1953

Theatrical releases

Feature films

• February 5 - Peter Pan
• July 23 - The Sword and the Rose
• November 10 - The Living Desert

Shorts

• February 5 - Bear Country
• February 18 - The Alaskan Eskimo
• March 28 - Father's Day Off
• April 18 - The Simple Things
• May 9 - For Whom the Bulls Toil
• May 28 - Adventures in Music: Melody
• May 30 - Don's Fountain of Youth
• June 20 - Father's Week-End
• July 11 - How to Dance
• July 23 - Prowlers of the Everglades
• August 1 - The New Neighbor
• August 28 - Tiger Trouble (re-issue)
• October 2 - Football (Now and Then)
• October 23 - Rugged Bear
• November 10
  • Adventures in Music: Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom
  • Ben and Me
• November 11 - Working for Peanuts
• December 25
  • How to Sleep
  • Canvas Back Duck
• Self Control (re-release)

Events

• After 16 years, the last Disney animated feature distributed by RKO was Peter Pan.
• Buena Vista Distribution was founded after Walt Disney's deal with RKO ended.

Character debuts

• February 5 - Peter Pan, Tinker Bell, Wendy Darling, John Darling, Michael Darling, Captain Hook, Mr. Smee, Tick-Tock the Crocodile, Lost Boys, Pirate Crew (Peter Pan), Tiger Lily, Indian Chief, George Darling, Mary Darling, Nana
• March - Glittering Goldie

Comics

• March - Uncle Scrooge publishes its first issue

People

Births

• January 24 - Matthew Wilder (musician, composer, and record producer)
• January 25 - John Lustig (comics writer and former journalist)
• February 6 - Phil Snyder (voice actor)
• February 8 - Mary Steenburgen (actress)
• February 9 - Ciarán Hinds (actor)
• February 21 - Christine Ebersole (actress and singer)
• February 22 - Nigel Planer (actor, comedian, novelist, and playwright)
• February 26 - Michael Bolton (singer and songwriter)
• March 13 - Ridley Pearson (author and writer)
• March 24 - Louie Anderson (actor, voice actor, comedian, game show host, and author)
• April 1 - Barry Sonnenfeld (director, producer, screenwriter, and cinematographer)
• April 6 - Patrick Doyle (composer)
• April 18 - Rick Moranis (actor, comedian, musician, singer, songwriter, screenwriter, and producer)
• May 1 - Naoya Uchida (Japanese voice actor, actor, and singer)
• May 4 - Masashi Ebara (Japanese voice actor, actor, and narrator)
• May 9 - Amy Hill (actress)
• May 16 - Pierce Brosnan (actor and producer)
• May 24 - Alfred Molina (actor)
• May 29
  • Karla DeVito (singer, actress, and voice actor)
  • Danny Elfman (composer)
• May 30 - Colm Meaney (actor)
• June 1 - Tim Bentinck (actor)
• June 4 - Paul DeMeo (screenwriter and producer)
• June 5 - Kathleen Kennedy (producer and president of Lucasfilm)
• June 13 - Tim Allen (voice actor)
• June 16 - Valerie Mahaffey (actress and producer)
• July 11 - Mindy Sterling (actress)
• July 29 - Tim Gunn (television host)
• August 2 - Butch Patrick (former child actor)
• August 4 - Richard White (actor)
• August 8 - Jim Jinkins (animator)
• August 9 - Alf Humphreys (actor)
• August 16 - Kathie Lee Gifford (television host, singer, songwriter, and actress)
• August 27 - Peter Stormare (actor)
• October 9 - Tony Shalhoub (voice actor)
• October 15
  • Larry Miller (actor, voice actor, and comedian)
  • Tito Jackson (singer-songwriter and guitarist)
• October 26 - Roger Allam (actor)
• October 27
  • Robert Picardo (actor)
  • Peter Firth (actor)
• October 30 - Charles Martin Smith (actor, screenwriter, and director)
• November 6 - Ron Underwood (director, producer, and screenwriter)
• November 8 - John Musker (director)
• November 27 - Curtis Armstrong (actor)
• November 28 - Pamela Hayden (actress and voice actress)
• December 6 - Tom Hulce (actor, singer, and producer)
• December 8 - Kim Basinger (actress)
• December 9 - John Malkovich (actor)
• December 17 - Bill Pullman (actor)
• December 31 - James Remar (actor and voice actor)

Artists joined

• Joe Hale