The Pink Panther Theme States) in 1964; the single reached the Top 10 on the U.S. "Billboard" adult contemporary chart and won three Grammy Awards. Various recordings of the composition appeared in the opening credits of all "The Pink Panther" films except "A Shot in the Dark" and "Inspector Clouseau". It has also been used in countless works in which the animated Pink Panther appears. "The Pink Panther Theme", composed in the key of E minor, is unusual for Mancini's extensive use of chromaticism. In his autobiography "Did They Mention the Music?" Mancini talked about how he composed the theme music: From 1976 to
The Pink Panther derives its name from the eponymous pink diamond that has an enormous size and value. The diamond is called the "Pink Panther" because the flaw at its center, when viewed closely, is said to resemble a leaping pink panther. The phrase reappears in the title of the fourth film "The Return of the Pink Panther", in which the theft of the diamond is again the centre of the plot. The phrase was used for all the subsequent films in the series, even when the jewel did not figure in the plot. It ultimately appeared in six of the eleven films.