View source for William Hanna

{{short description|American animator (1910–2001)}}
{{Other people}}
{{Featured article}}
{{Use American English|date=May 2020}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2022}}
{{Infobox person 
| name               = William Hanna
| image              = William Hanna 1977.jpg
| caption            = Hanna in 1977
| birth_name         = William Denby Hanna
| birth_date         = {{Birth date|1910|7|14}}
| birth_place        = [[Melrose, New Mexico|Melrose]], [[New Mexico Territory]], U.S.
| occupation         = {{hlist|Animator|musician|voice actor}}
| years_active       = 1930–2001
| death_date         = {{Death date and age|2001|3|22|1910|7|14}}
| death_place        = [[Los Angeles, California]], U.S.
| resting_place      = Ascension Cemetery, [[Lake Forest, California]], U.S.
| othername = Bill Hanna
| spouse             = {{marriage|Violet Wogatzke|1936}}
| children           = 2
| notable_works      = {{ubl|''[[Tom and Jerry]]''|''[[The Ruff and Reddy Show]]''|''[[The Flintstones]]''|''[[The Jetsons]]''|''[[The Yogi Bear Show]]''|''[[The Huckleberry Hound Show]]''}}
}}
'''William Denby "Bill" Hanna''' (July 14, 1910 – March 22, 2001) was an American animator, voice actor, and occasional musician who is best known for co-creating ''[[Tom and Jerry]]'' and providing the vocal effects for the series' title characters. Alongside [[Joseph Barbera]], he also founded the animation studio and production company [[Hanna-Barbera]].

Hanna joined the [[Harman and Ising]] [[animation]] [[studio]] in 1930 and steadily gained skill and prominence while working on cartoons such as ''[[The Captain and the Kids (MGM animated series)|Captain and the Kids]]''. In 1937, while working at [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]] (MGM), Hanna met [[Joseph Barbera]]. In 1957, they co-founded [[Hanna-Barbera]], which became the most successful television animation studio in the business, creating or producing programs such as ''[[The Flintstones]]'', ''[[Huckleberry Hound|The Huckleberry Hound Show]]'', ''[[The Jetsons]]'', ''[[Scooby-Doo]]'', ''[[The Smurfs (1981 TV series)|The Smurfs]]'', and ''[[The Yogi Bear Show|Yogi Bear]]''. In 1967, Hanna-Barbera was sold to [[Taft Broadcasting]] for $12&nbsp;million, but Hanna and Barbera remained heads of the company until 1991. At that time, the studio was sold to [[Turner Broadcasting System]], which in turn was merged with [[Time Warner]] in 1996; Hanna and Barbera stayed on as advisors.

''[[Tom and Jerry]]'' won seven Academy Awards, while Hanna and Barbera were nominated for two others and won eight Emmy Awards. Their cartoons have become cultural icons, and their cartoon characters have appeared in other media such as films, books, and toys. Hanna-Barbera's shows had a worldwide audience of over 300&nbsp;million people in their 1960s heyday, and have been translated into more than 28 languages.

== Early and personal life ==
William Hanna was born to William John (1873–1949) and Avice Joyce (née Denby) Hanna (1882–1956) on July 14, 1910, in [[Melrose, New Mexico|Melrose]], [[New Mexico Territory]].<ref name="AutoBiog">{{cite book |last=Hanna |first=William |author2=Tom Ito |title=A Cast of Friends |publisher=Da Capo Press |location=Emeryville, California |year=2000 |isbn=0-306-80917-6 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pSwRAQAAMAAJ}}</ref>{{rp|5}} He was the third of seven children. Hanna described his family as "a red-blooded, Irish-American family".<ref name="AutoBiog" />{{rp|9}} His father was a construction superintendent for railroads as well as water and sewer systems throughout the [[Western United States]], requiring the family to move frequently.<ref name="AutoBiog" />{{rp|6}}

