History of Animation 1941 - 1950
1941
World News
• Germany invades Greece and Yugoslavia
• Germany attacks Russia
• Jewish persecution continues to escalate
• German troops outside Moscow
• Japanese attack Pearl Harbor - America enters the war

Television
• The FCC (Federal Communications Commission) grants the 1st commercial licences to 10 stations authorizing them to begin broadcasting as of July 1st.
• First U.S. regular TV broadcast
• 1st TV commercial (for Bulova watches)

Animation News
• Warner Bros artists go on strike
• Mary Blair begins working at Disney studio
• Due to the huge popularity of the Superman comic book, Paramount asks the Fleischers to produce the cartoons. Dave Fleischer says it would be virtually impossible to do quoted the price of $100,000.00 per episode (4 times the amount of an average cartoon at the time). Paramount said yes and the Fleischers were obliged to produce the series.
• Columbia changes the name of it's studio to Screen Gems.
• Tex Avery storms out of Warner Bros. after he and Schlesinger get into an argument over Avery's "Speaking of Animals" idea. Schlesinger puts Avery on an 8 week suspension, Avery quits and goes to Paramount to produce the "Animals" series but after 3 cartoons he sells out and moves to MGM
• May 28th, Disney animators go on strike and stay out until December. Art Babbit and Bill Tytla leave the studio. Many younger animators, including Babbit, leave the studio and later form the nucleus of UPA.
• Hugh Harman leaves MGM.
• Chinese Cartoon Association founded. (Hong Kong)
• Fernando Morales founds a studio in Madrid. (Spain)
• Norman McLaren joins the NFB. (Canada)
• On Aug. 12th, President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill meet in New Foundland where they watch Disney's film, "Victory Through Air Power".

Comics
• Joe Simon & Jack Kirby debut Captian America # 1 for Timely Comics.
• MLJ Comics introduces Archie to the the world in Pep Comics # 22.
• All-Star Comics # 8 introduces William Moulton Marston's Wonder Woman drawn by H.G. Peters.
• Margret and H. A. Rey begin a popular run of children's books introducing the world to to an irrepressible little monkey named Curious George. The series would become some of the best selling childrens books of all time.
• Plastic Man debuts in Police Comics # 1.
• DC editor Mort Weisinger creates Aquaman and Johnny Quick, and George Papp creates Green Arrow & Speedy for More Fun Comics # 73.
• Military Comics # 1 introduces Blackhawk Created by Will Eisner & Chuck Cuidera.
• Dr. Seuss begins doing editorial cartoons for the New York newspaper PM.
• Albert L. Kanter creates Classic Comics. adapting stories from classic literature to comics.

Birthdays
• Hayao Miyazaki, Japanese animation producer is born (Nausicaa, Laputa, My Neighbor Totoro) (1941 - )
• Marcell Jankovics, Hungarian animator is born (Sisyphus 1974, John the Hero 1973)
• Jannik Hastrup (director, writer, animator) born in Naestved. (Denmark)
• Yuri Norstein (director, animator) born in Moscow. (Soviet Union)
• Eduard Nazarov (Eduard Vasilyevich Nazarov) (director, art director, voice actor) born in Moscow. (Soviet Union)
• Yoshiyuki Tomino (Tomino Yoshiyuki) (director, writer, storyboards) born in Odawara City, Kangawa.
• Rintaro (Rin Taro, Shigeyuki Hayashi, Hayashi Shigeyuki) (director, animator, art director, supervisor, writer, producer, inbetweener) born in Tokyo.

Movies
• Orson Welles in "Citizen Kane"
• Bogart in "The Maltese Falcon"

Animated
Movies
• “The Reluctant Dragon” a Walt Disney production
• “Dumbo” a Walt Disney production
• "Mr. Bug Goes to Town" a.k.a. "Hoppity Goes to Town" a Fleischer Bros. production
• “Tieshan gongzhu” ("The Princess With the Iron Fan"), Wan Laiming and Wan Guchan /Shinhwa. (China) first Chinese feature animation

Notable Cartoons
United States
• “Western Daze”, George Pal /Pal. first Puppetoon in the United States (1941-1947), series originally called Madcap Models
• “Tortoise Beats Hare”, Tex Avery /Schlesinger.
• “Inki and the Lion” Chuck Jones Warner Bros.
• “The Great Piggy Bank Robbery” Bob Clampett Warner Bros.
• “Rookie Bear”, Rudolph Ising /MGM.
• “Hiawatha's Rabbit Hunt”, Friz Freleng /Schlesinger.
• “Cracked Nut”, Walter Lantz /Lantz. first Woody Woodpecker series (1941-1972)
• “Truant Officer Donald”, Jack King /Disney.
• “The Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B”, Walter Lantz /Lantz.
• “The Mad Scientist” ("Superman"), Dave Fleischer /Fleischer.first Superman series (1941-1943), later episodes made by Famous Studios
• “Botany Lamb series”, Otto Messmer /Leigh. first series of animated advertisements created for television (1941-1948)
• “How War Came”, Paul Fennell /Cartoon Films.
• “The Fox and the Grapes”, Frank Tashlin /Screen Gems. first Fox and the Crow series (1941-1950)
• “The Night Before Christmas”, William Hanna and Joseph Barbera /MGM.
• “Rhapsody in Rivets”, Friz Freleng /Schlesinger.
• “Rhythm in the Ranks”, George Pal /Pal. (puppet animation)
• “Stop That Tank”, Disney. First of several cartoons made by Disney for the NFB of Canada. The series used some of Disney's major characters.

