- Jan 10 "Pete the Tramp" cartoon strip by C D Russell debuts
Film Premiere
Feb 3 "Shanghai Express" directed by Josef von Sternberg and starring Marlene Dietrich, Clive Brook and Anna Mae Wong premieres in Los Angeles
Olympic Gold
Feb 12 Sonja Henie of Norway wins her 2nd of 3 consecutive Olympic gold medals in women’s figure skating at the Lake Placid Winter Games; beats Austria’s Fritzi Burger into 2nd place for 2nd straight Games
- Feb 14 The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show debuts on CBS radio, airing there until 1937, moving to NBC until 1949, and returning to CBS in 1949, before moving to television
- Feb 15 George Burns & Gracie Allen debut as regulars on the "Guy Lombardo Show"
- Feb 18 Sonja Henie wins her 6th straight World Women's figure skating title
- Mar 24 1st US radio broadcast from a moving train (Belle Baker WABC from MD)
Radio Premiere
Mar 29 Jack Benny debuts on radio, on Ed Sullivan's New York interview program
Film Release
Apr 2 "Tarzan the Ape Man" released starring Olympic swimmer Johnny Weissmuller in the first of his 12 Tarzan films
Theater Premiere
Apr 4 George Bernard Shaw's comedy play "Too True To Be Good" premieres in NYC; runs for 59 performances
Film Premiere
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)
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)
- Apr 29 1st broadcast of "One Man's Family" on NBC radio, longest-running dramatic serial on US radio (ends 1959)
Radio Premiere
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
Film Premiere
Sep 29 Film "Bill of Divorcement" starring John Barrymore and Katharine Hepburn, directed by George Cukor premieres at the Mayfair
Film Premiere
Oct 22 Film "Red Dust" directed by Victor Fleming, starring Clark Gable, Jean Harlow and Mary Astor premieres
Academy Awards
Nov 18 5th Academy Awards: Fredric March and Wallace Beery in 1st ever tie for Best Actor. "Grand Hotel" and Helen Hayes also win.
Radio Premiere
Nov 28 Groucho Marx performs on radio for the first time
Music Premiere
Nov 29 Cole Porter's musical "Gay Divorcee" opens at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre, NYC, later transferred to the Schubert Theater; runs for 248 performances
- Dec 2 "Adventures of Charlie Chan" 1st heard on NBC-Blue radio network
Film Release
Dec 22 "The Mummy" directed by Karl Freund and starring Boris Karloff is released in the US - 1st Mummy horror film
Film Premiere
Dec 29 Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers' 1st joint movie "Flying Down to Rio," directed by Thornton Freeland, premieres in NYC
