The Pink Panther in: Pink at First Sight
| The Pink Panther in: Pink at First Sight | |
|---|---|
| Written by |
Owen Crump D.W. Owen |
| Directed by | Bob Richardson |
| Voices of |
Frank Welker Brian Cummings Marilyn Schreffler Weaver Copeland Hal Smith |
| Music by | Steven DePatie |
| Country of origin |
 United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | David H. DePatie |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production company(s) |
Marvel Productions Mirisch-Geoffrey-DePatie-Freleng United Artists |
| Distributor | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Television |
| Release | |
| Original network | ABC |
| Original release | February 14, 1981 |
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.
This was the final new Pink Panther production produced by co-creator David H. DePatie before his retirement in 1984. This was the first Pink Panther project produced by Marvel Productions, which would go on to make the theatrical opening film titles for Trail of the Pink Panther and Curse of the Pink Panther.
Plot
It is 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 messes his rehearsal up. 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 giubba", 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, who had the wrong recording on at the time, used a Stradivarius violin like an electric guitar), a priest (whom the Panther apparently gave the wrong present) and tough gangsters (their present was a bomb). Finally, after warding off the gangsters with a cassette containing excerpts of a police radio show, our hero meets the pantheress of his dreams, the ideal feline valentine.
Home Media releases
On November 6, 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 Entertainment and 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment.
Production
Most of the animation staff utilized for the 1978 made-for-television All New Pink Panther Show worked on Pink at First Sight. The special also utilized the musical score that appeared on the The All New Pink Panther Show as well. Unlike The Grinch Grinches the Cat in the Hat, Friz Freleng was absent from this production due to his departing from DFE to return to Warner Bros. Animation. Many of the characters' voices on this special (saving the silent Panther himself) were done by Frank Welker, Brian Cummings, Marilyn Schreffler, and Hal Smith. Muppet performer, Jerry Nelson also has a small voice role as in a jester-like messenger who sings "Happy Valentines day" and giving a gift to the Pink Panther.