Canada
• “V for Victory”, Norman McLaren /NFB. (Canada)

Europe
• “The Brave Tin Soldier”, John Halas and Joy Batchelor /Halas & Batchelor. (Great Britain)
• “Un dia de feria”, Fernando Morales. (Spain)
• “Don Cleque va de pesca”, Dibsono. (Spain) first Don Cleque series (1941-1945)
• “Dustbin Parade”, John Halas and Joy Batchelor /Halas & Batchelor. (Great Britain)
• “Max und Moritz” ("Max and Moritz"), Ferdinand Diehl and Paul Diehl. (Germany)
(puppet animation)
• “No es tan fiero el leon”, Salvador Mestres /Hispano Grafic Films. (Spain)
• “The Priest and the Goat", Lev Atamanov /Armenfilm. (Soviet Union)
• “Ne toptat' fasistkomu sapogu nasej rodiny ("We Won't Let Our Homeland Be Tramped On by Fascist Boots"), Alexander Ivanov and Ivan Ivanov-Vano /Soyuzmultfilm. (Soviet Union)

Asia
• “Ari-chan” ("Ant Boy"), Mitsuse Seo /Geijutsu Eigasha.
• “Umi no Kaiheidan” ("The Sea Sailing Gang"), Yoshitaro Kataoka /Nihon Manga Film Kenkyujo.
• “The Hunger of the Old Stupid Dog", Chinese Cartoon Association. (Hong Kong)

Academy Award
• Disney's "Lend a Paw"



1942
World News
• Jews are slaughtered in concentration camps
• 100,000 Japanese Americans are sent to intern camps
• Vikun Quisling is renamed Premier of Norway (listen for his name in Warner Bros. cartoon, "Tom Turk and Daffy")
• British troops defeat Rommel in Egypt

Inventions
• Atomic fission tests succeed
• The Ford Motor Company begins making Jeeps.
• Emile Gargan and Jacques Cousteau invent the "Aqualung"

Animation News
• Frank Tashlin, working at the Screen Gems studio, hires almost his entire staff off the Disney picket line including John Hubley and Zach Schwartz.
• Paramount Pictures remove Max and Dave Fleischer from control of their studio and cut the staff to only the key animators and technicians. The studio name is changed from Fleischer to Famous Studios (derived from Paramount's original corporate name, Famous Players).
• After the Disney strike, Bill Tytla ends up at Famous Studios
• Max Fleischer sells his house in Miami and moves to Detroit to work for Jam Handy Organization to help with the war training films they were producing.
• Dave Fleischer moves to Columbia Pictures and is appointed head of the production unit. On his first day of work, he arrives to find the entire crew on strike.
• I. Klein ex-Disney storyman pitches an idea for a spoof of Superman using a fly instead. Paul Terry dismisses the idea. A short time later, Terry brings up his own idea of a spoof of Superman using a mouse instead.
• 18th Air Force Base Unit (First Motion Picture Unit) (FMPU) established to create training films for the Army in California. Many Hollywood animators were drafted into this unit. The commanding officer is Major Rudolph Ising.
• Tex Avery leaves Schlesinger and goes to MGM.
• Marten Toonder founds the Marten Toonder Studio. (Netherlands)
• Deutsches Zeichenfilm founded by the German government. (Germany)
• Arturo Moreno founds Diarmo (Dibujos Animados Arola y Moreno) Films in Barcelona. (Spain)
• Dibujos Animados Chamartin founded in Barcelona. (Spain)

Comics
• Carl Barks begins drawing and Writing Donald Duck in Four Color Comics # 9.
• Sgt. George Baker begins Sad Sack comic strips.
• Publisher Lev Gleason launch the comic Crime Does Not Pay.
• Western Printing & Lithographing Company begin The Little Golden Books line of childrens books, introducing such classic childrens books as The Pokey Little Puppy and The Shy Little Kitten. Little Golden Books would go on to become the most successful line of children's books in history and would retain exclusive rights to publish Walt Disney's animated characters.

Birthdays
• Michael Eisner, President, The Walt Disney Company is born
• David Ogden Stiers (voice actor) born in Peoria, Illinois.
• Richard Condie (director, animator, writer, producer, voice artist) born in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Canada)
• Flemming Quist Møller (director, writer, composer, voice actor) born. (Denmark)
• Picha (Jean-Paul Picha, Jean-Paul Walravens) (director, writer) born in Brussels. (Belgium)
• Masami Hata (Hata Masami) (director, storyboard artist, animator) born in Taipei. (China)

Deaths
• Disney designer Albert Hurter dies of rheumatic fever
• Disney composer Frank Churchill, who wrote “Who’s afraid of the Big Bad Wolf” and “Whistle While You Work” shoots himself over his piano. He is supposedly disraught partly over Walt’s criticism of his music for Bambi.
• Actress, Carole Lombard dies
• Actor, John Barrymore dies at age 60

Movies
• “Bambi” a Walt Disney production

Notable Cartoons
United States
• “The Squakin’ Hawk” 1st appearance of Henery Hawk Warner Bros.
• “Jasper and the Watermelons”, George Pal /Pal. first appearance of Jasper (puppet animation)
• “The New Spirit”, Disney. Made to support the war effort, it was the subject of a controversy when Republicans in Congress accused Disney of profiteering because of its costs.
• “Symphony Hour”, Riley Thomson /Disney.
• “Horton Hatches the Egg”, Bob Clampett /Schlesinger.
• “Dog Trouble”, William Hanna and Joseph Barbera /MGM. first appearance of Spike and Tyke
• “Tulips Shall Grow”, George Pal /Pal. (puppet animation)
• “Juke Box Jamboree”, Alex Lovy /Lantz.
• “All Out for "V", Mannie Davis /Terrytoons.
• “You're A Sap, Mr. Jap”, Dan Gordon /Famous. first Popeye series from Famous (1942-1957)
• “The Blitz Wolf”, Tex Avery /MGM.
• “School Daze”, Terrytoons. first Nancy series (1942)
• “The Mouse of Tomorrow “, Eddie Donnelly /Terrytoons. first Super Mouse series (1942-1943), after a comic book appeared with the same name the character was redesigned and renamed, Mighty Mouse
• “Tito's Guitar”, Bob Wickersham /Screen Gems. first Tito series (1942-1947)
• “A Tale of Two Kitties”, Bob Clampett /Schlesinger. first appearance of Tweety
• “Coal Black and De Sebben Dwarfs”, Bob Clampett /Schlesinger.

