1959 in animation
Events in 1959 in animation.
Events
January
January 10: Chuck Jones and Abe Levitow's Bugs Bunny short Baton Bunny, produced by Warner Bros. Cartoons, premieres.January 29: Clyde Geronimi, Eric Larson and Wolfgang Reitherman's Sleeping Beauty, produced by the Walt Disney Company, premieres.February
February 14: Robert McKimson's Daffy Duck and Porky Pig cartoon China Jones premieres, produced by Warner Bros. Cartoons. This short has rarely been aired on TV or re-released on home media due to its negative depictions of Eastern Asians.March
March 9: The first episode of Clutch Cargo is broadcast.March 21: Friz Freleng's Tweety and [Sylvester the Cat|Sylvester the Cat|Sylvester] short Trick or Tweet premieres, produced by Warner Bros. Cartoons. Also starring Sam Cat.April
April 6: 31st Academy Awards: Friz Freleng's Knighty Knight Bugs wins an Academy Award for Best Animated Short, the only Bugs Bunny cartoon to ever win an Oscar.April 18: Friz Freleng's Bugs Bunny short Apes of Wrath, produced by Warner Bros. Cartoons, premieres.May
May 9: Chuck Jones' Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner short Hot-Rod and Reel!, produced by Warner Bros. Cartoons, premieres.June
June 13: Robert McKimson's Bugs Bunny short Backwoods Bunny, produced by Warner Bros. Cartoons, premieres.June 26: Walt Disney Productions releases Donald in Mathmagic Land.June 27: Chuck Jones' Pepé Le Pew cartoon Really Scent premieres, produced by Warner Bros. Cartoons.July
July 4: Friz Freleng's Speedy Gonzales short Mexicali Shmoes, produced by Warner Bros. Cartoons, premieres. The cartoon was nominated for a Academy Award. This short marks the debut of Speedy's cousin Slowpoke Rodriguez.July 18: Friz Freleng's Tweety and Sylvester short Tweet and Lovely, produced by Warner Bros. Cartoons, premieres. Also starring Hector the Bulldog.August
August 1: Friz Freleng's Bugs Bunny short Wild and Woolly Hare, produced by Warner Bros. Cartoons, starring Bugs Bunny and Yosemite Sam.August 15: Robert McKimson's Sylvester short Cat's Paw premieres, produced by Warner Bros. Cartoons, also starring Sylvester Jr.August 29: Friz Freleng's Speedy Gonzales short Here Today, Gone Tamale, produced by Warner Bros. Cartoons, starring Speedy Gonzales & Sylvester the Cat, premieres.September
September 5: Robert McKimson's Bugs Bunny short Bonanza Bunny premieres, produced by Warner Bros. Cartoons.September 8: The first episode of Bucky and Pepito is broadcast.September 11: The first episode of Noggin the Nog is broadcast.September 25: Jiří Trnka's A Midsummer Night's Dream premieres.September 26: Robert McKimson's Foghorn Leghorn short A Broken Leghorn premieres, produced by Warner Bros. Cartoons. Also starring Miss Prissy.September 28: The first episode of Hanna-Barbera's The Quick Draw McGraw Show is broadcast which also marks the debuts of the segments Augie Doggie and Doggie Daddy and Snooper and Blabber.October
October 2: The first episode of Felix the Cat is broadcast. This leads to a revival in popularity for the classic theatrical cartoon character.October 10: Chuck Jones' Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner short Wild About Hurry, produced by Warner Bros. Cartoons, premieres.October 11: The first episode of Matty's Funday Funnies is broadcast.October 31: Abe Levitow's cartoon A Witch's Tangled Hare premieres, produced by Warner Bros. Cartoons, starring Bugs Bunny and Witch Hazel.November
November 7: The first episode of Cartoon Party is broadcast.November 19 The first episode of Rocky and Bullwinkle is broadcast.December
December 1: Jack Kinney's 1001 Arabian Nights premieres.December 5: Friz Freleng's Tweety and Sylvester short Tweet Dreams premieres, produced by Warner Bros. Cartoons.December 19: Robert McKimson's cartoon People Are Bunny premieres, produced by Warner Bros. Cartoons, starring Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck.December 25: Akira Daikubara and Taiji Yabushita's Magic Boy is first released.December 28: The first episode of Ivor the Engine is broadcast.Specific date unknown
- The first episode of Capt'n Sailorbird is broadcast.
