The Pink Panther in: Pink at First Sight
Encyclopedia
The Pink Panther in: Pink at First Sight is an animated Valentine's Day
special starring The Pink Panther
. It premiered on ABC
on February 14, 1981. Although Marvel Productions
made the titles for Trail of the Pink Panther
and Curse of the Pink Panther
a year later, this was the only other Pink Panther cartoon to be produced by Marvel. It is also the last Pink Panther produced by creator David H. DePatie.
", an aria
from Ruggero Leoncavallo
's opera Pagliacci
, and gets hired as a messenger on Valentine's Day. Antics on the job entangle the breezy panther with a jealous husband (after the Panther steals the heart of a housewife whilst miming a 50s-ish sounding ballad), a snobby classic violinist (after the Panther used a precious violin as an electric guitar), a priest and tough gangsters. Finally, our hero meets the pantheress of his dreams, the ideal feline valentine.
and 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
.
Valentine's Day
Saint Valentine's Day, commonly shortened to Valentine's Day, is an annual commemoration held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions. The day is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine, and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 496...
special starring The Pink Panther
The Pink Panther (character)
The Pink Panther is the main and title character in the opening and closing credit sequences of every film in The Pink Panther series except for A Shot in the Dark and Inspector Clouseau. His popularity spawned a series of theatrical shorts, merchandise, a comic book, and television cartoons...
. It premiered on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
on February 14, 1981. Although Marvel Productions
Marvel Productions
Marvel Productions Ltd. , last called New World Animation, was a television and film studio subsidiary of Marvel Entertainment Group , based in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, then New World Entertainment and News Corporation/Fox...
made the titles for Trail of the Pink Panther
Trail of the Pink Panther
Trail of the Pink Panther is a 1982 comedy film starring Peter Sellers. It was the seventh film in the Pink Panther series, and the last in which Peter Sellers starred as Inspector Jacques Clouseau, although Sellers died before production began and the film thus contains no original material...
and Curse of the Pink Panther
Curse of the Pink Panther
Curse of the Pink Panther is a 1983 comedy film, the eighth installment of the The Pink Panther series of films started by Blake Edwards in the early 1960s....
a year later, this was the only other Pink Panther cartoon to be produced by Marvel. It is also the last Pink Panther produced by creator David H. DePatie.
Plot
It's Valentine's Day and the hip feline has no love and no money except for seven cents. He goes to a messenger service for a job but gets fired. He then buys a cassette player and pre-recorded cassettes with the seven cents he had left and goes back to the messenger service miming to "Vesti la giubbaVesti la giubba
"Vesti la giubba" is a famous tenor aria from Ruggero Leoncavallo's 1892 opera Pagliacci. "Vesti la giubba" is the conclusion of the first act, when Canio discovers his wife's infidelity, but must nevertheless prepare for his performance as Pagliaccio the clown because "the show must go on".The...
", an aria
Aria
An aria in music was originally any expressive melody, usually, but not always, performed by a singer. The term is now used almost exclusively to describe a self-contained piece for one voice usually with orchestral accompaniment...
from Ruggero Leoncavallo
Ruggero Leoncavallo
Ruggero Leoncavallo was an Italian opera composer. His two-act work Pagliacci remains one of the most popular works in the repertory, appearing as number 20 on the Operabase list of the most-performed operas worldwide.-Biography:...
's opera Pagliacci
Pagliacci
Pagliacci , sometimes incorrectly rendered with a definite article as I Pagliacci, is an opera consisting of a prologue and two acts written and composed by Ruggero Leoncavallo. It recounts the tragedy of a jealous husband in a commedia dell'arte troupe...
, and gets hired as a messenger on Valentine's Day. Antics on the job entangle the breezy panther with a jealous husband (after the Panther steals the heart of a housewife whilst miming a 50s-ish sounding ballad), a snobby classic violinist (after the Panther used a precious violin as an electric guitar), a priest and tough gangsters. Finally, our hero meets the pantheress of his dreams, the ideal feline valentine.
DVD Release
On November 6th, 2007, Pink at First Sight alongside Olym-Pinks and A Pink Christmas was released as part of the DVD collection The Pink Panther: A Pink Christmas from MGM Home EntertainmentMGM Home Entertainment
MGM Home Entertainment is the home video and DVD arm of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.-History:The home video division of MGM started in 1979 as MGM Home Video, releasing all the movies and TV shows by MGM. In 1980, MGM joined forces with CBS Video Enterprises, the home video division of the CBS television...
and 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment is the home video distribution arm of the 20th Century Fox film studio. It was established in 1976 as Magnetic Video Corporation, and later as 20th Century Fox Video, CBS/Fox Video and FoxVideo, Inc....
.
Trivia
- Friz FrelengFriz FrelengIsadore "Friz" Freleng was an animator, cartoonist, director, and producer best known for his work on the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons from Warner Bros....
was absent from this production due to his departing from the company to return to Warner Bros. AnimationWarner Bros. AnimationWarner Bros. Animation is the animation division of Warner Bros., a subsidiary of Time Warner. The studio is closely associated with the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies characters, among others. The studio is the successor to Warner Bros...
. - Many of the characters' voices on this special (saving the silent Panther himself) were done by Frank WelkerFrank WelkerFranklin Wendell "Frank" Welker is an American actor who specializes in voice acting and has contributed character voices and other vocal effects to American television and motion pictures.-Acting career:...
. - The pantheress in this holiday-themed cartoon was different than the one appearing in the short, Pink-A-RellaPink-A-RellaPink-A-Rella is the 56th cartoon produced in the The Pink Panther series. A total of 124 6-minute cartoons were produced between 1964 and 1980.-Plot:...
.