Europe
• “Der arme Hansi” ("Poor Hansi"), Frank Leberecht /Deutsches Zeichenfilm. (Germany)
this is the only cartoon completed by the studio
• “El capitan Tormentoso” ("The Boisterous Captain"), Arturo Moreno /Diarmo. (Spain)
• “Una extrena aventura de Jeromin” ("The Strange Adventure of Jeromin"), Fernando Morales. (Spain)
• “El fakir Gonzalez en el circo”, Joaquin Muntanola and Jose Escobar /Hispano Grafic Films. (Spain) first Fakir Gonzalez series
• “Ferda mravenec” ("Ferda the Ant"), Hermina Tyrlova. (Czechoslovakia) (puppet animation)
• “Una perita para dos”, Jose Escobar /Hispano Grafic Films. (Spain)
• “Pulgarcito”, Salvador Mestres /Hispano Grafic Films. (Spain)
• “La Sarten de Civilon”, Jose Escobar /Chamartin. (Spain) first Civilon series (1942-1945)
• “Verwitterte Melodie” ("Weather Beaten Melody"), Hans Fischerkoesen /Fischerkoesen. (Germany)

Asia
• “Kaguya Hime” ("Princess Kaguya"), Kazugoro Arai /Asahi Eigasha.
• “Nippon Banzai”, Sanae Yamamoto /Asahi Eigasha.

South America
• “Filipito el pistolero” ("Filipito the Gunslinger"), Juan Oliva. (Argentina)
• “Upa en apuros” ("Upa in Trouble"), Dante Quinterno. (Argentina) first color Argentine animation

Canada
• “Hen Hop”, Norman McLaren /NFB. (Canada)

Academy Award
• Disney's "Der Fuerer's Face"



1943
World News
• Allied troops land in Sicily
• Italian dictator Mussolini is deposed and placed under "house arrest"
• U.S. aircraft pummel German targets for the 1st time
• Mussolini is airlifted after a raid to save him

Animation News
• “Secret Agent” the last Superman cartoon. The series is discontinued due to high budgets and lack of interest by the public.
• Fleischer's studio (now Famous Studios) is moved from Miami back to New York.
• Bill Tytla leaves Famous Studios and returns to Terrytoons briefly to work on one Mighty Mouse cartoon. He leaves one year later frustrated with the discouraging work atmosphere.
• Norman McLaren creates the animation section of the NFB of Canada.

Comics
• The first Batman live action movie seriel is released starring Lewis Wilson (Batman) and Douglas Croft (Robin).

Birthdays
• Osamu Dezaki (Saki Makuro, Makuro Saki, Dezaki Osamu) (director, producer, animator) born in Tokyo.
• Randy Newman, songwriter/lyricist for "Toy Story".

Movies
• Bogart and Bergman in "Casablanca"
• Jane Russell in "The Outlaw". Millionair, Howard Hughes the producer, designs an new bra for the star to highlight her assets

Animated Movies
• “Saludos Amigos” a Walt Disney production
• “Victory Through Air Power” a Walt Disney production
• “Reynard the Fox” premiers - the Nazis’ only animated feature film
• “Momotaro no Umiwashi” ("Momotaro and Eagles"), Mitsuse Seo /Geijutsu Eigasha.
first Japanese feature length animation

Notable Cartoons
United States
• 1st Chip and Dale cartoon “Private Pluto” Disney
• “Red Hot Riding Hood” Tex Avery MGM
• "Eggs Don't Bounce", 1st Little Lulu cartoon by Famous Studios.
• “Der Fuehrer's Face”, Jack Kinney /Disney. Academy Award: Best Short Subjects, Cartoons
• “Pigs in a Polka”, Friz Freleng /Schlesinger.
• “The Winged Scourge”, Walt Disney /Disney.
• “Dumb-Hounded”, Tex Avery /MGM. first Droopy series (1943-1958)
• “Willoughby's Magic Hat”, Bob Wickersham /Columbia. first Willoughby Wren series (1943-1945)
• “The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins”, George Pal /Pal.(puppet animation)
• “The Dizzy Acrobat”, Alex Lovy /Lantz.
• “Greetings Bait”, Friz Freleng /Schlesinger.
• “The Aristo Cat”, Charles M. Jones /Schlesinger. first Hubie and Bertie series (1943-1952)
• “Yankee Doodle Mouse”, William Hanna and Joseph Barbera /MGM. Academy Award: Best Short Subjects, Cartoons
• “Gripes”, Friz Freleng /Schlesinger. first Private Snafu series (1942-1946), created for the Army. Most of Snafu series were made at Schlesinger/Warner Bros. but a couple were made at UPA and one at Harman-Ising. Tex Avery was working on one at MGM when the war ended and the Army cancelled the series.
• “Cartoons Ain't Human”, Seymour Keitel /Fleischer.
• “Reason and Emotion”, Bill Roberts /Disney.
• “Imagination”, Bob Wickersham /Screen Gems.
• “No Mutton for Nuttin'”, Carl Meyer, Dave Tendlar, and John Walworth /Famous. first Noveltoon series (1943-1967)
• “Allegretto”, Oscar Fischinger /Paramount experimental short made in 1936
• “Education for Death”, Disney.

Canada
• “En roulant ma boule”, Jim McKay /NFB. (Canada) first Chants populaires ("Popular Songs") series (1943-1946)
• “En passant” ("Passing By"), Alexandre Alexieff and Claire Parker /NFB. (Canada) (pin screen animation)

Europe
• “Abu's Dungeon”, John Halas and Joy Batchelor /Halas-Batchelor. (Great Britain) first Abu series (1943-1944) series of anti-Nazi cartoons distributed in the Middle East
• “El Cascabel de Zapiron”, Jose Escobar /Chamartin. (Spain)
• “L'Épouvantail” ("The Scarecrow"), Paul Grimault. (France)
• “Garabatos No.1” (Tururut), Diban (Enrique Ferran). (Spain) first Garabatos series (1943-1945)
• “Pituco Fumador”, Jose Escobar /Chamartin. (Spain) first Pituco series (1943-1944)
• “Der Schneemann” ("The Snowman"), Hans Fischerkoesen /Fischerkoesen. (Germany)
• “V'la le beau temps”, André Rigal. (France)

Asia
• “Kumo to Tulip” ("Spider and Tulip"), Kenzo Masaoka /Shochiku Doga Kenkyujo.
• “Ma-Bo no Rakkasan Butai” ("Ma-Bo's Paratrooping Unit"), Ginjiro Sato /Sato Eiga Seisakujo.
• “Tokyu Nikudansen“, Ichiro Takagi /Shochiku Doga Kenkyujo.