When Hanna was three years old, the family moved to [[Baker City, Oregon]], where his father worked on the Balm Creek Dam. It was there that Hanna would develop his love of the outdoors.<ref name="AutoBiog"/>{{rp|6}}<ref name="GuardianObit">{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2001/mar/24/guardianobituaries.filmnews1?INTCMP=SRCH |title=William Hanna: Master animator whose cartoon creations included Tom and Jerry and the Flintstones |last=Gifford |first=Denis |date=March 24, 2001 |work=The Guardian |location=UK |access-date=August 23, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150403122938/http://www.theguardian.com/news/2001/mar/24/guardianobituaries.filmnews1?INTCMP=SRCH |archive-date=April 3, 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref> The family moved to [[Logan, Utah]], before moving to [[San Pedro, Los Angeles|San Pedro, California]], in 1917.<ref name="BarberaAutoBio">{{cite book |last=Barbera |first=Joseph |title=My Life in "Toons": From Flatbush to Bedrock in Under a Century |year=1994 |publisher=[[Turner Broadcasting System|Turner Publishing]] |location=Atlanta, GA |isbn=1-57036-042-1 |url=https://archive.org/details/mylifeintoonsfro00barb |access-date=September 4, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191215185058/https://archive.org/details/mylifeintoonsfro00barb |archive-date=December 15, 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref>{{rp|67}} During the next two years they moved several times before eventually settling in [[Watts, Los Angeles|Watts, California]], in 1919.<ref name="AutoBiog"/>{{rp|10}}

In 1922, while living in Watts, he joined [[Scouting|the Boy Scouts]].<ref name="AutoBiog"/>{{rp|11}} He attended [[Compton High School]] from 1925 through 1928, where he played the saxophone in a dance band.<ref name="AMbio">{{cite web |url=http://www.allmovie.com/cg/avg.dll?p=avg&sql=2:93352~T1 |title=William Hanna—Biography |last=Erickson |first=Hal |publisher=[[allmovie]] |access-date=August 13, 2008|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060426195934/http://www.allmovie.com/cg/avg.dll?p=avg |archive-date=April 26, 2006}}</ref> His passion for music carried over into his career; he helped write songs for his cartoons, including the theme for ''The Flintstones''.<ref name="BarberaAutoBio"/>{{rp|67–68}}<ref name="CNSobit">{{cite news |title=Hanna Obit |date=March 22, 2001 |work=City News Service—Los Angeles}} There are also reports that Hanna attended [[UCLA]] but this is unconfirmed.</ref><ref name="HeraldObit">{{cite news |url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/spl/aberdeen/william-hanna-cartoon-scriptwriter-with-a-natural-gift-for-gags-and-comic-timing-1.193850 |title=William Hanna; Cartoon scriptwriter with a natural gift for gags and comic timing |last=Kerr |first=Alison |date=March 24, 2001 |publisher=[[The Herald (Glasgow)]] |page=16 |access-date=February 12, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130526232532/http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/spl/aberdeen/william-hanna-cartoon-scriptwriter-with-a-natural-gift-for-gags-and-comic-timing-1.193850 |archive-date=May 26, 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="DailyRecord">{{cite news |last=Moore |first=Ron |title=Toons King Dies; Hanna's Magic Touch Brought Us Fred, Yogi, and Scooby-Doo |date=March 24, 2001 |publisher=[[Daily Record (Scotland)|Daily Record]]}}</ref> Hanna became an Eagle Scout as a youth and remained active in Scouting throughout his life.<ref name="BarberaAutoBio"/>{{rp|67–68}}<ref name="MuseumTV">{{cite web |url=http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/H/htmlH/hannawillia/hannawillia.htm |title=Hanna, William, and Joseph Barbera: U.S. Television Animators |last=Mullen |first=Megan |publisher=[[Museum of Broadcast Communications]] |access-date=August 10, 2008|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130926192748/http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/H/htmlH/hannawillia/hannawillia.htm |archive-date=September 26, 2013}}</ref> As an adult, he served as a Scoutmaster and was recognized by the [[Boy Scouts of America]] with their [[Distinguished Eagle Scout Award]] in 1985.<ref name="GuardianObit"/><ref name="BarberaAutoBio"/>{{rp|120}}<ref name="desalista">{{cite web |url=http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/02-529.pdf |title=Distinguished Eagle Scouts |publisher=Scouting.org |access-date=November 4, 2010 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160312002744/http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/02-529.pdf |archive-date = March 12, 2016 |url-status = dead}}</ref> Despite his numerous career-related awards, Hanna was most proud of this Distinguished Eagle Scout Award.<ref name="AMbio"/> His interests also included [[sailing]] and singing in a [[Barbershop music|barbershop quartet]].<ref name="DailyRecord"/><ref name="TelegraphObit">{{cite web |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1327678/William-Hanna.html |title=William Hanna |date=November 22, 2001 |work=The Daily Telegraph |location=UK |access-date=August 16, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090222024618/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1327678/William-Hanna.html |archive-date=February 22, 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Collectibles">{{cite journal |last=Rinker |first=Harry L. |date=February 1996 |title=William Danby Hanna and Joseph Roland Barbera |journal=Antiques & Collecting Magazine |volume=100 |issue=12 |page=24}}</ref> Hanna studied both journalism and structural engineering at [[El Camino College Compton Center|Compton City College]],<ref name="CNSobit"/><ref name="DV2">{{cite news |title=Toon titan Hanna dies at 90 |last=Natale |first=Richard |author2=Phil Gallo |date=March 21, 2001 |work=Daily Variety}}</ref>{{rp|6}} but had to drop out of college with the onset of the [[Great Depression]].<ref name="NYTt&j">{{cite web |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C04E6D7143CF930A15750C0A9679C8B63&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss |title=William Hanna Dies at 90; Created Cartoon Characters |date=March 23, 2001 |work=The New York Times |access-date=August 6, 2008}}</ref>

