The theme was composed by Henry Mancini for the 1963 comedy film The Pink Panther, directed by Blake Edwards and starring Peter Sellers as Inspector Clouseau. Its slinky saxophone line, performed by Plas Johnson, became inseparable from the animated pink panther character who appeared in the opening credits and later in his own cartoons. Over the decades the tune has become a universal shorthand in television, adverts and online videos for sneaking, spying and lighthearted mystery, which is why creators still reach for it today.