U.S.A.

Silly Scandals

Filed under: animation, 1930s, Betty Boop, Early Sound, U.S.A., 1931

Release Date: 23/05/1931

"This cartoon marks the origin of Betty Boop (at least the name anyway, the character, or at least one with an uncanny resemblance, had appeared before). Bimbo sneaks into a vaudeville theater to see Betty perform. He is enthralled with her performanc..."

Sinkin’ In The Bathtub

Filed under: animation, 1930s, Early Sound, Leon Schlesinger Studios, Looney Tunes, U.S.A., Warner Bros., 1930

Producer(s): Leon Schlesinger

Release Date: 19/04/1930

"Both racist and a blatant ripoff of Mickey Mouse, this is the first Looney Tunes cartoon. It follows Bosko bathing and then having an adventure on a tiny anthropomorphic train, during this he courts Honey. "

Snow White

Filed under: animation, 1930s, Anime, Betty Boop, Betty Boop series, Dave Fleischer, Early Sound, Inkwell / Fleischer Studios, Max Fleischer, Musical, U.S.A., 1933

Producer(s): Max Fleischer

Release Date: 31/03/1933

"A slim musical adaptation of Snow White's tale. Despite the queen's order to behead Betty (Snow White), the two guards, Bimbo and Koko, rescued Betty and entered a cave where Koko's renowned dancing rotoscoped from Cab Calloway. The evil queen pursue..."

Soul (2020)-Jazz Performance Scene

Filed under: animation, 2020s, 3D Animation, Jazz, Pixar Animation Studios, U.S.A., 2020

Producer(s): Dana Murray

Release Date: 11/10/2020 (BFI Fest), 25/12/2020 (Disney+)

"Soul is a story about Joes, a middle-school band teacher, who finds the true meaning of life after encountering journey in another realm. The clip above shows Joe finally fulfilling his dream of playing jazz by performing with Dorothea, the saxphonist. "

Space Ghost: “The Heat Thing”

Filed under: animation, 1960s, Animation Series, Bill Hanna, Color, Hanna-Barbera Studios, Joe Barbera, Space Ghost, U.S.A., 1966

Producer(s): Joseph Barbera William Hanna

Release Date: 10/09/1966

"Space Ghost imagines intergalactic adventures through the superhero Space Ghost and his sidekicks Jace and Jan, and their pet monkey Blip, who assist in keeping outer space free from trouble. Space Ghost was pivotal in the rising popularity of superh..."

Spring Hits a Snag

Filed under: animation, Bill Hanna, Color, Hanna-Barbera Studios, Joe Barbera, U.S.A., 1961

Producer(s): Joseph Barbera and William Hanna

Release Date: 1961

""Snagglepuss rescues Lila, a lovely young miss in distress, who he then envisions as a suitable Mrs. Snagglepuss. This was actually Lila's plan all along and in no time at all, she is ensconced in Snag's domain. But all is not sweetness and light. Th..."

Steamboat Willie

Filed under: animation, Early Sound, Mickey Mouse, U.S.A., Walt Disney Studios, 1928

Producer(s): Walt Disney Roy O. Disney

Release Date: 29/07/1928

"The first Mickey Mouse cartoon with synchronized sound. Disney agonized over the synchronization of sound to the animation in Steamboat Willie. The cartoon also introduces a prototypical Minnie mouse. Mickey's pretty much a jerk within the narrative ..."

Swing Shift Cinderella

Filed under: animation, 1940s, Jazz, Metro Goldwyn Mayer Studios, Musical, U.S.A., World War 2 ( WW2 ), 1945

Producer(s): William Hanna Fred Quimby

Release Date: 25/08/1945

"Bored with chasing Red Riding Hood, the Wolf decides to go after Cinderella, but her fairy godmother takes a shine to him instead - and has an arsenal of magical powers to help achieve her ends."

Swooner Crooner

Filed under: animation, 1940s, Jazz, Merrie Melodies, Porky Pig, U.S.A., Warner Bros., 1944

Producer(s): Leon Schlesinger

Release Date: 06/05/1944

"Porky Pig's egg farm faces production problems when a crooning rooster distracts the hens from their jobs."

Tarantella

Filed under: animation, 1940s, Color, U.S.A., 1940

Release Date: 31/12/1940

"Tarantella is an avant-garde, abstract, animated short film with piano accompaniment by Edwin Gerschefski. Mary Ellen Bute, the director and animator of Tarantella, kept some of Norman McLaren’s original paintings from their previous collaboration ..."

The Band Concert

Filed under: animation, 1930s, All Music, Color, Donald Duck, Goofy, Mickey Mouse, Musical, Technicolor, U.S.A., Ub Iwerks, Walt Disney, Walt Disney Studios, 1935

Producer(s): Walt Disney

Release Date: 23/02/1935

"Mickey and his friends Peter Pig, Paddy Pig, Horace Horsecollar, Clarabelle Cow, and Goofy try to put on an outdoor concert. As they attempt to play the William Tell Overture they face many problems, chief among them Donald Duck and a pesky bee. "

The Bandmaster

Filed under: animation, 1930s, Oswald, U.S.A., Universal Studios, 1931

Producer(s): Walter Lantz

Release Date: 18/05/1931

"Oswald conducts, and then a slew of seemingly random events ensue. Although at moments narrative causality matters, for the most part spectacle drives the cartoon (for example, when objects seemingly magically transform)."

