Events in 1936 in animation.
Films released
Events
January
January 4: David Hand's Mickey's Polo Team premieres, produced by the Walt Disney Animation Studios. It stars Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, various other Disney characters, and caricatures of Hollywood celebrities like Charlie Chaplin, Laurel & Hardy and Harpo Marx. January 17: Somewhere in Dreamland, directed and produced by the Fleischer Brothers, is their first cartoon in three-strip Technicolor. January 31: The animated short Betty Boop and the Little King, directed and produced by the Fleischer Brothers, premieres, being a crossover between Betty Boop and Otto Soglow's newspaper comic The Little King.
March
March 5: 8th Academy Awards: Three Orphan Kittens, directed by David Hand and produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, wins the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. March 7: Hugh Harman's The Old Mill Pond premieres, produced by MGM. It features caricatures of various famous jazz musicians like Cab Calloway, Louis Armstrong and Fats Waller. Tex Avery's Page Miss Glory, produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions, premieres. March 27: Betty Boop and Little Jimmy, directed and produced by the Fleischer Brothers, premieres, being a crossover between Betty Boop and Jimmy Swinnerton's series Little Jimmy. March 28: Wilfred Jackson's Elmer Elephant, produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, premieres.
April
April 4: Tex Avery's The Blow Out, produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions, premieres. It marks the first cartoon in which side character Porky Pig has a starring role.
May
May 2: Friz Freleng's Let It Be Me premieres, produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions. The cartoon features a caricature of popular singer Bing Crosby; however, the real Crosby found this portrayal of him offensive and tried to stop distribution of the short. May 30: Friz Freleng's Bingo Crosbyana premieres, produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions. Like Let It Be Me, it features a caricature of Bing Crosby, which the real Crosby found offensive, resulting in him trying to stop distribution of the short. David Hand's Mickey Mouse cartoon Thru the Mirror is first released, produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios. In this cartoon, Mickey dreams that he travels through his mirror and in a memorable scene, dances with a pack of playing cards.
June
June 20: Wilfred Jackson's Mickey Mouse cartoon Mickey's Rival premieres, produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios. Mickey Mouse is pitted against Mortimer Mouse, who tries to fancy his girlfriend Minnie Mouse. Ben Sharpsteen's Moving Day is released, produced by the Walt Disney Animation Studios, starring Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy. In the cartoon the characters move out all their furniture, with a memorable scene in which Goofy fights a living piano.
July
July 18: Tex Avery's I Love to Singa premieres, produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions. Specific date unknown: Carl Stalling is hired as composer for Leon Schlesinger Productions.
August
August 8: Friz Freleng's Sunday Go to Meetin' Time premieres, produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions. August 10–31: 4th Venice International Film Festival: David Hand's Who Killed Cock Robin, produced by the Walt Disney Animation Studios, wins the award for Best Animation. Len Lye's experimental animated film A Colour Box is shown, but causes a riot among Nazi supporters who label it degenerate art and protest the film. They stomp their feet loudly, leading to the three-minute film being stopped before its completion. August 22: Frank Tashlin's Porky's Poultry Plant premieres, starring Porky Pig and produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions.
October
October 10: Friz Freleng's Boulevardier from the Bronx premieres, produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions. It is the first Warner Bros. Cartoon to use Merrily We Roll Along as its theme song. October 31: Wilfred Jackson's The Country Cousin, produced by Walt Disney Animation, is first released.
November
November 27: Popeye the Sailor Meets Sindbad the Sailor, produced and directed by The Fleischer Brothers, is first released. It is the first Popeye the Sailor cartoon over 16 minutes long and in color. November 28: Friz Freleng's The Coo-Coo Nut Grove is first released, produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions. The cartoon features various caricatures of Hollywood celebrities.