- Yuri Merkulov's I Was a Satellite of the Sun premieres.
- Ivan Ivanov-Vano, Dmitriy Babichenko and Mikhail Botov's The Adventures of Buratino premieres.
- Qian Jiajun's Chuang Tapestry premieres.
- Gene Deitch establishes Gene Deitch Associates, Inc., funded by William L. Snyder's Rembrandt Films.
Films released
- January 29 - Sleeping Beauty
- February 10 - Hyoutan suzume
- May 5 - I Was a Satellite of the Sun
- September 25 - A Midsummer Night's Dream
- December 1 - 1001 Arabian Nights
- December 25 - Magic Boy
- December 31 - The Adventures of Buratino
- Specific date unknown - ''Chuang Tapestry''
Television series
- March 9 - Clutch Cargo debuts in syndication.
- September 2 - Herge's Adventures of Tintin debuts on RTB.
- September 8 - Bucky and Pepito debuts in syndication.
- September 11 - Noggin the Nog debuts on BBC.
- September 19 - Augie Doggie and Doggie Daddy and Snooper and Blabber debut in syndication.
- September 27 - The Quick Draw McGraw Show debuts in syndication.
- October 11 - Matty's Funday Funnies debuts on ABC.
- November 7 - Cartoon Party debuts on CBC.
- November 19 - Aesop and Son, Dudley Do-Right, Fractured Fairy Tales, Peabody's Improbable History, and The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show debut on ABC and NBC.
- December 28 - Ivor the Engine debuts on BBC.
- Specific date unknown - Capt'n Sailorbird and Mel-O-Toons debut in syndication.
Births
January
January 1: Anthony DeRosa, American animator.January 5: Clancy Brown, American actor.January 26: Herbert Siguenza, American actor, writer, visual artist, and performer.January 31: Anthony LaPaglia, Australian actor.February
February 4: Pamelyn Ferdin, American voice actress.February 12: Billy Frolick, American film director and screenwriter.February 22: Kyle MacLachlan, American actor.February 26: Michel Gaudelette, French comic book artist and television writer.February 28: Marcia Mitzman Gaven, American actress.March
March 6: Tom Arnold, American actor and comedian.March 7: Donna Murphy, American actress and singer.March 12: Luenell, American actress.March 18: Irene Cara, American singer, songwriter and actress,.March 23: Catherine Keener, American actress.March 28: Joel McNeely, American arranger, musician, lyricist, record producer and composer.April
April 3:- * David Hyde Pierce, American actor.
- * James Gelfand, Canadian jazz pianist and composer.April 4: Phil Morris, American actor.April 8: Mark Baker, English animator.April 11: Oscar González Loyo, Mexican animator and comics artist,.April 15:
- * Emma Thompson, English actress.
- * Jim P. Dilworth, American animator, designer and brother of John R. Dilworth,.
- * Thomas F. Wilson, American actor.April 16: David Feiss, American animator and director.April 20: Clint Howard, American actor.April 27: Sheena Easton, Scottish singer and actress.
May
May 1: Ken Willard, American animator,.May 2:- * Brian Tochi, American actor.
- * Stephen Worth, American animation producer and actor.May 3: Chris Gifford, American writer and producer.May 5:
- * Gary Dubin, American actor,.
- * William Reeves, Canadian animator and technical director.
- * John Frink, American screenwriter and producer.May 12: Ving Rhames, American actor.May 15: Chris Meledandri, American film producer.May 19: Jim Ward, American voice actor,.May 22: Harry Standjofski, Canadian actor,.May 29: Rupert Everett, English actor.
June
June 3: Ian Maxtone-Graham, American producer and screenwriter.June 6: Paul Germain, American writer, producer, and director.June 7: Mark Zaslove, American television and film writer, director, producer and novelist.June 8: Billy Kimball, American television producer and writer.June 11: Hugh Laurie, English actor and comedian.June 12: Scott Thompson, Canadian actor and comedian.June 13: Steven DeNure, Canadian television producer.June 18: Joe Ansolabehere, American writer and producer.June 29: Gary Rydstrom, American sound designer and film director.July
July 2: David Molina, American animator, art director, director and producer.July 7: Billy Campbell, American actor.July 16:- * Bob Joles, American voice actor and musician.
