Perhaps the most bang for your buck I have encountered yet in the classic cartoon DVD selection is The Pink Panther Classic Cartoon Collection. MGM has released every theatrical DePatie/Freleng Enterprises Pink Panther cartoon ever made in a set of five discs, and included some interesting documentaries as an added bonus. The cost? About 40 bucks, essentially the cost of 2 regular DVD collections or feature films, but with twice as much material. This collection does not include the Inspector or Ant & Aardvark shorts, I hope they release those someday soon as well. Still, considering the rarity of these films in recent years, the DVD set is well worth the money just to see the cartoons that ARE great, and there are plenty. The earliest, experimental cartoons in the series are by far the best, and there are some real classics even after the series began to follow a more predictable path. There are many of these shorts that aren't shown too often on television and have not been given much attention at all since their release, because they stick out like sore thumbs compared to later shorts. This is a good thing, and they are well worth watching! The usually silent Pink Panther talks occasionally, (in "Sink Pink" and "Pink Ice") and his adversaries are very vocal in early outings. The character also has more of a mysterious element about him in early cartoons like "We Give Pink Stamps" and "Dial P For Pink", especially under the direction of Friz Freleng. The Panther, in a way, has many of the same qualities as Chuck Jones' Minah Bird, a character also known for appearing and disappearing on a whim.