On August 7, 1936, Hanna married Violet Blanch Wogatzke (July 23, 1913 – July 10, 2014), and they had a marriage lasting over 64 years, until his death. The marriage produced two children,<ref name="AutoBiog"/>{{rp|29}} David William and Bonnie Jean,<ref name="MuseumTV"/> and seven grandchildren.<ref name="DeMott">{{cite web |url=http://www.awn.com/news/passing/bill-hanna-passes-away |title=Bill Hanna Passes Away |last=DeMott |first=Rick |date=March 22, 2001 |work=AWN News |publisher=Animation World Network |access-date=August 23, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110816201703/http://www.awn.com/news/passing/bill-hanna-passes-away |archive-date=August 16, 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref> In 1996, Hanna, with assistance from Los Angeles writer Tom Ito, published his autobiography—Joe Barbera had published his own two years earlier.<ref name="BarberaAutoBio"/>

== Early career ==
After dropping out of college, Hanna worked briefly as a construction engineer and helped build the [[Pantages Theatre (Hollywood)|Pantages Theatre]] in Hollywood.<ref name="CNSobit"/><ref name="DV2"/>{{rp|6}} He lost that job during the Great Depression and found another at a car wash. His sister's boyfriend encouraged him to apply for a job at [[Pacific Title & Art Studio|Pacific Title and Art]], which produced [[title cards]] for motion pictures.<ref name="TimesLondon">{{cite news |title=William Hanna |date=March 24, 2001 |work=The Times |location=UK}}</ref> While working there, Hanna's talent for drawing became evident, and in 1930 he joined the Harman and Ising [[animated cartoon|animation studio]], which had created the ''[[Looney Tunes]]'' and ''[[Merrie Melodies]]'' series.<ref name="Meshing">{{cite web |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/william-hanna-728958.html |title=William Hanna |last=Vallance |first=Tom |date=March 24, 2001 |work=The Independent |location=UK |access-date=August 4, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100717013717/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/william-hanna-728958.html |archive-date=July 17, 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref> 

