February 26: William Hanna and Joseph Barbera's Tom & Jerry cartoon Polka-Dot Puss, produced by MGM, premieres. It is the first cartoon to use the classic Tom & Jerry theme music as its intro, composed by Scott Bradley.[1]
October 8: Voice actor Mel Blanc loses a trial against animation producer Walter Lantz, whom he'd sued for unauthorized use of his voice and laugh for the character Woody Woodpecker. Blanc had voiced the character in his three first cartoons, before Warner Brothers took an exclusivity contract on him. However, Lantz had kept using audio recordings of Woody's laugh and had other actors imitate the voice. The judge rules that Blanc has no case since he didn't copyright Woody's voice.[10] However, Lantz does settle the case out of court and pays him some compensation afterwards.[11]
Rick Springfield, Australian-American musician and actor (voice of Andy in the Johnny Bravo episode "Beach Blanket Bravo", Bobby Bastille in the Duncanville episode "Jack's Pipe Dream", himself in the Family Guy episode "Chap Stewie").[36]
September 16: Ed Begley Jr., American actor and environmentalist (voice of Donald Todd in Static Shock, Barry Brittle in the Duckman episode "Research and Destroy", Dr. Corso in the Batman Beyond episode "April Moon", himself in The Replacements episode "Dick Daring's All-Star Holiday Stunt Spectacular").
October 3: Norm Abram, American carpenter, writer and television host (guest starred in the Fetch! with Ruff Ruffman episode "This Old...Lemonade Stand", voiced himself in the Freakazoid! episode "Normadeus").
