The Pink Panther theme was composed by Henry Mancini for the opening credits of the 1963 film The Pink Panther, starring Peter Sellers as Inspector Clouseau. Its cool, slinky saxophone melody became inseparable from the character and was reused across the film sequels and the popular animated Pink Panther shorts and television series. Because the tune is so widely recognised, short clips of it are now a shorthand online for stealth, mischief and comic suspense, instantly telling viewers that a sneaky plan is underway.