Despite a lack of formal training, Hanna soon became head of their [[traditional animation|ink and paint department]]. Besides inking and painting, Hanna also wrote songs and lyrics.<ref name="Meshing"/> For the first several years of Hanna's employment, the studio partnered with Pacific Title and Art's [[Leon Schlesinger]], who released the Harman-Ising output through [[Warner Bros.]] When Hugh Harman and Rudolph Ising chose to break with Schlesinger and begin producing cartoons independently for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) in 1933, Hanna was one of the employees who followed them.<ref name="Meshing"/><ref name="APobit">{{cite news |url=http://www.newsday.com/news/a-cartoon-king-is-dead-at-90-1.352770 |title=A Cartoon King Is Dead at 90 |date=March 23, 2001 |agency=Associated Press |access-date=August 23, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303201741/http://www.newsday.com/news/a-cartoon-king-is-dead-at-90-1.352770 |archive-date=March 3, 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Hanna was given the opportunity to direct his first cartoon in 1936; the result was ''To Spring'', part of the Harman-Ising ''Happy Harmonies'' series.<ref name="GuardianObit"/> The following year, MGM decided to terminate their partnership with Harman-Ising and bring production in-house.<ref name="BarberaAutoBio"/>{{rp|68}} Hanna was among the first people MGM hired away from Harman-Ising to [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer cartoon studio|their new cartoon studio]]. During 1938–1939, he served as a senior director on MGM's ''Captain and the Kids'' series, based upon the comic strip of the same name (an alternate version of the ''[[Katzenjammer Kids]]'' that had resulted from a 1914 lawsuit). The series did not do well. Consequently, Hanna was demoted to a story man and the series was canceled.<ref name="BarberaAutoBio"/>{{rp|68–69}} 

Hanna's desk at MGM was opposite that of Joseph Barbera, who had previously worked at [[Terrytoons]]. The two quickly realized they would make a good team.<ref name="AutoBiog"/>{{rp|Foreword}} By 1939 they had solidified a partnership that would last over 60 years.<ref name="Meshing"/><ref name="APobit"/> Hanna and Barbera worked alongside animation director [[Tex Avery]], who had created [[Daffy Duck]] and [[Bugs Bunny]] for [[Warner Bros. Cartoons|Warner Bros.]] and directed ''[[Droopy]]'' cartoons at MGM.<ref name="AutoBiog"/>{{rp|33}}<ref name="50CatMouse">{{cite book |last=Adams |first=T. R. |title=Tom and Jerry: 50 years of Cat and Mouse |publisher=Crescent Books, a Random House Company |location=New York, NY |year=1991 |isbn=0-517-05688-7}}</ref>{{rp|18}}

== ''Tom and Jerry'' ==
{{main|Tom and Jerry}}
In 1940, Hanna and Barbera jointly directed ''[[Puss Gets the Boot]]'', which was nominated for an [[Academy Award for Animated Short Film|Academy Award for Best (Cartoon) Short Subject]].<ref name="DreamTeam">{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/1237649.stm |title=The cartoon dream team |date=March 21, 2001 |work=BBC News |access-date=August 13, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305054753/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/1237649.stm |archive-date=March 5, 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="UPI">
{{cite news |title=Legendary cartoonist William Hanna dies |date=March 23, 2001 |work=[[United Press International]]}}</ref> The studio wanted a diversified cartoon portfolio, so despite the success of ''Puss Gets the Boot'', Hanna and Barbera's supervisor, [[Fred Quimby]], did not want to produce more cat and mouse cartoons.<ref name="BarberaAutoBio"/>{{rp|75–76}} Surprised by the success of ''Puss Gets the Boot'', Hanna and Barbera ignored Quimby's resistance<ref name="AutoBiog"/>{{rp|45}} and continued developing the cat-and-mouse theme. By this time, however, Hanna wanted to return to working for Ising, to whom he felt very loyal. Hanna and Barbera met with Quimby, who discovered that although Ising had taken sole credit for producing ''Puss Gets the Boot'', he never actually worked on it. Quimby, who had wanted to start a new animation unit independent of Ising, then gave Hanna and Barbera permission to pursue their cat-and-mouse idea. The result was their most famous creation, ''[[Tom and Jerry]]''.<ref name="BarberaAutoBio"/>{{rp|78–79}}