- * Sherri Stoner, American actress, animator, and writer.July 26: Kevin Spacey, American actor.July 31:
- * Karen Prell, American puppeteer and animator.
- * Kaz, Greek-American cartoonist, illustrator, animator, storyboard artist, character designer and writer.
August
August 1: Joe Stillman, American writer, producer and director.August 2: Victoria Jackson, American actress, comedian and singer.August 3: John C. McGinley, American actor.August 9: Peter Gaffney, American television producer and writer.August 14:- * Magic Johnson, American former professional basketball player.
- * Marcia Gay Harden, American actress.August 25: Ian Falconer, American author and illustrator,.August 28: Arthur Holden, Canadian actor.
September
September 7: Rob Pottorf, American composer.September 6: Gaetano Varcasia, Italian voice actor,.September 10: Jim Meskimen, American actor.September 15: Mike Reiss, American television producer, writer and author.September 19: Mark Gustafson, American animator,.September 21:- * Richard Reeves, Canadian-English animator.
- * Dave Coulier, American actor and comedian.September 22: David Boat, American actor.September 23:
- * Jason Alexander, American actor, comedian, film director, and television presenter.
- * Elizabeth Peña, American actress, writer and musician,.September 28: Steve Hytner, American actor.September 29: Patric M. Verrone, American television producer and writer.
October
October 2: Tom Mazzocco, American animator, storyboard artist, sheet timer and director.October 3: Greg Proops, American actor, comedian and television host.October 7: Simon Cowell, English television personality and music executive.October 8: Nick Bakay, American actor, comedian, writer, producer and sports commentator.October 10:- * Leo Benvenuti, American writer and producer.
- * Mari Devon, American voice actress.
- * Bradley Whitford, American actor.October 13:
- * Doug MacLeod, Australian author and screenwriter,.
- * Marie Osmond, American singer and actress.October 15:
- * Emeril Lagasse, American chef and television personality.
- * Sarah Ferguson, British author and television personality.October 17: Norm Macdonald, Canadian comedian, writer, and actor,.October 22: Marc Shaiman, American composer and lyricist.October 23: "Weird Al" Yankovic, American singer, musician and actor.October 25: Collette Sunderman, American voice director.October 27: Perry Kiefer, American animator, storyboard artist, background artist, prop designer, sheet timer and director,.October 29: Finola Hughes, English actress.
November
November 1: Julie Mossberg, American casting director.November 8: Don McManus, American actor.November 10: Mackenzie Phillips, American actress.November 11: Glenn Gilger, American former child actor.November 19:- * Ponsonby Britt, American fictional television producer,.
- * Allison Janney, American actress.November 22: Lenore Zann, Australian-born Canadian actress.November 24: Akio Otsuka, Japanese actor.November 28: Judd Nelson, American actor.
December
December 9: Steve Mackall, Canadian-American actor.December 11: William Joyce, American writer, producer, director, illustrator and filmmaker.December 16: Alison La Placa, American actress.December 17: Timothy J. Borquez, American editor, music editor, sound editor and re-recording mixer.December 20: Ivan Tankushev, Bulgarian animator, storyboard artist and overseas supervisor.December 29: Paula Poundstone, American comedian, author, actor, and commentator.December 30: Tracey Ullman, English-American actress, comedian, singer, writer, producer and director.December 31:- * Ronnie del Carmen, Filipino animator, writer, director, story artist, story supervisor and production designer.
- * Val Kilmer, American actor,.
Specific date unknown
- Tilo Schmitz, German actor.
- Richard Starzak, English animator, screenwriter, and film director.
- Bill Morrison, American comic book artist, writer, editor and art director.
- Keith Chapman, English television writer and producer.
- Alison Sealy-Smith, Barbadian-born Canadian actress.
- Calpurnio, Spanish poster artist, animator, illustrator, veejay and comics artist,.