Feb 24 / 25 - Pink Panther
In class, we watched two selections from the Pink Panther Cartoon Collection. Below is a synopsis of the two clips.
The Pink Phink (1964) was the first animated short starring the Pink Panther. It went on to win the Academy Award for Best Short Film (Animated).The Pink Panther and an unnamed painter (known as the "Little Man") compete over whether a house should be painted blue or pink. Each time the painter attempts to paint something blue, the panther thwarts him in a new way, and paints the object/area pink. At the end, the exasperated painter inadvertently turns the house and everything around it pink (first by repeatedly shooting at the elusive panther with a shotgun that the panther had poured pink paint into, and then by burying the panther's pink paint cans in the soil outside the house, where they "sprout"), and the panther moves in. But just before he moves in, he paints the white man completely pink. The painter gets upset and bangs his head against the mailbox outside. The Pink Panther then walks into the house as the sun (also turned pink) sets and the cartoon fades out. [Synopsis taken from Wikipedia]
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The second clip we looked at was "The Pink Blueprint." At a building site, the Pink Panther finds a blueprint for the construction of a generic home and replaces it with a pink-colored plan for an ultra-modern house. When the little man on the building site rejects the Pink Panther's pink blueprint and continues his original project, the panther decides to construct his preferred house on the same site, using the man's materials. The accident-prone Pink Panther sneezes a swarm of nails in the direction of the little man's backside and unleashes an out-of-control power saw that splits the man's ladder in two. The Pink Panther dyes his pink plan blue and slips it in the man's pocket, and the man then appears to unwittingly build the house to the Pink Panther's design. The carpenter has the last laugh, however, when the whole "fancy" front section of the house tips forward and falls on the ground, revealing the plain cape-style house that the carpenter had initially been attempting to build. [Synopsis taken from IMDB site]
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- Your task is to create a refection that showcases your personal analysis of the clips we viewed. Some things to include:
- In your opinion, what made each of the clips memorable and comedic? In other words, what made it funny and appealing to the audience. What were the best moments?
- An analysis of how sound is utilized in each of the clips. Consider the different levels of sound and how they added to or detracted from the clip: intro music, background, laugh track, action driven sound, voice. How did the volume, pace, dynamics change throughout the short? How do you think the sounds were created?
- As much as the clips are funny, there is also a violent or hurtful nature to the clips that some people might have found objectionable. Discuss this element of the film.
- We discussed that Pink Panther is in reality an animal that has been given very human qualities or characteristics. What are these characteristics? Would we have found the film so humours or appealing if Pink Panther had been replaced by a human child or adult?
- Extensions to consider including in your reflection:
- Would it have mattered if either of the characters was female? For instance, in "The Pink Blueprint", would things be different if the "little man" were replaced with a "little woman"
- One of the directors was Friz Freleng. What can you find out about him.
- Henry Mancini is an incredible musician and composer. Prepare a brief biography that showcases the highlights of his career. Do you recognize any of his music.