Events in 1937 in animation. Events January January 9: The first solo Donald Duck cartoon, Don Donald premieres, directed by Ben Sharpsteen and produced by Walt Disney Productions. It launches the Donald Duck series. January 24: Georg Woelz' Die Schlacht um Miggershausen premieres.
February February 6: David Hand's Mickey Mouse cartoon Magician Mickey premieres, produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios. February 20: Ben Sharpsteen's Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy cartoon Moose Hunters premieres, produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios. February 27: Tex Avery's Picador Porky premieres, produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions. This cartoon marks Mel Blanc's first voice acting role in a cartoon.
March March 4: 9th Academy Awards: The Country Cousin, produced by The Walt Disney Company, wins the Academy Award for Best Animated Short. March 12: The Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer cartoon studio is established. March 26; In Crystal City, Texas, spinach growers erect a statue of Popeye.
April April 3: Frank Tashlin's Porky Pig cartoon Porky's Romance premieres, produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions, where Petunia Pig makes her debut, It's also the last time Joe Dougherty voiced Porky. April 17: The animated short Porky's Duck Hunt, produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions and directed by Tex Avery, is first released. It marks the debut of Daffy Duck. April 27: The Mickey Mouse cartoon Mickey's Amateurs, directed by Pinto Colvig, Erdmann Penner and Walt Pfeiffer, premieres.
May May 7: Workers at Fleischer Studios go on strike over pay and working conditions. The strike ends several months later on October 12. May 15: David Hand's Little Hiawatha premieres, produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios. It marks the debut of Hiawatha who will later become a popular comics character. May 22: Friz Freleng's Clean Pastures premieres, produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions. May 29: Jack King's Donald Duck cartoon Modern Inventions premieres, produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios.Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. pp. 74–75. . Retrieved June 6, 2020.
June June 5: Tex Avery's Uncle Tom's Bungalow premieres, produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions.
October October 9: Bob Clampett's Porky Pig cartoon Rover's Rival premieres, produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions. This was the first Looney Tunes short to feature both the iconic "Merry-Go-Round Broke Down" theme song and the iconic end card with Porky appearing out of a drum and saying "Th-th-that's all, folks!" to the audience. October 15: Ben Sharpsteen's Clock Cleaners, produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, starring Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy, is first released. at the Big Cartoon DataBase
November November 5: Wilfred Jackson's The Old Mill premieres, produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios. It marks the first use of the multiplane camera.Thomas, Bob. Walt Disney: An American Original. Simon & Schuster, 1976, p. 134. November 26: The Popeye cartoon Popeye the Sailor Meets Ali Baba's Forty Thieves premieres, produced by Fleischer Studios.
December December 2: Ferdinand Diehl, Paul Diehl and Hermann Diehl's The Seven Ravens premieres, which is notable for being an animated feature film, several weeks before Disney's own animated feature film Snow White premieres. However, The Seven Ravens is done in stop-motion, while Snow White features pencil animation. December 10: Jack King's Donald Duck cartoon Donald's Ostrich premieres, produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios. December 21: Walt Disney's first animated feature, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs premieres, co-directed by David Hand, William Cottrell, Wilfred Jackson, Larry Morey, Perce Pearce and Ben Sharpsteen. It becomes a global box office hit. December 24: Burt Gillett's Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy film Lonesome Ghosts premieres, produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios.
