Because December 21st is the shortest day of the year, Balladeer’s Blog always runs articles about short films, short presidential administrations, etc. This year I’m observing the 57th anniversary of the theatrical release of the very first animated short in The Inspector series on December 21st, 1965.
The Inspector was the DePattie-Freleng cartoon character introduced in the animated opening credits of the Blake Edwards/ Peter Sellers Pink Panther movies. This inept yet overconfident detective was based on Sellers’ memorable Inspector Clouseau character in those comedies.
The Pink Panther had already graduated from being the opening credits mascot of Edwards’ series to its own series of cartoon shorts. When the tradition of screening original cartoons before the latest movie releases ended (for the most part) in the late 60s/ early 70s, many of those animated shorts were packaged as cartoon shows for Saturday morning television. The Inspector found a new home as part of the Pink Panther cartoon show.
All of those programs played in reruns for decades, often recycling the same few dozen (or less) cartoons over and over again. The Inspector series of 34 animated shorts had run in movie theaters from December 21st, 1965 to May 14th, 1969.
THE GREAT DE GAULLE STONE OPERATION – Yes, it was 57 years ago on this date when this Inspector cartoon debuted. As of 1965 the Blake Edwards/ Peter Sellers film series consisted of just The Pink Panther (1963) and A Shot in the Dark (1964). (The original Pink Panther movie premiered in Europe in December 1963 and America in 1964, which is why it is sometimes listed as a 1964 release instead of 1963.) Continue reading
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