Events in 1938 in animation.
Films released
Events January January 1: Tex Avery's Daffy Duck & Egghead, starring Daffy Duck and produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions, is first released. January 28: Riding the Rails, starring Betty Boop and produced by Fleischer Studios, is first released.
February February 7: Bob Clampett's Breakdowns of 1938 is made, produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions, an blooper reel made exclusively for Warner Brothers' personnel and not released theatrically. The film is notable for a scene where Porky Pig says "Son of a bitch!". February 11: Jack King's Self Control, starring Donald Duck and produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, is first released. February 19: Friz Freleng's Jungle Jitters, produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions, is first released. The Captain and the Kids film series, produced by the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer cartoon studio, debuts with their first cartoon Cleaning House. February 25: Be Up to Date, starring Betty Boop and produced by Fleischer Studios, is first released. Ben Sharpsteen's Boat Builders, starring Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy and produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, is first released. February 26: Bob Clampett's What Price Porky starring Porky Pig and produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions, is first released.
March March 10: Jack King's Donald's Better Self, starring Donald Duck and produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, is first released. 10th Academy Awards: Walt Disney's The Old Mill wins the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. Walt Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Score, but loses to One Hundred Men and a Girl. However, a year later the Academy will give Snow White eight special Academy Awards. March 25: Honest Love and True, starring Betty Boop and produced by Fleischer Studios, is first released.
April April 1: Burt Gillett's Moth and the Flame, produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, is first released. April 15: Jack King's Donald's Nephews, produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, is first released. It marks the on-screen debut of Huey, Louie and Dewey who had already debuted in Al Taliaferro's Donald Duck comic strip a year earlier. April 16: Bob Clampett's Porky's Five & Ten, starring Porky Pig and produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions, is first released. April 22: Out of the Inkwell, starring Betty Boop and produced by Fleischer Studios, is first released. April 23: Tex Avery's The Penguin Parade, produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions, is first released. April 30: Ben Hardaway and Cal Dalton's Porky's Hare Hunt, starring Porky Pig and produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions, is first released. In it, Porky hunts a rabbit, who is a prototypical version of Bugs Bunny.
May May 6: Ben Sharpsteen's Mickey's Trailer, starring Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy and produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, is first released. May 14: Frank Tashlin's Now That Summer is Gone, produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions, is first released. May 27: The Swing School, starring Betty Boop, produced by Fleischer Studios, is first released. Graham Heid's Wynken, Blynken and Nod, produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, is first released. May 28: Friz Freleng's The Isle of Pingo Pongo, produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions, is first released.
June June 11: Cal Howard and Cal Dalton's Katnip Kollege, produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions, is first released. June 17: Ben Sharpsteen's Polar Trappers, starring Donald Duck and Goofy and produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, is first released. June 24: Pudgy and the Lost Kitten, starring Betty Boop and produced by Fleischer Studios, is first released. June 25: Frank Tashlin's Have You Got Any Castles?, produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions, is first released. Bob Clampett's Porky's Party, starring Porky Pig and produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions, is first released.
July July 8: Jack King's Good Scouts, starring Donald Duck, Huey, Louie and Dewey and produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, is first released. July 9: Ben Hardaway and Cal Dalton's Love and Curses, produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions, is first released. July 23: Tex Avery's Cinderella Meets Fella, produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions, is first released. July 25: Frank Tashlin's Porky's Spring Planting, starring Porky Pig and produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions, is first released. July 29: Buzzy Boop, starring Betty Boop and produced by Fleischer Studios, is first released. Ben Sharpsteen's The Fox Hunt, starring Donald Duck and Goofy and produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, is first released.
August August 6: Bob Clampett's Porky & Daffy, starring Porky Pig and Daffy Duck and produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions, is first released. August 12: Pudgy the Watchman, starring Betty Boop and produced by Fleischer Studios, is first released. August 13: Frank Tashlin's The Major Lied 'Til Dawn, produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions, is first released. August 19: David Hand and Dick Huemer's The Whalers, starring Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy and produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, is first released. August 26: All's Fair at the Fair, produced by Fleischer Studios, is first released. August 27: Cal Dalton and Cal Howard's A-Lad-In Bagdad, produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions, is first released. Frank Tashlin's Wholly Smoke, starring Porky Pig, produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions, is first released.
September September 9: Bill Roberts' Mickey's Parrot, starring Mickey Mouse and Pluto and produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, is first released. September 10: Frank Tashlin's Cracked Ice, produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions, is first released. September 16: Buzzy Boop at the Concert, starring Betty Boop and produced by Fleischer Studios, is first released. September 23: Bill Roberts' Brave Little Tailor, starring Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse and produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, is first released. September 24: Tex Avery's A Feud There Was, starring Egghead and produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions, is first released. Bob Clampett's Porky in Wackyland starring Porky Pig and produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions, is first released. It marks the debut of the Do-Do Bird.
