1940 in animation
Events in 1940 in animation.
Events
January
January 13: Tex Avery's The Early Worm Gets the Bird is first released, produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions.February
February 10: Puss Gets the Boot, the first Tom and Jerry cartoon, is first released by William Hanna, Joseph Barbera and Rudolf Ising and produced by MGM. It marks the debut of Tom Cat, Jerry Mouse and Mammy Two Shoes.February 23: Pinocchio is first released, directed by Ben Sharpsteen and Hamilton Luske, produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios. It marks the debut of Jiminy Cricket, who will appear in various other Disney-related media. February 29: 12th Academy Awards: The Ugly Duckling, produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, directed by Jack Cutting and Clyde Geronimi, wins the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film.March
March 2: Chuck Jones' Elmer's Candid Camera is first released, produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions. This short marks the official debut of Elmer Fudd, and also stars the prototype Bugs Bunny.March 15: Jack King's Donald Duck cartoon The Riveter premieres, produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios. Also starring Pete.April
April 5: Jack King's Donald Duck cartoon Donald's Dog Laundry premieres, produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios. Also starring Pluto.May
May 16: Wagorō Arai's Madame Butterfly's Illusion premieres.May 18: Friz Freleng's Porky Pig and Daffy Duck cartoon You Ought to Be in Pictures produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions, is released, it is notable for its mix of live-action/animation and the earliest cartoon to portray Daffy as greedy and self-centered, Leon Schlesinger appears as himself.June
June 7: Jack King's Donald Duck cartoon Mr. Duck Steps Out, produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, premieres, in which Donald goes out dancing with Daisy Duck, only to be bothered by Huey, Dewey, and Louie.June 22: Rudolf Ising's The Milky Way, produced by MGM Animation, makes its debut.July
July 19: Riley Thomson's first Donald Duck cartoon Put-Put Troubles premieres, produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios. Also starring Pluto.July 27: Tex Avery's A Wild Hare premieres, produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions, marks the official debut of Bugs Bunny. It is also the first time Bugs asks: "What's up, Doc?" and Elmer Fudd asking people to be very quiet, because he's hunting "wabbits".August
August 9: Jack King's Donald Duck cartoon Donald's Vacation premieres, produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios.August 24: Bob Clampett's Porky Pig short Patient Porky, produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions, premieres. This marks the final appearance of the Prototype version of Bugs Bunny as he is now becoming an official character.September
September 20: Jack King's Donald Duck cartoon Window Cleaners premieres, produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios. Also starring Pluto.November
November 1: Clyde Geronimi's Mickey Mouse and Pluto cartoon Mr. Mouse Takes a Trip, produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, premieres.November 2: Bob Clampett's The Sour Puss premieres, produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions. It marks the first time the Acme Corporation running gag is used.November 13: Samuel Armstrong, James Algar, Bill Roberts, Paul Satterfield, Ben Sharpsteen, David D. Hand, Hamilton Luske, Jim Handley, Ford Beebe, T. Hee, Norman Ferguson and Wilfred Jackson's Fantasia, produced by the Walt Disney Animation Studios, is first released. It becomes a box office flop, received mixed reviews, but will gain cult film status decades later.November 25: Walter Lantz's animated short Knock Knock premieres, produced by Walter Lantz Productions which marks the debut of Woody Woodpecker.December
December 7: Tex Avery's Of Fox and Hounds premieres, produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions, in which Willoughby the Dog makes his debut. It also marks the first use of "Which way did he go, George? Which way did he go?" in an animated cartoon.December 13: Jack King's Donald Duck cartoon Fire Chief premieres, produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios. Also starring Huey, Dewey, and Louie.Specific date unknown
- John Halas and Joy Batchelor establish the animated studio Halas and Batchelor.
- Mary Ellen Bute's Tarantella premieres.
- The Jam Handy Organization makes the live-action educational short A Case of Spring Fever to promote springs and their importance. The film features some animation. Five decades later, it would gain cult fame after featuring in the TV show Mystery Science Theater 3000.
- British radio comedian Harry Hemsley makes an animated advertising short where the characters from his radio show and comic strip Ovaltiney's Concert Party appear, all voiced by himself.
Films released
- February 7 – Pinocchio
- November 13 – ''Fantasia''
Births
January
January 1: Ippei Kuri, Japanese manga artist,,.January 19: Linda Sorenson, Canadian voice actress.January 22: John Hurt, English actor,.January 27: James Cromwell, American actor.February
February 2:- * David Jason, English actor and comedian.
- * Morgan Lofting, American actress,.February 4: John Schuck, American actor.February 11: Lord Tim Hudson, English DJ and voice actor,.February 21: John Lewis, American politician and civil rights activist,.February 23: Natalya Bogomolova, Russian animator,.February 27: Bill Hunter, Australian actor,.February 28: Mario Andretti, Italian-born American former racing driver.
