Have you ever read the entire credits roll at the end of the original 1977 Star Wars (aka Episode 4: A New Hope) and noticed a curious credit there for “Additional Optical Effects”? A studio is listed that was up to its armpits that year, producing “Dogfather” cartoons for movie theaters, and such Saturday morning cartoons as Baggy Pants and The Nitwits, The Oddball Couple and What’s New, Mr. Magoo?
Yep – DePatie-Freleng Enterprises was listed among the more elite Hollywood effects houses for its contributions to Star Wars. The word is their staff was enlisted to rotoscope effects to enhance the light sabers.
Could that be the only connection between DePatie Freleng and ILM? Reader Doug Peterson wrote in to share a discovery he – actually his wife – made 30 years ago: “My wife was among the first animators at Lucasfilm and found these Pink Panther cels (see below) when she moved to a new office in the 90’s. They’ve been hidden away for years and I recently rediscovered them in a box. They’re large (11×14) cels, and too beautiful to be kept hidden.”
“Two long-time special effects artists at Industrial Light and Magic in San Rafael were moving into new (to them) offices in the late 1990’s or 2000 and discovered a trove of animation cels left behind by artists unknown.
“Among them were the only known animation cels in existence of a now forgotten Converse All-Star commercial featuring the DePatie-Freleng Pink Panther cartoon character. At one time the nascent ILM had offices adjacent to the DePatie-Freleng studio, and more than one animator worked for both. We don’t know for certain who inked and painted the cels, and when, or if, the commercial for which they were created ever aired.
“The Likeliest candidate is Nelson Shin, who worked at DePatie-Freleng Enterprises during the 1970s, animating projects like The Pink Panther and Dr. Seuss specials. He also hand-animated the glowing effects lightsaber blade for the original 1977 Star Wars (Episode IV: ANew Hope) while at DePatie-Freleng, which subcontracted and collaborated on the early optical effects work later tied into the legacy of Industrial Light & Magic.
“Please help us answer the following questions: What year were these cels created? Was Nelson Shin the artist who created them? Did the commercial ever appear? If it did air it was in the 1970’s possibly early 80’s. Do you remember seeing it? Any information at all would be greatly appreciated. Whether you can help solve the mystery or not, please enjoy the photographs of this lost treasure of animation and converse history.”
If anyone has any more detail of the connection(s) between DePatie Freleng, The Pink Panther and Star Wars – or anything about this commercial – please let us know. We can’t find it online… (SEE UPDATE BELOW)… but I did find this nifty 28-minute compilation of Pink Panther commercials for all sorts of other products. Enjoy!
UPDATE: Cartoon Researcher Ryan Mead FOUND the commercial… from 1986, here it is:
Jerry Beck is a writer, animation producer, college professor and author of more than 15 books on animation history. He is a former studio exec with Nickelodeon Movies and Disney, and has written for The Hollywood Reporter and Variety. He has curated cartoons for DVD and Blu-ray compilations and has lent his expertise to dozens of bonus documentaries and audio commentaries on such. Beck is currently on the faculty of USC in Los Angeles, CalArts in Santa Clarita, and UCLA in Westwood – teaching animation history. More about Jerry Beck [
There is a YouTube upload of what appears to be this particular commercial, which was a promotional giveaway of a free pair of Converse sneakers with the purchase of Owens-Corning Fiberglas installation (which, of course, the Pink Panther has long served as the mascot for). The upload states the commercial is from 1986:
https://youtu.be/TLriGhu9Ovc
I think the commercial might be the work of Richard Williams’ studio
I recognized the voice of John Bartholomew Tucker narrating the Owens Corning ad. For a time in the 70s and 80s it seemed like an evening wouldn’t go by without my hearing his voice on at least one TV commercial.
Didn’t he do the Hoover Vacuum Cleaner ads?
Speaking of Pink Panther and advertising, considering that Amazon now owns the character, how come they haven’t used him in any of advertising? I keep expecting to see the cat pop-up on the website showing us to some “cool deals”. Heck, I wouldn’t mind seeing Whole Foods selling actual “Pink Punch” (with natural ingredients, of course).
There are no new ads with the Panther because Amazon is currently developing a new live action (Clouseau) feature – to be followed by animated cartoons (and merchandising tie-ins which will no doubt lead to commercials)
Feels trippy to hear the Pink Panther theme with ’80s synths… and noise-gated drums!
Given that the now-found commercial was from 1986, does this mean it was animated after DFE became Marvel Productions and Freleng left?
I have my own “lost Pink Panther” question that—not being any kind of DePatie-Freleng specialist—I wonder even about the basic status of; is it entirely apocrypha?
Several older reference books (e.g. Lenburg) reference “Suspense Account,” purportedly a 1964 pilot for the Panther short cartoon series that was never released publicly. Jerry or anyone: any idea where/when talk of this short began, or what period evidence (if any) attests to its existence? If anything is known about its theme, might it have evolved into one of the later cartoons—perhaps with a different, pink-themed title?
I wrote a Pink Panther book in 2005 with complete cooperation of the Panther’s owners – The Mirisch Company, DePatie Freleng, United Artists (MGM/Amazon), Blake Edwards – and I was aware of that title… but I could find nothing on it. None of the owners knew anything about it. It never existed.
There WAS a 1989 live action/animation pilot (with animation by Film Roman) starring Charlie Schlatter… I always thought that perhaps “Suspense Account” was the title of the pilot episode, but my research into that went equally nowhere.