Films released
April 10 - The Tale of the Fox (France) May 19 - Academy Award Review of Walt Disney Cartoons (United States) December 2 - The Seven Ravens (Germany) December 21 - Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (United States)
Births
January January 1: Bernard Longpré, Canadian animator and animation director (Monsieur Pointu), (d. 2002). Myrna Gibbs, American ink & paint artist (The Flintstones, DePatie-Freleng Enterprises, Marvel Productions, Peanuts specials), (d. 2021). January 2: Terence Rigby, English actor (voice of Silver in Watership Down), (d. 2008). January 6: Jaime Diaz, Argentine-born American animator (Warner Bros. Cartoons, Hanna-Barbera, Ruby-Spears Enterprises), sheet timer (Klasky-Csupo, Jumanji, Dora the Explorer, Danger Rangers, American Dad!, Curious George) and director (Duckman, The Fairly OddParents, ChalkZone), (d. 2009). January 7: Myrna Bushman, American animation checker (Ruby-Spears Enterprises, DIC Entertainment), storyboard artist (DIC Entertainment, Jetlag Productions, Daisy-Head Mayzie, Doug, PB&J Otter, Stanley), sheet timer (Spiral Zone, Tiny Toon Adventures, Stunt Dawgs, All-New Dennis the Menace, Jumbo Pictures), production assistant (Marvel Productions), production coordinator (Disney Television Animation) and director (Muppet Babies, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventures, Doug), (d. 2022). January 11: Felix Silla, American actor (additional voices in The Lord of the Rings), (d. 2021). January 30: Vanessa Redgrave, English actress (voice of the Queen of England and Mama Topolino in Cars 2). January 31: Suzanne Pleshette, American actress (voice of Zira in The Lion King II: Simba's Pride, Yubaba and Zeniba in the English dub of Spirited Away), (d. 2008).
February February 1: Garrett Morris, American actor and comedian (portrayed himself in the Family Guy episode "Barely Legal", voice of Jack in Easter Fever, Chief Williams in Pound Puppies, Buzzard in the Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child episode "Pinocchio", Al McGee in the Justice League episode "In Blackest Night", Albert in the Fairfax episode "Fairfolks"). February 2: Tom Smothers, American comedian and musician (voice of Ted Edward Bear in The Bear Who Slept Through Christmas, Tom in the Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist episode "Ben-Centennial", himself in The Simpsons episode "Oh Brother, Where Bart Thou?"), (d. 2023). February 8: Joe Raposo, American composer, songwriter, pianist, singer and lyricist (Sesame Street, Raggedy Ann & Andy: A Musical Adventure, Dr. Seuss, Madeline), (d. 1989). February 15: Ron Dias, American animator and painter (worked for Don Bluth and Walt Disney Company), (d. 2013). February 17: Benjamin Whitrow, English actor (voice of Fowler in Chicken Run), (d. 2017).
March March 1: Eugen Doga, Moldovan composer (Maria, Mirabela), (d. 2025). March 3: Bobby Driscoll, American actor (voice of the title character in Peter Pan), (d. 1968). March 10: Robert Abel, American visual effects artist (Tron), (d. 2001). March 12: Carlo Bonomi, Italian voice actor and clown (voice of the title character of La Linea, Paperazzi in Calimero, Red and Blue in The Red and the Blue, the title characters and other various characters in Stripy and Pingu), (d. 2022).Addio al grande doppiatore Carlo Bonomi: la voce come una tecnica di animazione
April April 6: Billy Dee Williams, American actor (voice of Lando Calrissian in the Star Wars franchise, Two-Face in The Lego Batman Movie, Admiral Bitchface in Titan Maximum, himself in The Boondocks episode "The Story of Lando Freeman", The Life & Times of Tim episode "A Tale of Two Rodneys/Keith to the Rescue", and the Scooby-Doo and Guess Who? episode "Scooby-Doo and the Sky Town Cool School!"). April 19: Elinor Donahue, American retired actress (voice of Mom in Eek! The Cat, Queen Eleanora in The Legend of Prince Valiant episode "The Jubilee", Munsterella in the Biker Mice from Mars episode "A Scent, a Memory, a Far Distant Cheese"). April 20: George