Events in 1951 in animation.
Events
January January 6: Hanna-Barbera's Tom and Jerry cartoon Casanova Cat premieres, produced by MGM's Cartoon Studio.Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The encyclopedia of animated cartoons. Internet Archive. New York : Facts on File. p. 150. . Robert McKimson's Bugs Bunny cartoon Hare We Go premieres, produced by Warner Bros. Cartoons.Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. pp. 60–61. . Retrieved June 6, 2020.
February February 3: Friz Freleng's Sylvester cartoon Canned Feud premieres, produced by Warner Bros. Cartoons. February 10: Friz Freleng's Bugs Bunny and Yosemite Sam cartoon Rabbit Every Monday premieres, produced by Warner Bros. Cartoons. February 24: Friz Freleng's Tweety and Sylvester cartoon Putty Tat Trouble premieres, produced by Warner Bros. Cartoons.Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. pg. 152. . Retrieved June 6, 2020. This short marks the debut of Sylvester's friendly rival Sam Cat.
March March 3: Hanna-Barbera's Tom and Jerry cartoon Jerry and the Goldfish premieres, produced by MGM's Cartoon Studio. March 10: Chuck Jones' Bugs Bunny cartoon Bunny Hugged premieres, produced by Warner Bros. Cartoons in which Bugs participates in a wrestling match. March 24: Chuck Jones' Pepé Le Pew cartoon Scent-imental Romeo premieres, produced by Warner Bros. Cartoons. Also starring Penelope Pussycat.Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. p. 117. . Retrieved June 6, 2020. March 29: 23rd Academy Awards: John Hubley's Gerald McBoing-Boing, produced by UPA, wins the Academy Award for Best Animated Short.
April April 7: Hanna-Barbera's Tom and Jerry cartoon Jerry's Cousin premieres, produced by MGM's Cartoon Studio. April 14: Friz Freleng's Bugs Bunny and Yosemite Sam cartoon The Fair-Haired Hare premieres, produced by Warner Bros. Cartoons. April 27: Jack Kinney's Goofy cartoon Cold War, which features the identity change for Goofy as "George Geef" and his wife Mrs. Geef, who is regarded to be Disney's ill-fated character decades later. This era, known as "Everyman", was notorious for its accusations on the grounds that it was sexist as women were not allowed to have their faces shown onscreen.
May May 19: Chuck Jones' short Rabbit Fire premieres; starring Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, & Elmer Fudd; produced by Warner Bros. Cartoons, the first short in his Hunting Season trilogy. It also marks a significant change in Daffy's personality, where the originally silly go-happy character now transforms into a more sane, selfish, unsympathetic loser. May 26: Hanna-Barbera's Tom and Jerry cartoon Sleepy-Time Tom premieres, produced by MGM's Cartoon Studio.
June June 2: Friz Freleng's Tweety and Sylvester cartoon Room and Bird premieres, produced by Warner Bros. Cartoons. Also starring Granny and Hector the Bulldog. June 16: Chuck Jones' Chow Hound premieres, produced by Warner Bros. Cartoons. Tex Avery's Symphony in Slang premieres, produced by MGM. June 30: Robert McKimson's Bugs Bunny cartoon French Rarebit premieres, produced by Warner Bros. Cartoons.
July July 7: Hanna-Barbera's Tom and Jerry cartoon His Mouse Friday premieres, produced by MGM's Cartoon Studio. This particular short was deemed controversial for its heavy depictions of African American stereotypes as its availability became limited since the 1990s. July 14: Chuck Jones' Porky Pig cartoon, The Wearing of the Grin, produced by Warner Bros. Cartoons is released, It's the final solo cartoon for Porky.Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. pg. 126. Retrieved 6 June 2020. July 26: The Walt Disney Company releases Alice in Wonderland, produced by Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson and Hamilton Luske. July 28: Robert McKimson's Foghorn Leghorn cartoon Leghorn Swoggled premieres, produced by Warner Bros. Cartoons. Also starring Henery Hawk & Barnyard Dawg.Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. pg. 81. . Retrieved June 6, 2020.
