Animation Fun Facts for 2/13/13

Birthdays: Giambattista Piazzetta, Bess Truman, Grant Wood, Lord Randolph Churchill, Fyodor Chaliapin, Peter Tork, Oliver Reed, Chuck Yeager, Woody Hayes, Tennessee Ernie Ford, Carol Lynley, Kim Novak, George Segal is 78, Peter Gabriel, Jerry Springer is 68, Stockard Channing is 68, Kelly Hu, Mena Suvari 1867- The Blue Danube Waltz by Johann Strauss Jr premiered in Vienna. 1886- Artist Thomas Eakins resigned his professorship at the Philadelphia Academy of Art in disgust when he was attacked for having male nudes in his art class with women as students. 1932- Free Eats, the first Our Gang short comedy to feature Spanky MacFarland. 1933-comic character Blondie married Dagwood Bumstead. 1939- Producer David O. Selznick replaced directors on Gone With the Wind. George Cukor was out, Victor Fleming was in after completing The Wizard of Oz. Vivien Leigh liked Cukor who was known for directing women, but Clark Gable convinced the producers that they needed an action director. About 15 minutes of George Cukor’s work remains in the picture. Victor Fleming loved Clark, but didn't get along with Vivien Leigh and came to hate the controling Selznick. David O. brought in Sam Wood to direct second unit when Fleming fell behind. 1937- Hal Foster's comic hero Prince Valiant first appeared. 1959 -Happy Birthday BARBIE ! Mattel introduces the plastic nymph, originally named by the German artist who created her 'Lily" but changed to 'Barbie" by an exec who's daughter Barbara was nicknamed that. 1964- The Invention of Cool Whip. 1996- The off-Broadway musical Rent by John Lawson, premiered