Events in Film & Television in 1932

Film Premier

Feb 3 "Shanghai Express" directed by Josef von Sternberg and starring Marlene Dietrich, Clive Brook and Anna Mae Wong premieres in Los Angeles

Actress and Singer Marlene Dietrich — Actress and Singer
Marlene Dietrich

Mar 24 1st US radio broadcast from a moving train (Belle Baker WABC from MD)

Event of Interest

Mar 29 Jack Benny debuts on radio, on Ed Sullivan's New York interview program

TV Host Ed Sullivan — TV Host
Ed Sullivan

Film Premier

Apr 12 "Grand Hotel" directed by Edmund Goulding and starring Greta Garbo and John Barrymore premieres in New York, includes the line "I want to be alone" (Best Picture/Production 1932)

Actress Greta Garbo — Actress
Greta Garbo

Film Release

Apr 16 Short film "The Music Box" released in the US, starring Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy (1932 Academy Award Best Live Action Short Film)

Comedian and Actor Stan Laurel — Comedian and Actor
Stan Laurel

Comic Actor Oliver Hardy — Comic Actor
Oliver Hardy

Apr 29 1st broadcast of "One Man's Family" on NBC radio, longest-running dramatic serial on US radio (ends 1959)
May 2 Jack Benny's 1st radio show premieres (NBC Blue Network)
May 25 Goofy, aka Dippy Dawg, 1st appears in 'Mickey's Revue' by Walt Disney

Film Release

Jul 28 "White Zombie" - 1st feature length zombie film directed by Victor Halperin and starring Bela Lugosi is released in the US

Aug 6 1st Venice Film Festival opens, the world's oldest film festival
Aug 22 BBC begins experimental regular TV broadcasts
Sep 18 Actress Peg Entwistle commits suicide by jumping from the letter "H" in the Hollywood sign
Oct 11 1st political telecast (Democratic National Committee) at CBS, NYC
Oct 20 Journalist Robert Trout joins CBS
Nov 7 1st broadcast of "Buck Rogers in the 25th century" on CBS-radio
Nov 15 Walt Disney Art School created
Nov 18 "Flowers & Trees" receives 1st Academy Award for a cartoon