On this day in 1936, the ‘Silly Symphony’ cartoon ‘Elmer Elephant’ was released in theaters. Elmer attends Tillie Tiger’s birthday party with a group of other animal children. They bully Elmer about his long trunk, and he becomes self-conscious about his appearance. After receiving some wise advice from an elder giraffe, Elmer uses his trunk to save the day and win the girl when a fire breaks out. ‘Elmer Elephant’ is seen as a precursor to ‘Dumbo.’ The character was slated for a series of shorts, but they were never made. [90 years ago in 2026]