Newsletter

Number 16

William Hanna

March 22, 2001 - Animation pioneer William Hanna, 90, who with partner Joseph Barbera created such beloved cartoon characters as Fred Flintstone, Yogi Bear and Tom and Jerry, died Thursday, March 22, 2001. Hanna, who had been in declining health for several years, died at his North Hollywood home with Violet, his wife of 65 years, at his side.

Hanna and Barbera worked together for more than 50 years, beginning in 1937, at MGM. Their popular Tom and Jerry cartoons, featuring the antics of a cat and mouse, won seven Academy Awards. Their innovations included mixing Tom and Jerry with live action stars such as Gene Kelly in "Anchors Aweigh" and Esther Williams in "Dangerous when Wet."

The duo found new success in the 1950s with a witty series of television cartoons, including "The Flintstones," "The Jetsons," and "Yogi Bear." "Huckleberry Hound and Friends" won the first Emmy Award given to an animated series.

Hanna was born in Melrose, N.M., on July 14, 1910. He left college to work as a construction engineer, but lost the job in the Depression. He later joined Pacific Art and Title, a cartoon production company. In 1930, Hanna worked as a member of the story department, as a lyricist and a composer for Harmon-Ising Studios, the studio that created the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons.

A month after being joining MGM, Hanna partnered with Barbera. "I was never a good artist," Hanna said, but Barbera "has the ability to capture mood and expression in a quick sketch better than anyone I've ever known."

The duo first paired cat and mouse in the short "Puss Gets the Boot." When it was a hit and received an Oscar nomination, MGM let them continue experimenting with the theme, with the resulting Tom and Jerry characters almost always telling the story entirely in action, not dialogue.

Hanna and Barbera were forced to go into business for themselves after MGM disbanded its animation department in the 1950s. Taking advantage of TV's sharply lower budgets, their new animated television cartoons stressed verbal wit rather than the highly detailed and expensive action of the theatrical cartoon.

"The Flintstones" was the first cartoon success in prime-time TV, appealing to both children and adults. It ranked in the top 20 shows in the 1960-61 season and Fred Flintstone's "yabba dabba doo" soon entered the lexicon. Hanna and Barbera freely admitted it was a parody of "The Honeymooners," with Fred Flintstone as Jackie Gleason and Barney Rubble as Art Carney. (Similarly, Yogi Bear was based on Phil Silvers' Sgt. Bilko character in "The Phil Silvers Show.") The Jetsons, which debuted in 1962, were the futuristic version of the Flintstones.

Hanna Barbera characters include Ruff & Reddy, Huckleberry Hound, Quick Draw McGraw, Yogi Bear, the Flintstones, Top Cat, Wally Gator, Lippy the Lion, the Jetsons, Touche Turtle, Magilla Gorilla, Jonny Quest, Peter Potamus, Atom Ant, Secret Squirrel, Space Ghost, Scooby Doo, Dastardly & Muttley, Augie Doggie, the Bananna Splits, Snagglepuss, and Pixie & Dixie.