October October 8: Bob McKimson's Little Pancho Vanilla and produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions, is first released. October 14: Jack Cutting's Farmyard Symphony, produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, is first released. Sally Swing, starring Betty Boop and produced by Fleischer Studios, is first released. October 22: Tex Avery's Johnny Smith and Poker-Huntas, starring Egghead and produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions, is first released. October 28: The Playful Polar Bears, produced by Fleischer Studios, is first released.
November November 4: Jack King and Jim Handley's Donald's Golf Game, starring Donald Duck, Huey, Louie and Dewey and produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, is first released. November 5: Bob Clampett's Porky in Egypt, starring Porky Pig, produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions, is first released. The cartoon is notable for a scene where a camel goes insane due to heat stroke. Frank Tashlin's You're an Education, produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions, is first released. November 18: A Date to Skate, starring Popeye and produced by Fleischer Studios, is first released. November 19: Chuck Jones' The Night Watchman, produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions, is first released. November 25: Dick Rickard's Ferdinand the Bull, produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, is first released. November 26: Bob Clampett's The Daffy Doc, starring Daffy Duck and Porky Pig and produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions, is first released.
December December 2: On with the New, starring Betty Boop and produced by Fleischer Studios, is first released. December 9: Rudolf Ising and Vernon Stallings' Merbabies, produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, is first released. December 12: Tex Avery's Daffy Duck in Hollywood, starring Daffy Duck and Porky Pig and produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions, is first released. The cartoon is notable for combining animation with live-action, including a scene where Daffy meets producer Leon Schlesinger. December 17: Ben Hardaway and Cal Dalton's Count Me Out (1938) starring Egghead and produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions, is first released. December 23: Wilfred Jackson's Mother Goose Goes Hollywood, produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, is first released. A cartoon featuring caricatures of Hollywood actors. Thrills and Chills, starring Betty Boop, produced by Fleischer Studios, is first released.
Specific date unknown The manga Norakuro is adapted into an anime film, directed by Mitsuyo Seo.
Births
January January 6: Michael Graham Cox, English actor (voice of Boromir in The Lord of the Rings, Bigwig in Watership Down), (d. 1995). January 7: Roland Topor, French novelist, illustrator, cartoonist, comics artist, film script writer, TV script writer, animator and playwright (Les Escargots, Fantastic Planet), (d. 1998). January 13: Charlie Brill, American actor and comedian (voice of Grimm in Mother Goose and Grimm, the title character in The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy episode "King Tooten Pooten"). January 14: Jack Jones, American singer and actor (voice of the Frog in Over the Garden Wall), (d. 2024). January 16: Michael Pataki, American actor (voice of The Cow in Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures, George Liquor in Ren & Stimpy, the Chief in Boo Boo Runs Wild, Sewer King in the Batman: The Animated Series episode "The Underdwellers"), (d. 2010).Obituary Los Angeles Times, May 5, 2010; page AA7. Michael J. O'Connor, American animator, storyboard artist (Filmation, Hanna-Barbera, The Simpsons) and writer (DePatie-Freleng Enterprises, Filmation), (d. 1992). January 25: Shotaro Ishinomori, Japanese manga artist (creator of Cyborg 009), (d. 1998). Leiji Matsumoto, Japanese animator and manga artist (Space Battleship Yamato, Galaxy Express 999, Space Pirate Captain Harlock, Queen Emeraldas, Queen Millennia, worked with the band Daft Punk on their animated music videos and their full-length film Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem), (d. 2023).
February February 2: Bo Hopkins, American actor (voice of Huttin in The Angry Beavers episode "Fat Chance"), (d. 2022). February 3: Marshall Efron, American actor (voice of Ratso in The Kwicky Koala Show, Sloppy Smurf in The Smurfs, Mooch in The Biskitts, Fat Cat in Kidd Video, Stanley in Fluppy Dogs, Hun-Gurrr in The Transformers, Deputroll Flake in Trollkins, Synonamess Botch in Twice Upon a Time, the Earl of Sandwich in the Time Squad episode "A Sandwich by Any Other Name"), (d. 2019). Petar Gligorovski, Macedonian painter, comics artist, animator and director (Adam 5 do 12), (d. 1995). February 4: Tomoharu Katsumata, Japanese film director (Toei Animation). February 12: Judy Blume, American author (voiced herself in The Simpsons episode "D'oh Canada"). February 17: Dario Penne, Italian actor (Italian dub voice of Bender in Futurama, Finn McMissile in Cars 2, Agent K in Men in Black: The Series, and Django in Ratatouille), (d. 2023). February 22: Barry Dennen, American actor (voice of Ramsis Dendup in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Czar Nicholas II in the Animaniacs episode "Nothing but the Tooth", Shadow Agent in the Batman: The Animated Series episode "Off Balance"), (d. 2017).
March March 3: Bruno Bozzetto, Italian animator and director (creator of Mr. Rossi). March 12: Ken Spears, American animation writer, sound editor and producer (Hanna-Barbera, co-creator of Scooby-Doo, co-founder of Ruby-Spears), (d. 2020).