Academy Award
• MGM’s “Yankee Doodle Mouse” Hanna & Barbera's 1st of 7 Oscars over the next 9 years



1944
World News
• June 6th D-Day
• Germans gas Jews in Auschwitz
• U.S. bombs Berlin
• Allied forces liberate Rome
• Allies land on Normandy beach
• Germans use V-1 rocket bombs to hit London
• Allied forces take Paris
• Belgian cities ar liberated
• Germans begin using V-2 rockets to hit London
• General MacArthur lands in the Phillippines
• Franklin D. Roosevelt wins 4th term as President of the U.S.
• The U.S. ends meat rationing
• American Gangster and the head of the crime syndicate "Murder Inc.", Louis "Lepke" Buchalter is executed at Sing - Sing Prison. The name: "Murder Incorpulated" is used in the Bob Clampett cartoon "So White and De Sebben Dwarfs".

Computer News
• The Harvard Mark I programmed calculator weighed 5 tons, stored 72 numbers and could perform 3 additions or subtractions per second as well as perform trigonometry and calculate logarithms.

Animation News
• Warner Bros. buys out Leon Schlesinger and dumps his right-hand men Henry Binder and Ray Katz. They all make the move to Screen Gems and bring Bob Clampett (as a writer), Alex Lovy and others to help write and direct new cartoons.
• Former Disney artists, Zach Schwartz, Steve Bosustow and Dave Hilberman band together to form the Industrial Films and Poster Service and with the help of many night time animators from Warner Bros. and other studios, produce "Hell Bent For Election", directed by Chuck Jones.
• After the production is completed, they change their name to United Productions of America or UPA.
• Gene Kelly approaches Walt Disney about doing an animated sequence using Jerry Mouse for "Anchors Aweigh", an MGM production. After Disney turns him down, he asks Hanna and Barbera to animate. He didn't realize that MGM had their own animation production studio.
• Max Fleischer produces an animated version of "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" for the Jam Handy Organization. It becomes a perennial holiday special until the Rankin-Bass version is created in 1964.
• David Hand leaves Disney and founds Gaumont-British Animation (GB Animation) Studios for J. Arthur Rank. Studio located in Cookham Village, Berkshire. (Great Britain)

Comics
• Frank Frazetta begins his comic book career with Tally-Ho # 1.
• Live action Captian America movie seriel debuts starring Dick Purcell (Captian America).

Birthdays
• George Lucas is born (Star Wars) (1944 - )
• Tim Rice, lyricist for "Aladdin", "Jesus Christ, Super Star", and "Evita"
• Akio Sugino (Sugino Akio) (character designer) born in Sapporo.

Deaths
• Edvard Munch, expressionist painter, "The Scream" dies at the age of 80

Notable Cartoons
United States
• “The Barber of Seville” Woody Woodpecker cartoon Shamus Culhane, director, a Walter Lantz production
• “Wreck of the Hesperus”, Mannie Davis /Terrytoons. first Mighty Mouse series (1944-1961)
• “Screwball Squirrel”, Tex Avery /MGM. first Screwy Squirrel series (1944-1946)
• “My Boy Johnny”, Eddie Donnelly /Terrytoons.
• “The Swooner Crooner”, Frank Tashlin /Schlesinger.
• “Fish Fry “, James Culhane /Lantz.
• “And to Think that I Saw It On Mulberry Street”, George Pal /Pal. (puppet animation)
• “Hell Bent for Election”, John Hubley /Industrial Films and Poster Service. First cartoon created by Industrial Films and Poster Service. Made for the United Auto Workers union to support President Franklin Roosevelt's reelection effort.
• “Birdy and the Beast”, Bob Clampett /Schlesinger. first Tweety and Sylvester series (1944-1964)
• “How to Play Football”, Jack Kinney /Disney.
• “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”, Max Fleischer /Jam Handy.

Asia
• “Fuku-chan's Submarine", Tadahito Mochinaga.

Canada
• “Grim Pastures”, George Dunning /NFB. (Canada)
• “Let's All Sing Together No.1”, Norman McLaren /NFB. (Canada) first Let's All Sing Together series (1944-1945)

Academy Award
• MGM's "Mouse Trouble"



1945
World News
• Soviet troops liberate Auschwitz concentration camp
• Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin meet in Yalta and divide the post-war world between them
• Americans raise U.S. flag over Iwo Jima
• Allies unveil the horrors of "Nazi Death Camps"
• April 30th - Adolf Hitler commits suicide in an underground bunker in Berlin.
• 47 nations meet to form the "United Nations"
• Germany surrenders
• Stalin, Truman and newly elected Prime Minister Clement Attlee meet in Potsdam, but tensions build on post-war plans. Winston Churchill uses the phrase "Iron Urtain" to describe the division formed during the meetings
B-52 bomber, lost in the fog crashes into the Empire State Building killing 13 people
• Hiroshima and Nagasaki are destroyed by atomic bombs
• Japan surrenders on Aug. 16th
• Korea is divided into North and South
• Jack Robinson is the 1st black Major League baseball player
• Nuremburg War Trial begins
• "International Monetary Fund" and "World Bank" are formed

Computers
• Whirlwind computer project starts at MIT

Animation News
• Studio Bratri v triku founded. (Czechoslovakia)
• Shin Nihon Doga studio founded by Kenzo Masaoka, Sanae Yamamoto, and Yasuji Murata.

