?Final Price Realized includes Buyer’s Premium added to Hammer Price
Estimate: $ 500 - $ 750
(DEPATIE-FRELENG STUDIOS / ANIMATION) Two Pink Panther Animation Cels.
Created for film shorts "Pink-A-Boo" (released June 26, 1966) and "Pink Valiant" (released July 10, 1968). Gouache and (and on first, red grease pencil) over celluloid sheets. First image measures approximately 76x152 mm; 4x6 inches, the second is 75x101 mm; 3x4 inches; each on 10 1/2x12 1/2-inch sheet.
The Pink Panther has appeared in numerous films and television shows since his debut in the opening titles of the classic 1963 Blake Edwards film. Production cels from the 1960s cartoons such as these are scarce.
The Pink-A-Boo scene frame appears 3 minutes, 2 seconds into the short, when the Panther walks up to his nemesis mouse's hole to investigate the mob of mice that has just stormed his house, toting musical instruments and champagne. The second cel from Pink Valiant appears near the end of the short at 5 minutes, 45 seconds, as Pink Valiant (an obvious spoof of Hal Foster's comic creation) proudly bows to a livid king, to whom he has just presented the "rescued" Black Knight, in lieu of the kidnapped princess. DePatie-Freleng switched to using black Xerox lines later in the 1960s, as seen in this cel. The cel also bears a seldom seen period Geoffrey-Mirisch-Depatie copyright label.
The 1960s DePatie-Freleng Pink Panther shorts were in many ways direct successors to the classic Warner Bros cartoons, especially since they were made by many of the same staff (e.g. both films were directed by Warner veteran Hawley Pratt).
