|
The 15th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (1938) | The 16th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (1939) | The 17th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (1940) | 
|
The 16th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade was held on November 23, 1939, in New York City and was shown to viewers live on some local NBC radio stations and early television systems that same day.
Parade Lineup[]
NOTE: Bold indicates a new Parade unit and * means a retired unit.
Balloons[]
- Pinocchio* (Macy's) - 3rd time
- The Tin Man* (Metro Goldwyn Mayer) - 1st time
- Big Man-Little Man* (Macy's) - 2nd time
- Uncle Sam (Macy's) - 2nd time
- Santa Claus (Macy's) - 1st time
Floats[]
- Donald Duck* (Walt Disney Productions) - 1st time
- Rub-A-Dub-Dub Three Men In a Tub* (Macy's) - 1st time
- Popeye's Boat* (King Features Syndicate) - 1st time
- The Wicked Witch* (Metro Goldwyn Mayer) - 1st time
- The Scarecrow* (Metro Goldwyn Mayer) - 1st time
- The Cowardly Lion* (Metro Goldwyn Mayer) - 1st time
- The Good Witch* (Metro Goldwyn Mayer) - 1st time
- Old King Cole* (Macy's) - 1st time
- The Wedding of the Wooden Soldier and the Painted Doll* (Macy's) - 1st time
- Santa's Sleigh (Macy's) - 4th time
Specialty Units[]
- NYPD Mounted Unit - 16th time
Guest Stars[]
- Eddie Duchin
- Jane Pickens; sang "The Star-Spangled Banner"
- Santa Claus and The Snow Queen (Santa's Sleigh)
Trivia[]
- The procession this year was the first to use utility vehicles (Ford tractors) to pull the floats instead of horses. Different automotive vehicles would later tow the floats for many parades onward.
- This year marks the first time that the parade procession to be televised with the experimental television sets as showcased at The 1939 New York World's Fair. This technology would later evolve in the mid 40's after World War II and by the 1946 Parade, the route would be shortened to a two and a half mile march in order for the event to sync in the new NBC television recording set. By 1953, the parade was televised and would stay that way ever since.
Defect[]
- Uncle Sam started leaking helium, but was quickly repaired and returned to fine-flying form.