The Cartoon Factory

Filed under: animation, 1920s, Inkwell / Fleischer Studios, U.S.A., 1924

Producer(s): Max Fleischer Alfred Weiss

Release Date: 21/02/1924

""KoKo the Clown and a live-action Max Fleischer. Max has invented a new, electric, drawing device. He uses this to finish the drawing and then, with a somewhat maniacal grin on his face, he turns the device on poor, hapless KoKo.""

The Cobweb Hotel

Filed under: animation, Color, Dave Fleischer, Inkwell / Fleischer Studios, Max Fleischer, U.S.A., 1936

Producer(s): Max Fleischer

Release Date: 15/05/1936

"A spider runs a hotel for flies where he keeps his guests captive. A pair of fly newlyweds arrive and check in. Fortunately, the husband is "flyweight champion" and the spider winds up in a bottle of library paste. "

The Flintstones: Cave Scout Jamboree

Filed under: animation, 1960s, Bill Hanna, Color, Hanna-Barbera Studios, Joe Barbera, U.S.A., 1966

Producer(s): William Hanna and Joseph Barbera

Release Date: 01/04/1966

"After flooding the quarry where he works, Fred is laid off work for a few days. He convinces Wilma and Betty to accompany he and Barney on a camping trip, promising them a peaceful getaway. However, when they learn that their campground is the site o..."

The Friendly Ghost-Casper playing with friends

Filed under: animation, 1940s, Anime, Casper the Ghost, Color, Early Sound, Famous Studios, Joe Oriolo, Painted Animation, Paramount Pictures, U.S.A., 1945

Producer(s): Sam Buchwald

Release Date: 16/11/1945

The Frozen North

Filed under: animation, Paul Terry, Terrytoons Animated Shorts, U.S.A., 1941

Producer(s): Paul Terry

Release Date: 17/10/1941

"A Terry-Toon that depicts polar region characters like a wolf, Eskimo, and a bear."

The Great Bluegrass Mountain Race

Filed under: animation, 1970s, Color, Farmhouse Films, U.S.A., 1977

Producer(s): Fred Calvert

Release Date: 12/11/1977

"This is the tenth episode of the short-lived series, I Am the Greatest!: The Adventures of Muhammad Ali. Muhammad Ali, Damon, and Nicky help their friend, a train engineer named Jimmy, win a race against two dishonest truckers."

The Mad Scientist / Superman

Filed under: animation, 1940s, Dave Fleischer, Max Fleischer, Superman, Technicolor, U.S.A., World War 2 ( WW2 ), 1941

Producer(s): Max Fleischer Adolph Zukor

Release Date: 26/09/1941

"When a mad scientist holds Lois Lane hostage, only Superman can save her, and the rest of the city, from his diabolical plot."

The Skeleton Dance

Filed under: animation, 1920s, Silly Symphonies, U.S.A., Ub Iwerks, Walt Disney, Walt Disney Studios, 1929

Producer(s): Walt Disney

Release Date: 22/08/1929

"As we hear the chimes at midnight and bats flutter from a belfry; as a hound howls at the full moon and black cats brawl on the tombstones; Through the gloom, white skeletons pass, Running and leaping in their shrouds!"

The Sliphorn King of Polaroo

Filed under: animation, Racial representation, U.S.A., Universal Studios, 1945

Producer(s): Walter Lantz

Release Date: 19/03/1945

"Shipwrecked Jackson, a trombone player, is washed up on an arctic island. His solid technique on the sliding brass captivates the native seals and penguins, who elect him King of Polaroo."

The Tell-Tale Heart

Filed under: animation, 1950s, Technicolor, U.S.A., United Productions of America (UPA), 1953

Producer(s): John Hubley Stephen Bosustow

Release Date: 27/12/1953

"Based on Edgar Allan Poe's short story of the same name. The caretaker of an old man suffers paranoid delusions surrounding his employer's blind eye. In a fit of rage, he murders the old man and hides his body under the floorboards. Facing police inv..."

Three Little Pigs

Filed under: animation, 1930s, U.S.A., Walt Disney Studios, 1933

Producer(s): Walt Disney

Release Date: 27/05/1933

"The story of the three little pigs with minor variations including the wolf's attempts to outsmart the pigs."

Tom and Jerry – Safety Second

Filed under: animation, Bill Hanna, Hanna-Barbera Studios, Joe Barbera, Technicolor, Tom and Jerry, U.S.A., 1950

Producer(s): Fred Quimby

Release Date: 01/07/1950

"Jerry and Nibbles celebrate spend the day prepping for 4th of July celebrations, however Jerry strongly disapproves of the latter's penchant for pyrotechnics, forbidding him from using fireworks and explosives for the occasion. Instead, Jerry propose..."