The Pink Panther theme was composed by Henry Mancini for the 1963 film The Pink Panther, where it accompanied the animated opening credits featuring a cool, pink cartoon panther. The piece became closely tied to that character through later films and the animated series that followed, with its tenor saxophone lead becoming one of the most recognised cartoon themes in popular culture. Short ending excerpts are now shared online as a shorthand for sneaking, spying, and playful wrongdoing in edits and memes.