Gertie the Dinosaur

Gertie the Dinosaur is a 1914 animated film short that inspired a generation of animators to bring their cartoons to life. In the story, cartoonist Winsor McCay bets other artists that he can't bring a dinosaur to life. He draws Gertie, who comes to life, and then he steps into the cartoon himself.

It was written and directed by McCay, and features his assistant, George McManus. The film has been selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.

See also: Animation Before Hollywood: The Silent Period