The Pink Flea

Yikes, this will have you itching the first minute you watch. We see a flea jump onto a dog, who then goes crazy. The Pink Panther saunters by, pets the dog.....and now he's going nuts, thanks to the flea. The PP sees a billboard advertising an aerosol can of "Flea Gone." He rushes out and buys a can.

After he sprays himself, he hears the flea coughing! Now that's funny! After the PP accidentally knocks himself out trying to clobber the flea.....we start the gag all over.

That's the joke in this cartoon, our pink hero trying to rid himself of this flea. He comes up with some imaginative ideas, such as a car wash, immersing himself in the ocean and other interesting ideas.

The flea using a straw to breath under water, and then racing off in a tiny speedboat was really clever scene and had be laughing out loud but even better was when the Panther tried to freeze him out. The sounds made by the flea were tremendous!

Overall, very entertaining.

And all so far in this particular year have been never less than entertaining, it's just that if there was an award for the funniest Pink Panther cartoon of 1971 it would be Pink Flea and it is the only one that has been properly outstanding. The animation is kept simple in style but it is still elegantly drawn and the colours are never too bright or too flat, instead they're smooth and soft. The music is the asset that everybody most likely remembers, even if you're not as familiar with the Pink Panther as much as others. The theme tune no matter how many times it's heard is a catchy classic, and that come to think of it is not just in the cartoons but in some jazz concerts where it's been an audience favourite and I have friends also when asked what theme tunes they remember most the Pink Panther theme is very common. The rest of the music that accompanies the gags and action is not to be disputed either, it's seductive-sounding in orchestration and doesn't drag the pacing down. The story has not always been the strongest suit in Pink Panther cartoons and not one that is here with a basic formula that has been used before. The story is very snappily paced however and what is done with it is very inventive so it doesn't feel predictable at all. The gags make Pink Flea, the methods Pinky uses to get rid of the flea and what the flea does are varied and original, they are cleverly timed, look great on screen and they are hilarious. Also impressive are the sound effects, they add to the humour brilliantly and are well-synchronised with the animation. Pinky is still cool and has not lost any of his likability and comic timing, but the flea comes across as the funnier character here, it is a great foil here and they work equally as well together. In conclusion, terrific cartoon the best of the 1971 batch. 10/10 Bethany Cox

The Pink Panther pets a dog and then catches the flea from the animal, making him itch all over. As a result, the Pink Panther makes a horde of attempts to remove the pest from his body. This basically sums up the cartoon - just the Pink Panther scratching himself a lot and him trying to get rid of the annoying flea, who wouldn't leave the Pink Panther alone. This makes you grow irritating and annoyed, in my opinion, as you wait patiently for the panther to get rid of the flea.

Not much laughs in this one - just a lot of scratching and flea annoyance.

Grade D