Comics
• Superboy debuts in More Fun Comics # 101.

Birthdays
• Frank Welker (voice actor) born in Denver, Colorado.
• Steve Martin, commedian/actor

Deaths
• Anne Frank dies at age 14 in concentration camp
• Franklin Roosevelt dies of cerebral hemorrage at age 63
• Benito Musolini is tried and executed
• Adolf Hitler commits suicide in Berlin

Literary
• George Orwell writes "Animal Farm"

Movies
United States
• “The Three Caballeros, Norman Ferguson /Disney. (drawn animation, some live action)

Europe
• “Garbancito de la Mancha”, José María Blay and Arturo Moreno /Diarmo. (Spain) (first Spanish feature animation)
• “Handling Ships”, John Halas and Alan Crick /Halas & Batchelor. (Great Britain) (drawn animation, some puppet animation) first British feature animation
• “The Missing Diploma", Valentina Brumberg and Zinaida Brumberg /Soyuzmultifilm. (Soviet Union)

Asia
• Japan’s 2nd wartime animated feature “Momotaro’s God-Blessed Sea Warriors” by Mituyo Seo

Notable Cartoons
Notable Cartoons
United States
• “The Dog, Cat and Canary”, Howard Swift /Screen Gems. first Flippy series (1945-1947)
• “The Odor-Able Kitty”, Charles M. Jones /Warner Bros. first Pepe Le Pew series (1945-1962) (“Nobody’s going to laugh at that shit!” - Eddie Selzer)
• “The Friendly Ghost” Casper makes his 1st appearance, Famous Studios
• “Life With Feathers”, Friz Freleng /Warner Bros. first appearance of Sylvester
• “Donald's Crime”, Jack King /Disney.
• “Rippling Romance”, Bob Wickersham /Screen Gems.
• “Gypsy Life”, Connie Rasinski /Terrytoons.
• “The Cross-Eyed Bul”, Robert Newman /John Sutherland Productions. first Daffy Ditties series (1945-1947)
• “Jasper and the Beanstalk”, George Pal /Pal. (puppet animation)

Europe
• “Das dumme Gooslein” ("The Silly Goose"), Hans Fischerkoesen /Fischerkoesen. (Germany)
• “Hochzeit im Korallenmeer” ("Wedding in the Coral Sea"), Jiri Brdecka. (Czechoslovakia)
• “Fyrtojet” ("The Magic Tinderbox", "The Magic Lighter"), Svend Methling /A-S Dansk Farve-Og Tegnefilm. (Denmark)

Academy Award
• MGM's "Quiet Please"



1946
World News
• U.N. holds it's 1st session
• The first Cannes Film Festival is held. Originally slated to be held in 1939, it was postponed due to Hitler invading Poland
• Dead Sea Scrolls are found - the foundation of the Old Testament Bible passages
• Nuremburg - nine Nazi war criminals are hanged
• Medical symposium decides smoking may cause cancer risk

Inventions
• Xerography invented
• Bikini Atol in the Pacific Ocean is test site for new atomic bombs
• Curiously, new two piece bathing suits are called "Bikini's
• 1st American built rocket to leave the atmosphere

Computers
• IBM's 603 becomes ENNIAC, the first all electronic circuited computer when it is started up at Penn State

Movie News
• The 1st Cannes Film Festival opens on the French Rviiera. The festival was intended tobegin in 1939, but World War II forced the cancellation. The 1st festival was held in Venice, Italy in 1932 but by 1938 the festival had become a vehicle for Facist and Nazi propaganda with Mussolini and Hitler dictating the coices of films and sharing the prizes among themselves. Outraged, France decided to organize their own festival.

Animation News
• Zach Schwartz and Dave Hilberman sell out their interest in UPA and open their own studio in New York called Tempo Productions.
• Dave Fleischer leaves Columbia Pictures and moves to Universal Studios to produce a series of low budget sing-a-long cartoons.

Birthdays
• Bill Plympton, animator is born (1946 - )
• Caroline Leaf, animator is born (The Owl Who Married a Goose) (1946 - )
• Steven Spielberg (producer, writer, voice actor) born in Cincinnati, Ohio.
• Tim Curry (voice actor) born in Cheshire. (Great Britain)
• Priit Pärn (director, animator, writer) born in Tallin, Estonia. (Soviet Union)
• “Gerhard Hahn (director, producer) born in Rehburg. (West Germany)

Deaths
• Charles R. Bowers (producer, director, writer, animator) dies in Paterson, New Jersey.
• Author, H.G. Wells dies at age 79 (wrote "War of the Worlds", "Time Machine", "Invisible Man", "First Men In The Moon")

Movies
• Bogart and Bacall in "The Big Sleep"
• Frank Capra's, "It's A Wonderful Life"

Literature
• Dr. Spock writes, "Baby and Child Care"

Animated Movies
United States
• “Song of the South”, Harve Foster and Wilfred Jackson (animation) /Disney. (primarily live action, some drawn animation)
• “Make Mine Music”, Joe Grant (production supervisor) /Disney. (Blue Bayou was originally made by Samuel Armstrong for the projected continuation of Fantasia (1940))

Soviet Union
• “Kamennyj tsvetok” ("The Stone Flower"), Alexander Ptushko /Mosfilm. (Soviet Union) (drawn animation, part live action)

Notable Cartoons
United States
• “Kitty Kornered” Warner Bros.