August
August 11: Friz Freleng's Bugs Bunny cartoon His Hare-Raising Tale premieres, produced by Warner Bros. Cartoons. This short marks the debut of Bugs' nephew Clyde Bunny. The short features footage from previous Bugs Bunny cartoons, such as Freleng's own Baseball Bugs & Stage Door Cartoon, Chuck Jones' Rabbit Punch & Haredevil Hare, and Bob Clampett's Falling Hare. August 25: Chuck Jones' short Cheese Chasers premieres, produced by Warner Bros. Cartoons. Starring Hubie and Bertie (making their final appearance in the Golden Age of Animation), Claude Cat, & the debut of Marc Antony the bulldog.
September
September 8: Robert McKimson's Foghorn Leghorn cartoon Lovelorn Leghorn premieres, produced by Warner Bros. Cartoons. Also starring Miss Prissy & Barnyard Dawg.Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. pg. 82 . Retrieved June 6, 2020. Hanna-Barbera's Tom and Jerry cartoon Slicked-up Pup premieres, produced by MGM's Cartoon Studio. September 22: Friz Freleng's Tweety and Sylvester cartoon Tweety's S.O.S. premieres, produced by Warner Bros. Cartoons. Also starring Granny.
Fall The U.S. government educational short Duck and Cover, by Anthony Rizzo, begins airing in U.S. schools. The film teaches children what to do in case of a nuclear attack and features an animated sequence starring Bert the Turtle.
October
October 6: Hanna-Barbera's Tom and Jerry cartoon Nit-Witty Kitty premieres, produced by MGM's Cartoon Studio. Friz Freleng's Bugs Bunny and Yosemite Sam cartoon Ballot Box Bunny premieres, produced by Warner Bros. Cartoons.
November November 15: John Hubley's Rooty Toot Toot, produced by UPA, premieres. November 17: Chuck Jones' Daffy Duck and Porky Pig cartoon Drip-Along Daffy premieres, produced by Warner Bros. Cartoons. It marks the debut of recurring villain Nasty Canasta. Tex Avery's Droopy cartoon Droopy's Double Trouble premieres, produced by MGM in which confusion arises around Droopy's twin brother.
December December 1: Robert McKimson's Bugs Bunny cartoon Big Top Bunny premieres, produced by Warner Bros. Cartoons. December 8: Hanna-Barbera's Tom and Jerry cartoon Cat Napping premieres, produced by MGM's Cartoon Studio. December 15: Friz Freleng's Tweety and Sylvester cartoon Tweet Tweet Tweety premieres, produced by Warner Bros. Cartoons. December 22: Robert McKimson's Porky Pig and Daffy Duck cartoon The Prize Pest premieres, produced by Warner Bros. Cartoons. December 29: Jack Kinney's Goofy cartoon No Smoking, produced by the Walt Disney Company, premieres. It is controversial and rarely broadcast because the plot revolves around Goofy trying to quit smoking.
Specific date unknown Valentina and Zinaida Brumberg's The Night Before Christmas premieres.
Films released
January 13 - Amazon Symphony (Brazil) January 26 - Prince Bayaya (Czechoslovakia) July 26 - Alice in Wonderland (United States) December 31 - The Night Before Christmas (Soviet Union)
Births
January January 3: Paul Christie, American voice actor (voice of Dan Matter and Germ in Osmosis Jones, Ram #1 in Brother Bear, C.A.R.R. in Stroker and Hoop, Jim Mathis in Our Cartoon President, Moose A. Moose in Moose and Zee). January 12: Rush Limbaugh, American conservative political commentator (voice of a Galactical Political Commentator and The Rancor in the Family Guy episodes "Blue Harvest" and "It's a Trap!", voiced himself in the Family Guy episode "Excellence in Broadcasting"), (d. 2021). January 30: Phil Collins, English drummer and musician (wrote and sang the songs in Tarzan and Brother Bear), and actor (voice of Muk and Luk in Balto, Lucky in The Jungle Book 2).
