Animation Fun Facts for July 13, 2012

Birthdays: Cheech Marin, Cameron Crowe, Woye Solenka, Dave Garroway, Chef Paul Prudhomme, Film special effects artist Jim Danforth, Dr. Erno Rubik inventor of the Rubik’s Cube, Patrick Stewart is 71, Harrison Ford is 69, Tom Kenny the voice of Spongebob Squarepants is 50 1865- P.T. Barnum’s American Museum in New York City burned down in a spectacular fire. Barnum rebuilt but after that one burned as well, he got the idea of getting into the circus business. In his American Museum , more a sitting menagerie and sideshow than a museum as we know it, Barnum invented the idea of advanced hype and created kiddie matinees. 1925- Walt Disney and Lillian Bounds marry. Lillian was one of the first female animation ink & paint artists. 1949- Hollywood Studio exec David O. Selznick left his first wife Esther, the daughter of Louis B. Mayer, to marry actress Jennifer Jones. 1984- The film The Last Starfighter with Robert Preston opened. The first movie where all the spaceships and effects were done with computers instead of miniature models.