• “Northwest Hounded Police” the apex of the “Tex Avery Take”
• “Henpecked Hoboes”, Tex Avery's George and Junior characters are introduced. Based on the George and
Lenny characters from the live action book/movie "Of Mice and Men".
• “Private Snafu Presents Seaman Tarfu”, George Gordon /Harman-Ising. last of the Private Snafu series
• “The Talking Magpies”, Mannie Davis /Terrytoons. first Heckle and Jeckle series (1946-1966)
• “The Poet and Peasant”, Dick Lundy /Lantz. first Musical Miniatures series (1946-1948)
• “The Friendly Ghost”, Isadore Sparber /Famous. first Casper, The Friendly Ghost series (1946-1959)
• “Squatter's Rights”, Jack Hannah /Disney.
• “Walky Tawky Hawky”, Robert McKimson /Warner Bros. first Foghorn Leghorn series (1946-1963)
• “John Henry and the Inky Poo”, George Pal /Pal. (puppet animation)

Europe
• “Charley in the New Towns”, John Halas and Joy Batchelor /Halas & Batchelor. (Great Britain) first Charley series (1946-1947)
• “Good King Wenceslas”, John Halas and Joy Batchelor /Halas & Batchelor. (Great Britain)
• “Sparky Goes Shopping', David Hand /GB Animation. (Great Britain)
• “Vzpoura hracek” ("The Revolt of the Toys"), Hermina Tyrlova /Zlín. (Czechoslovakia) (puppet animation and live action)
• “Zviratka a Petrovsti” ("The Animals and the People of Petrov"; "Animals and Robbers"), Jiri Trnka /Studio Bratri v triku. (Czechoslovakia)

Academy Award
• MGM's "The Cat Concerto"



1947
World News
• The first modern UFO sighting
• July 18 - The Roswell Incident in New Mexico
• Britian grants independence to India and Pakistan
• Pilot Chuck Yeager flies the "Bell X-!" rocket plane and breaks the speed of sound
• Communist hearings against actors and filmmakers begins
• Howard Hughes flies "The Spruce Goose"
• Palestine is divided by the U.N.

Inventions
• The zoom lens is patented

Computers
• Shockley, Bardeen and Brattain of Bell Labs invent transistors ("transfer resistance")

Animation News
• Terrytoons employees strike. Paul Terry waited out the strike by promising the animators he would sell them the studio when he retired. Eventually, he did sign a union contract. When he retired in 1955, he sold the studio to CBS, used the money to buy Disney stock and died rich.
• Studio Filmow Rysunkowych (Cartoon Film Studio) founded in Bielsko-Biala. (Poland)
• Jiri Trnka founds Studio Loutkového Filmu in Prague.

Comics
• Carl Barks creates Uncle Scrooge for Four Color Comics # 178.
• Young Romance # 1 created by Joe Simon & Jack Kirby, becomes the first romance comic.

Birthdays
• Will Vinton, clay animator is born (California Raisins) (1947 - )
• Yoshikazu Yasuhiko (Yasuhiko Yoshikazu) (director, animator, character designer) born in Engaru-machi, Hokkaido.
• Juan Padron (director, writer, animator) born in Càrdesan, Matanzas. (Cuba)
• Elton John, Englis singer/songwriter - Lion King, Eldorado.
• Steven Spielberg, director and animation patron.

Deaths
• Henry Ford dies at age 83

Animated Movies
United States
• “Fun and Fancy Free ", Jack Kinney, Hamilton Luske, and William Morgan (live action) /Disney. (drawn animation, some live action) contains: Mickey and the Beanstalk and Bongo the Bear

Europe
• “Le Crabe aux Pinces d'Or” ("The Crab With the Golden Claws"), Claude Misonne /Studio Misonne. (Belgium) (puppet animation)
• “Spalicek” ("The Czech Year"), Jiri Trnka /Studio Loutkového Filmu. (Czechoslovakia) (puppet animation)
• “Konjok-gorbunok” ("The Little Humpback Horse" or "The Magic Pony"), Ivan Ivanov-Vano /Soyuzmultifilm. (Soviet Union)
• “The Magic Carpet", Lev Atamanov /Armenfilm. (Soviet Union)

China
"The Emperor's Dream", Tadahito Mochinaga /Tong Pei. (China) (puppet animation)

Notable Cartoons
United States
• “Goofy Gophers”, Arthur Davis /Warner Bros. first Goofy Gophers series (1947-1958)
• “Musical Moments from Chopin”, Dick Lundy /Lantz.
• “The Cat Concerto”, William Hanna and Joseph Barbera /MGM
• “The Enchanted Square”, Seymour Kneitel /Famous.
• “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Mouse”, William Hanna and Joseph Barbera /MGM.
• “Tubby the Tuba”, George Pal /Pal. (puppet animation)
• “Little Orphan Airedale”, Chuck Jones /Warner Bros. first appearance of Charlie Dog
• “Naughty But Mice”, Seymour Kneitel /Famous. first Herman and Katnip series (1947-1959)
• “Chip 'n' Dale”, Jack Hannah /Disney.
• “A Grand Old Nag”, Robert Clampett.
• “King Size Canary”, Tex Avery /MGM.
• “Pluto's Blue Note”, Charles Nichols /Disney.
• “Just Imagine!”, Jam Handy. (puppet animation)

Central America
• “El hijo de la ciencia”, Cesar Cruz /Productora de Películas de Santiago de Cuba. (Cuba)

South America
• first “Refranes populaires” ("Popular Sayings") series, Jose Burone Bruche. (Argentina)

Europe
• “The Big City”, Harold Mack /British Animated. (Great Britain) first Bubble and Squeek series
• “The Doll's House”, Anson Dyer /Analysis. (Great Britain) first Squirrel War series (1947)
• “Ballade Atomique” ("Atomic Ballad"), Jean Image. (France)
• “The Mail Goes Through”, Lance White. (Great Britain)
• “L'ultimo sciuscia” ("The Last Shoeshine"), Gibba. (Italy)
• “Widdicombe Fair”, William Larkins /Larkins. (Great Britain)
• “The Wraggle Taggle Gipsies-O”), Diagram Films. first Let's Sing Together series, song cartoon series made by several different studios


Asia
• “Musume Dojoji” ("A Girl at Dojo's Temple"), Kon Ichikawa /Toho Eiga. (puppet animation)
• “Suteneko Torachan” ("Torachan the Abandoned Kitten"), Kenzo Masaoka /Nihon Doga. first Torachan series

India
• “Cinema Kadamban”, N. Thanu /Gemini. (India)

Television
• "Movies For Small Fry" the first children's television series hosted by "Big Brother Bob Emery" of WABD-TV, New York. The program was telecast weekdays on the DuMont Television Network showing Van Beuren-RKO theatrical cartoons.