February February 5: John Callahan, American cartoonist (creator of Pelswick and John Callahan's Quads!), (d. 2010). Robin Sachs, English actor (voice of Silver Surfer in Fantastic Four, Sergeant Sam Roderick in the SpongeBob SquarePants episode "Mrs. Puff, You're Fired"), (d. 2013). February 10: Bob Iger, American media executive (CEO of The Walt Disney Company from 2005-2020, and 2022-2026, voice of Bob Tiger in Zootopia 2). February 13: David Naughton, American actor and singer (voice of Commander Locke and Dr. Noah in Sky Blue, The Streak in the Justice League episode "Legends", Orchestra Conductor Hero in the Higglytown Heroes episode "Higgly Harmonies", himself in the SuperMansion episode "Comicarnage"). February 15: Melissa Manchester, American musician (Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland, Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure), and actress (voice of Miss Kitty in The Great Mouse Detective, Ms. Euphrosyne in Hercules, Jane Green in the Captain Planet and the Planeteers episode "Dirty Politics"). Paul Kandel, American actor (voice of Clopin Trouillefou in The Hunchback of Notre Dame and The Hunchback of Notre Dame II). February 16: Laurie O'Brien, American actress (voice of Miss Piggy in Muppet Babies). William Katt, American actor and musician (voice of Hawkman in the Batman: The Brave and the Bold episode "The Golden Age of Justice!", Green Guardman in the Justice League episode "Legends", Zowie in the Batman: The Animated Series episode "Riddler's Reform"). February 22: Ellen Greene, American actress and singer (voice of Goldie in Rock-a-Doodle, Dolly Gopher in Re-Animated and Out of Jimmy's Head, Creeping Ivy in The Magic of Herself the Elf, Mrs. Sugarby in the Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure episode "Painter's Block", Mrs. Manface in the Batman: The Brave and the Bold episode "Night of the Huntress!", Gertrude Washburn in the Pound Puppies episode "Olaf in Love"). Patty Shinagawa, American retired animator (Fred Wolf Films, A Family Circus Christmas, The Chipmunk Adventure, Snoopy: The Musical, The Critic), storyboard artist (The Little Clowns of Happytown, King of the Hill), sheet timer (Film Roman, Recess: School's Out, What's New, Scooby-Doo?, Family Guy, Ni Hao, Kai-Lan, American Dad!), writer (The Twisted Tales of Felix the Cat) and director (Film Roman, The Super Hero Squad Show, The Angry Beavers, Futurama, Grim & Evil). February 20: Edward Albert, American actor (voice of Daredevil in Spider-Man, Rafe in Invasion America, Silver Surfer in the Fantastic Four episode "Doomsday", Sheriff White in the Extreme Ghostbusters episode "The Jersey Devil", Captain Briggs in the Godzilla: The Series episode "Vision"), (d. 2006). February 24: Debra Jo Rupp, American actress and comedian (voice of Mrs. Helperman in Teacher's Pet, Kitty Forman in the Robot Chicken episode "Gold Dust Gasoline").
March March 17: Kurt Russell, American actor (voice of adult Copper in The Fox and the Hound, Ego the Living Planet in What If...?). March 18: Bruce Baum, American comedian (voiced himself in The Simpsons episode "The Last Temptation of Krust"). March 19: Kathy Gori, American actress (voice of Rosemary in Hong Kong Phooey, Katie Butler in Valley of the Dinosaurs, Laurie in Inch High Private Eye, Laurie Partridge in Partridge Family 2200 AD). Bob Gardiner, American animator (co-director of Closed Mondays) and inventor (Claymation), (d. 2005). March 26: John Pomeroy, American animator, producer, writer and director (Walt Disney Animation Studios, Sullivan Bluth Studios, Warner Bros. Animation). March 28: Pete Kozachik, American visual effects artist (The Nightmare Before Christmas, Corpse Bride, Coraline, James and the Giant Peach, Monkeybone), (d. 2023).
April April 11: Dennis Snee, American screenwriter (wrote The Simpsons episode "Special Edna"), (d. 2019). April 12: Tom Noonan, American actor (voice of Principal in Hair High, Everyone else in Anomalisa, Phil's Dad in the Animals. episode "The Democratic People's Republic of Kitty City"), (d. 2026).