Tom SIto's animation almanac for May 15, 2025

Birthdays: Lyman Frank Baum, Claudio Monteverdi, Richard Avedon, James Mason, Joseph Cotten, George Brett, Jasper Johns, Anna Maria Alberghetti, Jean Renoir, Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, Trini Lopez, Charles Lamont, director of Abbott & Costello Go to Mars, country singer Eddy Arnold, Chaz Palmintieri, Lainie Kazan, Disney artist Joe Grant

 

1703- Charles Perrault died. Perrault 1628-1703 was a retired minister to French King Louis XIV, who wrote stories for children under the pseudonym Mother Goose. He created Little Red Riding Hood, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella and Puss in Boots. 

 

1927- The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel opened for business. Named in honor of Teddy Roosevelt.

 

1928- Walt Disney held a private sneak preview screening of his completed cartoon Plane Crazy, featuring his new star Mickey Mouse, imitating hero Charles Lindbergh. But it was a silent cartoon, and Walt had recently been impressed by the new Talking Pictures. So, he decided to hold back the release of this cartoon and push ahead with his first sound cartoon Steamboat Willie. After the wild success of Steamboat Willie, Plane Crazy was refitted with a soundtrack and released as the 4^th Mickey Mouse cartoon in 1929.

 

 

1940- The first Nylon stockings go on sale in the US.

 

 

1942- The U.S. initiated a program of wartime gas rationing. Slogans like “Is this Trip Really Necessary?” and a system of ratings vehicles with A, B & C cards pop up in a lot of gas stations for the duration. C meant a war-essential worker and you went to the head of the line to get gas. B was for police, firemen and municipal workers. A cards was the lowest status i.e. the rest of us. 

 

1946- The first Tommy’s Burger stand opened in Los Angeles.

 

1952- A big fire destroyed several stages on the Warner Bros studio lot.

 

1953- Rocky Marciano defeated Jersey Joe Walcott for the Heavyweight Championship.

 

 

1957- MGM officially closed its animation dept. laying off Hanna & Barbera and all their team. Fred Quimby retired.

 

1963 – Folk group Peter, Paul & Mary won their first Grammy for, “If I Had a Hammer”.

 

1967- Paul McCartney first met his first wife Linda Eastman.

 

1968 - Paul McCartney & John Lennon appear on the Johnny Carson Show to promote

Apple records, Joe Garagiola was the substitute host. 

 

 

1970 – A month after their breakup, The Beatles' last album, "Let It Be," is released in US.

 

2019- The Sci-Fi animated series Love, Death and Robots premiered.