Modeled after the ''Puss Gets the Boot'' characters with slight differences, the series followed [[Jerry Mouse|Jerry]], the rodent who continually outwitted his feline foe, [[Tom Cat|Tom]].<ref name="GuardianObit"/><ref name="TelegraphObit"/> Hanna said they settled on the cat and mouse theme for this cartoon because: "We knew we needed two characters. We thought we needed conflict, and chase and action. And a cat after a mouse seemed like a good, basic thought."<ref name="CNSobit"/> The revamped characters first appeared in 1941's ''[[The Midnight Snack]]''.<ref name="AutoBiog"/>{{rp|46}} Over the next 17 years Hanna and Barbera worked almost exclusively on ''Tom and Jerry'',<ref name="DreamTeam"/> directing more than 114 highly popular cartoon shorts.<ref name="CNepisodeguide">{{cite web |url=http://www.cartoonnetwork.com/tv_shows/tomjerry/index.html |title=Tom and Jerry: Episode Guide |year=2008 |publisher=Cartoon Network |access-date=September 25, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080924175741/http://www.cartoonnetwork.com/tv_shows/tomjerry/index.html |archive-date=September 24, 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref> During World War&nbsp;II they also made animated training films.<ref name="BarberaAutoBio"/>{{rp|92–93}} 

''Tom and Jerry'' relied mostly on motion instead of dialog.<ref name="APobit"/> Despite its popularity, ''Tom and Jerry'' has often been criticized as excessively violent.<ref name="Sennett">{{cite book |last=Hanna |first=William |author2=Joseph Barbera |author3=with Ted Sennett |title=The Art of Hanna-Barbera: Fifty Years of Creativity |year=1989 |publisher=Viking Studio Books |location=New York, NY |isbn=0-670-82978-1 |url=https://archive.org/details/artofhannabarber00teds}}</ref>{{rp|42}}<ref name="Smoodin">{{cite journal |last=Smoodin |first=Eric |title=Cartoon and Comic Classicism: High-Art Histories of Lowbrow Culture |journal=American Literary History |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |location=Oxford, England |date=Spring 1992 |volume=4 |issue=1 |pages=129–140 |doi=10.1093/alh/4.1.129 |jstor=489941}}</ref>{{rp|134}} The series won its first Academy Award for the 11th short, ''[[The Yankee Doodle Mouse]]'' (1943)—a war-time adventure.<ref name="GuardianObit"/> ''Tom and Jerry'' was ultimately nominated for 14 Academy Awards, winning 7.<ref name="WashPost">{{cite news |last=Pearson |first=Richard |title=William Hanna TV Animator |date=March 25, 2001 |page=C04 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref> No other character-based theatrical animated series has won more awards, nor has any other series featuring the same characters.<ref name="Meshing"/><ref name="CBSobit">{{cite web |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/animation-legend-william-hanna-dead/ |title=Animation Legend William Hanna Dead |date=March 21, 2001 |work=[[CBS News]] |access-date=August 14, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120113190626/http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2001/03/22/entertainment/main281056.shtml?source=search_story |archive-date=January 13, 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref> Tom and Jerry also made guest appearances in several of MGM's live-action films, including ''[[Anchors Aweigh (film)|Anchors Aweigh]]'' (1945) and ''[[Invitation to the Dance (film)|Invitation to the Dance]]'' (1956) with [[Gene Kelly]], and ''[[Dangerous When Wet]]'' (1953) with [[Esther Williams]].<ref name="NYTt&j"/><ref name="CBSobit"/><ref name="CNNobit">{{cite web |url=http://archives.cnn.com/2001/SHOWBIZ/TV/03/23/obit.hanna/index.html |title=Animation legend William Hanna dies at 90 |date=March 23, 2001 |publisher=CNN |access-date=August 6, 2008|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080515161203/http://archives.cnn.com/2001/SHOWBIZ/TV/03/23/obit.hanna/index.html |archive-date=May 15, 2008}}</ref>

