Animation Fun Facts for Dec 21, 2012

Birthdays: Benjamin Disraeli, Josh Gibson- the Home Run King of the Negro Baseball Leagues, Pat Weaver-TV exec who created the Today Show and father of Sigourney Weaver, Frank Zappa, Dr. Kurt Waldheim, Florence Griffith Joyner, Chris Evert, Phil Roman, Jane Fonda is 75, Paul Winchell the voice of Tigger, Keifer Sutherland is 46, Samuel L. Jackson is 64, Ray Romano is 55, Jane Kaszmarek, Judy Delphy is 43, Jeffrey Katzenberg is 64 1914- The premiere of the first feature length film comedy- Tilly’s Punctured Romance, starring Marie Dressler, Mabel Normand and a young Charlie Chaplin. 1925- Sergei Eisenstein’s cinematic masterpiece Battleship Potemkin premiered in Moscow. The films pioneering use of montage and allegorical imagery intercut inspired a generation of filmmakers. 1933- Twentieth Century Fox signed 5 year old Shirley Temple to a seven year contract. 1937-Walt Disney's " Snow White and the Seven Dwarves" had it’s grand premiere. The first feature length American cartoon, it becomes the box office champ of 1938-earning 4 times more than any other film that year. 1971- Richard William's animated TV special "A Christmas Carol" with Alastair Sim reprising his scrooge.