Takei, American actor, author and activist (voice of Hikaru Sulu in Star Trek: The Animated Series, and the Star Trek: Lower Decks episode "Crisis Point 2: Paradoxus", First Ancestor in Mulan and Mulan II, Kyo Heyerdahl in Hey Arnold!, Master Sensui in Kim Possible, Galactus in The Super Hero Squad Show, Mr. Fixx in the Batman Beyond episode "Rebirth", General Lok Durd in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars episode "Defenders of Peace", Mr. Littlepot in the Amphibia episode "The Shut-In!", Wong in the Spider-Man: The Animated Series episode "Doctor Strange", High Mystic in the Jackie Chan Adventures episode "The Chosen One", himself in the Futurama episodes "Where No Fan Has Gone Before", "Proposition Infinity", "Zapp Dingbat", and "Saturday Morning Fun Pit", the Glenn Martin, DDS episode "GlennHog Day", The Simpsons episode "The Burns Cage", the American Dad! episode "N.S.A. (No Snoops Allowed)", and the Scooby-Doo and Guess Who? episode "Hollywood Knights!"). April 24: Otmar Gutmann, German TV producer, animator and director (creator of Pingu), (d. 1993). April 27: Patricia Hamilton, Canadian actress (voice of Mother Nature in A Miser Brothers Christmas, Rachel Lynde in Anne of Green Gables: The Animated Series), (d. 2023).Patricia Ruth Hamilton
May May 1: Nelda Ridley, American animation checker (Bakshi Animation, Hanna-Barbera, Cartoon Network Studios), (d. 2003). May 2: Lorenzo Music, American actor (voice of Garfield in Garfield and Friends, Tummi Gummi in Adventures of the Gummi Bears, Peter Venkman in The Real Ghostbusters, Ralph the All-Purpose Animal in Twice Upon a Time), (d. 2001). May 7: Yevhen Syvokin, Soviet and Ukrainian director (Fragments, The Man Who Could Fly, The Tale of Good Rhino, Fraction), ( (d. 2026).Помер Євген Сивокінь — художник-мультиплікатор серії стрічок "Як козаки..." May 8: Thomas Pynchon, American novelist (voiced himself in The Simpsons episodes "Diatribe of a Mad Housewife" and "All's Fair in Oven War"). May 11: Takashi Inagaki, Japanese voice actor (voice of Mosquito in Soul Eater, Cain in The Seven Deadly Sins, Joseph Dzhugashgvili in Saga of Tanya the Evil: The Movie, Godo in the Berserk episode "Epiphany", Japanese dub voice of the Warden in Megamind, Magic Mirror in House of Mouse, Palpatine in Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars: Rebels), (d. 2025). May 12: George Carlin, American comedian, actor, author and social critic (voice of Rufus in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventures, the Narrator in Thomas & Friends, Zugor in Tarzan II, Fillmore in Cars, Wizard in Happily N'Ever After, Munchie in The Simpsons episode "D'oh-in' in the Wind"), (d. 2008). May 16: Yvonne Craig, American actress (voice of Grandma Pig in Olivia), (d. 2015). May 24: Bill Exter, American animator (Warner Bros. Animation, Ruby-Spears, Bebe's Kids, The Pagemaster, Cats Don't Dance), production manager (Warner Bros. Animation), animation checker (Nickelodeon Animation Studio, Toonsylvania, Mad Jack the Pirate) and director (Marvel Productions). May 26: Monkey Punch, Japanese manga artist (creator of Lupin III), (d. 2019).
June June 1: Morgan Freeman, American actor (voice of Vitruvius in The Lego Movie, himself in the Scooby-Doo and Guess Who? episode "The Last Inmate!"). June 2: Sally Kellerman, American actress, singer and author (voice of The Seal in The Mouse and His Child, Sunburn in Happily Ever After, the Narrator in Delgo, Principal Stark in Unsupervised, Marshmallow Queen and Romaine Empress in The High Fructose Adventures of Annoying Orange, Dolores Barren in High School USA!), (d. 2022). June 3: Edward Winter, American actor (voice of Dr. Buzz Kutt and Owner in Aaahh!!! Real Monsters, President, Sarge and Guard in The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest, Scientist #1 and other various characters in The Angry Beavers), (d. 2001). June 11: Johnny Brown, American actor and singer (voice of Splashdown in Rickety Rocket), (d. 2022).Good Times Star Johnny Brown Dead at 84