The Pink Panther Theme

Infobox Song
Name = The Pink Panther Theme


Artist = Henry Mancini
Album =
Genre = Jazz
Released = 1963
Recorded = 1963
Length = 2:40
Writer = Mancini
Producer = Henry Mancini
Misc =

"The Pink Panther Theme" is an instrumental composition by Henry Mancini written as the theme for the 1963 film "The Pink Panther" and subsequently nominated for the 1964 Academy Award for Original Music Score. The cartoon character created for the opening credits of the movie by David DePatie and Friz Freleng was animated in time to the tune.

RCA Records released the tune as a single in 1964; it reached the Top 10 on the "Billboard" adult contemporary chart and won three Grammy Awards.

It was featured in the opening credits of all "The Pink Panther" films, with the exception of "A Shot in the Dark", and "Inspector Clouseau".

Use in other media

*A variation of "The Pink Panther Theme" was used in the film "" as the background music at a strip club.
*From 1976 until 1992, it was the music used as the "Big Doors" on "The Price Is Right" and as "thinking music" for the same "Safe Crackers".
*In the board game Cranium one question is to hum "The Pink Panther Theme".

Other versions

In the 1978 movie "Revenge of the Pink Panther", the theme, and much of the soundtrack from this entry in the series, draw heavily from the "disco" trends of the late 1970s. The theme itself was reworked to include a more dancy bassline, electric piano, and guitar solo.

"La Pantera Mambo" is the most famous song of the Colombian salsa band La 33 (read article in french about the band) and is based on "The Pink Panther Theme".

During a recorded concert by The Brian Setzer Orchestra (featured in "The Brian Setzer Orchestra: The Ultimate Collection") while playing a version of "Stray Cat Strut", the band slows down and plays "The Pink Panther Theme".

Christophe Beck re-composed the music for the 2006 reboot.
Paul Oakenfold remixed the theme song for the 2006 film.