Quimby accepted each Academy Award for ''Tom and Jerry'' without inviting Hanna and Barbera onstage. The cartoons were also released with Quimby listed as the sole producer, following the same practice for which he had condemned Ising.<ref name="BarberaAutoBio"/>{{rp|83–84}} When Quimby retired in late 1955, Hanna and Barbera were placed in charge of MGM's animation division.<ref name="Meshing"/><ref name="NYTBarberaObit">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/19/arts/19barbera.html |title=Joseph Barbera, Half of Cartoon Duo, Dies at 95 |last=Itzkoff |first=Dave |date=December 19, 2006 |work=The New York Times |access-date=August 23, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111216163426/http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/19/arts/19barbera.html |archive-date=December 16, 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref> As the studio began to lose more revenue due to television,<ref name="DailyRecord"/><ref name="TimesLondon"/> MGM soon realized that re-releasing old cartoons was far more profitable than producing new ones.<ref name="BarberaAutoBio"/>{{rp|2–3, 109}} In 1957, MGM ordered Hanna and Barbera's business manager to close the cartoon division and lay off everyone by a phone call.<ref name="BarberaAutoBio"/>{{rp|2–3, 109}} Hanna and Barbera found the no-notice closure puzzling because ''Tom and Jerry'' had been so successful.<ref name="CBSobit"/>

== Television ==
[[File:Bill Hanna Joseph Barbera 1965.jpg|thumb|Hanna (right) and [[Joseph Barbera]] from a television special for the premiere of their new ''Secret Squirrel''/''Atom Ant'' television program in 1965]]
During his last year at MGM, Hanna branched out into television, forming the short-lived company Shield Productions with fellow animator [[Jay Ward]],<ref name="MooseRoar">{{cite book |last=Scott |first=Keith |title=The Moose That Roared |publisher=St. Martin's Griffin |location=New York, NY |year=2001 |isbn=0-312-28383-0 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qdwcbJxM-HsC&q=William+Hanna+%22Jay+Ward%22+%22Shield+Productions%22&pg=PA29 |access-date=August 19, 2008}}</ref> {{rp|27–29}} who had created the series ''[[Crusader Rabbit]]''. Their partnership soon ended, and in 1957 Hanna reteamed with Joseph Barbera to produce cartoons for television and theatrical release.<ref name="TelegraphObit"/> The two brought different skills to the company. Barbera was a skilled gag writer and sketch artist, while Hanna had a gift for timing, story construction, and recruiting top artists. Major business decisions would be made together, though each year the title of president alternated between them.<ref name="AutoBiog"/>{{rp|77, 146}}<ref name="BarberaAutoBio"/>{{rp|120}}<ref name="NYTBarberaObit"/> 

A [[Coin flipping|coin toss]] determined that Hanna would have precedence in the naming of the new company,<ref name="AutoBiog"/>{{rp|Foreword}} first called H-B Enterprises but soon changed to [[Hanna-Barbera|Hanna-Barbera Productions]].<ref name="DailyRecord"/><ref name="NYTBarberaObit"/> Barbera and Hanna's MGM colleague [[George Sidney]], the director of ''Anchors Aweigh'', became the third partner and business manager in the company, and arranged a deal for distribution and working capital with [[Screen Gems#Television subsidiary (1948–1974)|Screen Gems]], the television division of [[Columbia Pictures]], who took part ownership of the new studio.<ref name="AutoBiog"/>{{rp|81–83}}

The first offering from the new company was ''[[The Ruff & Reddy Show]]'',<ref name="TelegraphObit"/> a series which detailed the friendship between a dog and cat.<ref name="MuseumTV"/> Despite a lukewarm response for their first theatrical venture, ''[[Loopy De Loop]]'', Hanna-Barbera soon established themselves with two successful television series: ''The Huckleberry Hound Show'' and ''The Yogi Bear Show''. A 1960 survey showed that half of the viewers of ''Huckleberry Hound'' were adults. This prompted the company to create a new animated series, ''[[The Flintstones]]''.<ref name="CNNobit"/><ref name="GoldenAge">{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/6193603.stm |title=Hanna Barbera's golden age of animation |last=Savage |first=Mark |date=December 19, 2006 |work=BBC News |access-date=August 13, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305192210/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/6193603.stm |archive-date=March 5, 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref> 

