March


MARCH 1ST
1930 - Ub Iwerks, master animator and designer of Mickey Mouse, left his friend Walt Disney to set up his own studio.

MARCH 2ND
1886- Willis O'Brien born, the animator of King Kong.
1904 - Ted Geisel, cartoonist, animation director and Dr.Suess, born.
1933 - "King Kong" premiered.

MARCH 3RD
1950 - Paramount's "Quack-A-Doodle-Doo", the birth of Baby Huey.

MARCH 9TH
1907 - J. Stuart Blackton starts The Moving Picture World, the first movie fanzine.
1918 - Jules Engel, graphic designer, teacher ,born.

MARCH 12TH
1932 - Disney's cartoon "Mickey's Review" debuts, introducing Goofy.

MARCH 14TH
1932 - George Eastman, the inventor of roll film and founder of Kodak, shoots himself. His suicide note reads, "My work here is done.Why wait?"

MARCH 15TH
1915 - Universal Studios moves over the hill from Hollywood to the San Fernando Valley and becomes one of the largest studio facilities in the world.
1950 - Disney's "Cinderella" the studios return to fairy tale stories and the first voice work of June Foray premieres.

MARCH 17TH
1895 - Stooge Shemp Howard born.

MARCH 19TH
1914 - A fire in a New Jersey film negative vault destroyed all the American work of Frenchman Emile Cohl, the first true animator.

MARCH 20TH
1943 - MGM's "Dumb-Hounded", the first Droopy Cartoon.

MARCH 22ND
1909 - Milt Kahl, Disney animator born.

MARCH 22ND
1931- William Shatner born.
1957 - Art Clokey's "Gumby" debuted.
1985 - Disney animation director Wolfgang "Woolie" Reitherman died in an auto accident driving home from lunch at the SmokeHouse.

MARCH 24TH
1901 - Ub Iwerks, animator and designer of Mickey Mouse, born.
1911 - Joe Barbera, MGM cartoon director, born.
1943 - Japanese wartime animated feature "Momotaro's Sea Eagles" debuted.

MARCH 29TH
1989 - As part of the Oscar ceremony, Rob Lowe perfomed a song and dance number with a Las Vegas showgirl dressed as Snow White. The Disney Company threatened a lawsuit and the Academy apologized.

MARCH 30TH
1913 - Marc Davis, Disney animator, born.
1918 - Thomas Edison gives up on movie making and trying to make New Jersey the film capitol of the world.
1968 - Two children in the Bowery come across the body of a homeless drug addict later identified as Bobby Driscol, 31, the voice of Disney's "Peter Pan".

MARCH 31ST
1930 - THE HAYS OFFICE OPENS FOR BUSINESS - Movie Studios adopt the Motion Picture Production Code. A watchdog committee is formed to be chaired by former Republican party chairman Will Hays. By 1935 the code will enforce a moral code on pictures- Kisses no longer than ten seconds and never lips apart. When couple is seen in bed, the man must keep one foot on the floor, etc.