Academy Award
• “Tweety Pie” The 1st Warner cartoon to win an Oscar



1948
World News
• U.S. Supreme Court orders University of Oklahoma Law School to admit Negro student, Ada Lois Sipuel
• Heavy fighting between Jews and Arabs
• President Truman proposes statehood for Alaska and Hawaii
• 2nd Aswan Dam building begins on the Nile River in Egypt (1st Aswan Dam built in 1902)
• Israel becomes a new state amid attacks from all sides
• 200 inch telescope opens at mount Palomar, 80 miles south of Los Angeles
• Communist "Spy Mania" hits America
• North Korea becomes a Republic

Inventions
• Dr. Frank G. Back of N.Y. invents the "Zoom Lens".
• The 1st Polaroid "Land Camera" goes on sale.

Television
• The 1st use of Coaxial Cable for television signals.

Animation News
• The Paramount Decision. The Supreme Court rules that the Hollywood studios are monopolies and orders them to sell their theaters and end “block-booking”. This weakened the big studios, added to the rise of television and led to the eventual demise of the animated short
• Jay Ward and Alexander Anderson, Jr. found Television Arts Productions in Hollywood, California to make cartoons for television.
• UPA hired to make Columbia's cartoons.
• John Phillips and Harry Gutkin form the Phillips-Gutkin and Associates studio (advertising) in Winnipeg, Manitoba. (Canada)
• Sofia Animation Studio founded. (Bulgaria)
• Columbia shuts down the Screen Gems studio.

Comics
• The Superman live action movie seriel debuts starring Kirk Alyn (Superman).

Birthdays
• Prince Charles of England is born
• Gary Trudeau, "Doonsbury" cartoonist is born

Deaths
• Mahondas "Mahatma" Karamchand Gandi is assasinated at 78 yrs old
• Sergei Eisenstein dies at age 50

• Baseball great, Babe Ruth dies of cancer at age 53

Movies
• Humphrey Bogart stars in "Treasure of Sierra Madre"

Animated Movies
United States
• “Melody Time”, Ben Sharpsteen /Disney. (drawn animation, some live action)
• “So Dear to my Heart” a Walt Disney production

Europe
• “Alegres Vacaciones” ("Happy Vacations"), José María Blay and Arturo Moreno /Diarmo. (Spain)
• “L'Asino e la pelle del leone” ("The Donkey and the Lion's Hair"), Paola Campani. (Italy)
• “Císaruv Slavík” ("The Emperor's Nightingale"), Jiri Trnka and Jiri Brdecka. (Czechoslovakia) (puppet animation, some live action)

Asia
• “Bagdad Hime” ("Bagdad Princess"), Iwao Ashida.

Notable Cartoons
United States
• “Haredevil Hare” 1st Marvin the Martian cartoon Warner Bros.
• “What Makes Daffy Duck”, Arthur Davis /Warner Bros.
• “Butterscotch and Soda”, Seymour Kneitel /Famous. first Little Audrey series (1948-1958)
• “Mickey and the Seal”, Charles Nichols /Disney.
• “Tea for Two Hundred”, Jack Hannah /Disney.
• “Robin Hoodlum”, John Hubley /UPA. first cartoon made by UPA for distribution by Columbia

Europe
• “The Thames”, Henry Stringer /GB Animation. (Great Britain) first Musical Paintbox series (1948-1950)
• “The Lion”, Bert Felsted /GB Animation. (Great Britain) first Animaland series (1948-1950)
• “Fedia Zaitsew”, Valentina Brumberg and Zinaida Brumberg /Soyuzmultifilm. (Soviet Union)
• “Magic Canvas”, John Halas /Halas & Batchelor. (Great Britain)
• “O milionari ktery ukradl slunce” ("About a Millionaire Who Stole the Sun"), Zdenek Miler /Studio Bratri v triku. (Czechoslovakia)

Asia
• “Poppaya-san Nonki Ekicho” ("Poppaya-san, The Good-natured Station Master"), Masao Kumagawa /Nihon Doga.
• “Dreams About Emperor", Chen Boer /Northeast Film Studio. (China) (puppet animation)
• “Turtle Caught in the Jar", Fang Ming (Tadahito Mochinaga) /Tong Pei. (China)

Academy Award
• MGM's "The Little Orphan"



1949
World News
• United Nations headquarters built in New York
• Allies form N.A.T.O. (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)
• Communist forces sweep Mao Tse-Tung into power in China
• China establishes the People's Republic
• George Orwell's new book "1984" paints a grim picture of the future

Inventions
• USSR tests atomic bomb
• RCA introduces the 45 RPM record

Computers
• Williams tube (CRT storage tube); Whirlwind computer built; core memory developed by Wang of Harvard

Animation News
• Character designer and story artist Joe Grant quits Disney, does not return until 40 years later in 1989
• George Dunning and Jim Mackay form Graphics Associates (advertising) in Toronto, Ontario. (Canada)
• Animation Section is established at Changchun Studio. (China)

Television
• "Hopalong Cassidy" the 1st American western program on television begins on NBC.
• The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences presents it's 1st industry award - The Emmy, in Los Angeles.

Comics
• The second Batman live action movie seriel debuts starring Robert Lowery (Batman) and Johnny Duncun (Robin).

Birthdays
• “Yoshinori Kanemori (Kanemori Yoshinori) (director, animator, character designer) born in Kure, Hiroshima Prefecture.

Animated Feature Films
United States
• “The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad”, Jack Kinney, Clyde Geronimi, and James Algar /Disney.

