Film Festival pink with flavor

Legendary cartoon character tickles moviegoers’ funny bones

Susan Schell

of the Gateway

The moviegoers who were sitting in theater No. 8 Friday night came to watch a cartoon image of a pink panther dance upon the screen.

The creator of that image, David DePatie, also was in the audience.

Perched in a high-legged stool in the center of the room dressed casually in jeans and a sweater, DePatie spoke about how he and his partner, Friz Freleng, brought to life this silent but brightly colored character decades ago, and how the character itself — the Pink Panther — became a star.

That was the magic of the second annual Gig Harbor Film Festival, which spanned three days last weekend at Galaxy Theatres in Uptown Gig Harbor.

Many of the creators behind the films were on hand, accessible for handshakes and questions after the films or in the festival’s back lot trailer.

Some were first-time filmmakers who were nervously gaging audience reaction. Others were more seasoned and had participated in other independent and industry films.

Others were legends, like DePatie, the first recipient of the Gig Harbor Film Festival’s Lifetime Achievement award.

“Without David, we wouldn’t have our beloved Pink Panther,” said Marty Thacker, the film festival’s executive director.

DePatie said the character was created for a feature film called the Pink Panther. The film was about a diamond heist and a detective’s efforts to retrieve it. The jewel had a flaw that, when looked through, looked like a pink panther.

The film’s director, Blake Edwards, wanted a cartoon to go with the movie.

DePatie and Freleng came up with hundreds of variations of the character, and Edwards chose the cool, sophisticated version that graced the screen.

“We didn’t know what a pink panther should look like, because there’s no such thing,” DePatie said.

He said if the character were likened to an actor of the time, it would have been James Dean.

Different voices were tried, but none seemed to fit.

“He was sophisticated but silly with a big head,” DePatie said. “It just didn’t work with dialogue. We made a conscious decision that the character would serve as a pantomime.”

The next job was to find a catchy tune for the panther to work with.

“Animation is difficult without a soundtrack,” DePatie said. “It provides the nuances, and without it, you have nothing to work with.”

Composer Henry “Hank” Mancini came up with perfect sound.

“Hank was a natural to work with the Pink Panther,” DePatie said. “It had the perfect tempo. To this day, I feel his music for the theme was the key. The theme is important for the synergy.”

After the run of the movie, DePatie and Freleng thought there may be another life for the character.

“Blake Edwards said he never thought it would have a life of its own,” DePatie said.

But Edwards was wrong.

The Pink Panther came alive, and the cartoon played on network channels throughout the late 1960s and 70s, and later, on the cartoon network.

DePatie later worked with Marvel Comics to create superhero characters for TV. He eventually retired and moved to Gig Harbor, but said movie people are never really retired.

“You never know when the phone’s going to ring,” he said. “The studios are insatiable. They want cartoons all the time.”

The audience genuinely enjoyed the Pink Panther cartoons. Adults and children laughed out loud throughout the film.

A group of elementary school-age children didn’t remember the original Blake Edwards version of the Pink Panther film, but they’ve seen the remake with actor Steve Martin.

Some had seen the Pink Panther cartoon on TV, but for other young children, last weekend’s film festival introduced them to the character for the first time.

“I loved the cartoons,” said Dirk Anthony Mishko. “The panther was really sneaky, and that was funny.”

“He did unexpected things,” Hayden Sams said. “I saw the movie when it first came out about three years ago.”

His sister, Madison Sams, said she enjoyed the conflicts the panther went through on the screen.

“He was friendly but mischievous,” she said. “He did unusual little things that were random and funny.”

Zach Andrews said he’s seen the Pink Panther cartoon on TV.

“He does really funny things,” he said.

“I thought he was hilarious and very classic,” Emily Mishko said.

DePatie plans to resurrect the Pink Panther character in a TV special scheduled to air at Christmas next year.

Festival awards

The second annual Gig Harbor Film Festival named the following award-winners:

Filmmakers Spirit Award: Jason and Matt Shumway for “Enigma."

Directors Choice Awards were given to:

First place ($1,000): “Dive,” filmmaker Jeremy Seifert.

Second place ($500): “Poppies,” filmmaker David Bertelsen.

Mildred Richards ($300): Filmmaker Marc Kess gave introductions to the production, and the audience enjoyed the sound effects from an authentic theatre organ donated for the special screening.

Reach Lifestyles Coordinator and reporter Susan Schell at 253-853-9240 or by e-mail at susan.schell@gateline.com.