over half a 24 hour day browsing. Males somewhat less (43%). Nights are spent Iying down resting, especially hours after dark and before dawn. Bulls spend about 22% of the 24 hours walking, compared to 13% for cows. Males walk more in search of cows to mate with.

The Pink Panther live-action feature films continued into the 70s, 80s, and 90s, each beginning with lavish animated opening titles.