Europe
• “I fratelli Dinamite” ("The Dynamite Brothers"), Nino Pagot /Pagot. (Italy)
• “La Rosa Di Bagdad” ("The Rose of Bagdad" or "The Singing Princess"), Anton Gino Domeneghini /Ima Film. (Italy)



Notable Cartoons
United States
• “Bad Luck Blackie”, Tex Avery /MGM.
• “The Magic Fluke”, John Hubley /UPA.
• “The Little Orphan”, William Hanna and Joseph Barbera /MGM. Academy Award: Best Short Subjects, Cartoons
• “Mouse Wreckers”, Chuck Jones /Warner Bros.
• “Hatch Up Your Troubles”, William Hanna and Joseph Barbera /MGM.
• “Ragtime Bear”, John Hubley /UPA. first Mr. Magoo series (1949-1959) first Jolly Frolics series (1949-1953)
• “Fast and Furry-bus”, Charles M. Jones /Warner Bros. first Roadrunner series (1949-1968), later episodes released by DePatie-Freleng
• “Toy Tinkers”, Jack Hannah /Disney.
• “Little Red Riding Hood”, Ray Harryhausen. (puppet animation) first Mother Goose series (1949-1953)

Europe
• “Motion Painting No.1”, Oscar Fischinger.
• “It's A Lovely Day”, Bert Felsted /GB Animation. (Great Britain) first appearance of Ginger Nutt
• “Fleur de Fougères”, Ladislas Starewitz. (France) (puppet animation)• “El Gallito Presumido (ss), Jose Escobar /Chamartin. (Spain)
• “The Magic Canvas”, John Halas and Joy Batchelor /Halas-Batchelor. (Great Britain)
• “Tim og Tøffe”, Ivo Caprino. (Norway) (puppet animation)

Asia
• “Ousama no Shippo” ("The King's Tail"), Mitsuyo Seo /Nihon Doga.
• “Sakura: Haru no Genso” ("Cherryblossom: Fantasy of Spring"), Kenzo Masaoka /Nihon Doga.

Canada
• “Begone Dull Care”, Norman McLaren /NFB. (Canada) (direct-on-film animation)

South America
• “Placido series”, Jorge Caro. (Argentina)

Television
- 3 new television shows premiered this year
• "Crusader Rabbit" a Television Arts production (Jay Ward)
• "NBC Comics" a Vallee Video production
• "Tele-Comics" a Vallee Video production

Academy Award
• Warner Bros. "For Scent-imental Reasons"



1950
World News
• Kids spend an average of 27 hrs a week in front of the T.V. 11 - 15 yr old favorites - Milton Berle, Ed Sullivan, 6 Gun Playhouse and Wrestling
• U.N. building completed in N.Y.
• Korean War begins
• Atomic energy tests used to make electricity

Inventions
• RCA makes 3 color picture tube

Computers
• Cybernetics and Society - Norbert Weiner (MIT)
• Ben Laposky uses oscilloscope to display waveforms which were photographed as artwork

Animation News
• Tex Avery takes a short break from MGM due to overworking.
• “Crusader Rabbit", Jay Ward and Alexander Anderson, Jr. /Television Arts. the first cartoon show created for American television (1950-1951)
• “Official Films Cartoons", Van Beuren. collection of various Van Beuren cartoons broadcast by ABC
• Louis Hagen, Jr. founds Primrose Films. (Great Britain)
• GB Animation closes. (Great Britain)
• Changchun Studio animation section is moved to Shanghai and becomes the Shanghai Animation Film Studio (Shanghai mei shu dian ying zhi pian chang). Te Wei is named its first president. (China)

Comics
• EC Comic's 'Haunt Of Fear' horror anthology is changed into a war anthology with issue #18. The new title, Two-Fisted Tales.
• Wally Wood begins his comics carrer at Avon Comics his early work includeds Captian Science, Space Detective, & The Mask of Fu Manchu.
• Howdy Doody #1 debuts making the famous puppet the first TV liscence to be adapted to comic books.

Birthdays
• Howard Ashman (musician, producer, writer) born in Baltimore, Maryland.

Deaths
• Eric Arthur Blair, a.k.a. George Orwell dies at age 46
• George Bernard Shaw, Playwrite, dies at age 94

Animated Feature Films
United States
• “Cinderella” a Walt Disney production

Europe
• “Jeannot l'intrepide ("Fearless Jeannot"; "Johnny the Giant Killer"), Jean Image /Image. (France)
• “Bajaja ("Prince Bayaya"), Jiri Trnka /Studio Loutkového Filmu. (Czechoslovakia) (puppet animation)
• “Erase una Vez ("Once Upon A Time"), Alexandre Cirici-Pellicer /Estela Film. (Spain)
• “Suenos de Tai Py", Jose Maria Blay and F. Winterstein /Balet y Blay. (Spain)
• “Tobias Knopp, Abenteur Eines Junggesellen" ("Tobias Knopp, Adventure of a Bachelor"), Gerhard Fieber /E.O.S. Filmproducktion. (West Germany)

Notable Cartoons
United States
• “The Scarlet Pumpernickle” Chuck Jones Warner Bros.
• “Thank You, Kitty", Fang Ming (Tadahito Mochinaga) /Shanghai Animation. (China)
• “Quack a Doodle Doo", Isadore Sparber /Famous. first Baby Huey series (1950-1959)
• "Cat Happy", Connie Rasinski /Terrytoons. first Little Roquefort series (1950-1955)
• “Trouble Indemnity", Pete Burness /UPA.

Europe
• “Pastorale", Mary Ellen Bute, Hilary Harris, and Ted Nemeth.
• “It Serves Him Well", Dimitar Todorov /Sofia Animation. (Bulgaria)
• “Jak pejsek s kocickou myli podlahu" ("How the Cat and the Dog Washed the Floor"), Eduard Hofman /Studio Bratri v triku. (Czechoslavakia) one of the first Pejsek s kocickou ("Cat and Dog") series

Asia
• “Kobito to Aomushi ("The Dwarf and the Green Catterpillar", Hideo Furasawa /Nihon Doga.

Academy Award
• UPA's "Gerald McBoing-Boing"





1951 - 1960

Timeline Index

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