March
March 1: Robert Grossman, American painter, caricaturist, sculptor, filmmaker, poster designer, comics artist, cartoonist and animator,.March 7: Tsunehiko Kamijō, Japanese actor,.March 11: William Callaway, American voice actor.March 26: James Caan, American actor,.March 27: Austin Pendleton, American actor, playwright, theatre director, and instructor.March 30: Paul Driessen, Dutch film director, animator and writer.March 31: Patrick Leahy, American politician and attorney.April
April 4: Yukiko Takayama, Japanese screenwriter,.April 15: Thea White, American voice actress,.April 16: Zoila Quiñones, Mexican actress,.April 17: Chuck Menville, American animator and writer,.April 21: George DiCenzo, American actor,.May
May 4: Seán Barrett, English actor.May 5: Lance Henriksen, American actor.May 8: Emilio Delgado, Mexican-American actor,.May 9: James L. Brooks, American director, producer and screenwriter.May 10: Taurean Blacque, American actor,.May 20: Gary Reineke, American-Canadian actor,.June
June 1: René Auberjonois, American actor,.June 6: Richard Paul, American voice actor,.June 7:- * Monica Evans, English actress.
- * Tom Jones, Welsh singer.June 15:
- * Michael Barrier, American animation historian.
- * Aron Kincaid, American actor,.June 16: Thea White, American voice actress,.June 20: John Mahoney, English actor,.June 28: Marilyn Lightstone, Canadian actress and writer.June 30: Félix Nakamura, Peruvian animator and film director,.
July
July 6: Milan Blažeković, Croatian animator,.July 7: Ringo Starr, English musician, singer, songwriter and actor.July 11: Toby Bluth, American illustrator, theatrical director, animator and background artist and brother of Don Bluth,.July 13:- * Patrick Stewart, English actor.
- * Jim Danforth, American stop-motion animator.July 18: James Brolin, American actor. July 22: Alex Trebek, Canadian-American game show host and television personality,.July 28: Philip Proctor, American comedian and actor.
August
August 1: Co Hoedeman, Dutch-Canadian animator,.August 3: Martin Sheen, American actor.August 26: Don LaFontaine, American voice actor,.August 27: Sonny Sharrock, American jazz guitarist and composer,.September
September 5: Raquel Welch, American singer and actress,.September 8: Jack Prelutsky, American poet.September 11: Miroslawa Krajewska, Polish actress,.September 12: Skip Hinnant, American voice actor.September 19: Paul Williams, American composer, singer, songwriter, and actor.September 25:- * Roberto Del Giudice, Italian voice actor,.
- * Eva Švankmajerová, Czech painter, ceramist, poet, animator, designer, director and producer; also the wife of Jan Švankmajer,.
October
October 1: Richard Corben, American animator, illustrator, comics writer, comics artist and colorist,.October 9:- * John Lennon, English musician, singer-songwriter and member of The Beatles,.
- * Stephen Mendillo, American actor *voice of Boyer in The Invincible Iron Man),.October 13: Dave Smith, American archivist and author,.October 16: Barry Corbin, American actor.October 18: Cynthia Weil, American songwriter,.October 19: Michael Gambon, Irish-English actor,.
November
November 6: Jack Ong, American actor, writer, activist and marketing professional,.November 15: Ulf Pilgaard, Danish actor,.November 20: Tony Butala, American singer.November 21: Claudio Biern Boyd, Spanish television writer, director and producer,.November 22:- * Terry Gilliam, American-born English animator.
- * Eiichi Yamamoto, Japanese animation director and screenwriter,.November 27: John Alderton, English retired actor.November 29: Chuck Mangione, American flugelhornist .
December
December 1: Minori Matsushima, Japanese voice actress,.December 11: Maggy Reno Hurchalla, American environmental activist,.December 21: Frank Zappa, American rock artist and composer,.December 30: Jerry Granelli, American-Canadian jazz drummer,.Specific date unknown
- Leo D. Sullivan, American animator,.
- Orlando Corradi, Italian film animator and director,.
- Changiz Jalilvand, Iranian voice actor,.
- Rick Hoover, American animator and comics artist,.
Deaths
January
January 21: Otis Harlan, American actor and comedian, dies at age 74.February
February 15: Norman Spencer, American musician and songwriter, dies at age 48.May
May 17: Thoralf Klouman, Norwegian satirical illustrator and actor, dies at age 50.July
July 2: Guido Seeber, German film director, cinematographer and animator, dies at age 61.September
September 2: Eddie Collins, American actor, dies at age 57.September 28: Earl Hurd, American animator, film director and comics artist, dies at age 60.Specific date unknown
- Alexander Black, American photographer, inventor, and writer, dies at age 81.