A parody of ''[[The Honeymooners]]'', the new show followed a typical [[Stone Age]] family with home appliances, talking animals, and celebrity guests. With an audience of both children and adults, ''The Flintstones'' became the first animated prime-time show to be a hit.<ref name="MuseumTV"/><ref name="CNNobit"/><ref name="BBCobit">{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/1237370.stm |title=Legendary American cartoonist dies |date=March 21, 2001 |work=BBC News |access-date=August 10, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305195610/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/1237370.stm |archive-date=March 5, 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref> [[Fred Flintstone]]'s signature exclamation ''"yabba dabba doo"'' soon entered everyday usage,<ref name="CNNobit"/><ref name="DailyTeleL">{{cite news |title=Master cartoonist who created Tom and Jerry draws his last |last=Whitworth |first=Melissa |date=December 20, 2006 |work=The Daily Telegraph |location=London |page=9 |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1537372/Master-cartoonist-who-created-Tom-and-Jerry-draws-his-last.html |access-date=August 21, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120630082947/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1537372/Master-cartoonist-who-created-Tom-and-Jerry-draws-his-last.html |archive-date=June 30, 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref> and the show boosted the studio to the top of the TV cartoon field.<ref name="NYTt&j"/> The company later produced a space-age version of ''The Flintstones'', known as ''The Jetsons''. Although both shows reappeared in the 1970s and 1980s, ''The Flintstones'' was far more popular.<ref name="MuseumTV"/>

By the late 1960s, Hanna-Barbera Productions was the most successful television animation studio in the business. The Hanna-Barbera studio produced over 3,000&nbsp;animated half-hour television shows.<ref name="CNNobit"/> Among the more than 100&nbsp;cartoon series and specials they produced were: ''[[Atom Ant]]'', ''[[Augie Doggie and Doggie Daddy]]'' (an imitation of the earlier ''[[Spike and Tyke]]'' MGM cartoons), ''[[Jonny Quest (TV series)|Jonny Quest]]'', ''[[Josie and the Pussycats (TV series)|Josie and the Pussycats]]'', ''[[Magilla Gorilla]]'', ''[[Pixie and Dixie and Mr. Jinks]]'', ''[[Quick Draw McGraw]]'', and ''[[Top Cat]]''.<ref name="HeraldObit"/><ref name="CBSobit"/> ''Top Cat'' was based on [[Phil Silvers]]'s character [[The Phil Silvers Show|Sgt. Bilko]],<ref name="Welker">{{cite web |url=http://www.mkbmemorial.com/FWHp/fwhp_hanna.html |title=Cartoon Pioneer Hanna Dead at 90 |last=Gentile |first=Gary |date=March 22, 2001 |work=The Associated Press |access-date=August 15, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160405234043/http://mkbmemorial.com/FWHp/fwhp_hanna.html |archive-date=April 5, 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref> though it has been erroneously reported that Sgt. Bilko was the basis for Yogi Bear.<ref name="APobit"/> The Hanna-Barbera studio also produced ''[[Scooby-Doo]]'' (1969–91) and ''[[The Smurfs (1981 TV series)|The Smurfs]]'' (1981–89).<ref name="TelegraphObit"/> The company also produced animated specials based on Alice in Wonderland, Jack and the Beanstalk, Cyrano de Bergerac, as well as the feature-length film ''[[Charlotte's Web (1973 film)|Charlotte's Web]]'' (1973).<ref name="BarberaAutoBio"/>{{rp|228–230}}

As popular as their cartoons were with 1960s audiences, they were disliked by artists.<ref name="NYTvision">{{cite web |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E06E0D91231F933A05751C1A9679C8B63 |title=The Times They Lived: William Hanna, B. 1910; Stone-Age Visionary |last=Nash |first=Eric P. |date=December 30, 2001 |work=The New York Times |access-date=August 15, 2008}}</ref> Television programs had lower budgets than theatrical animation, and this economic reality caused many animation studios to go out of business in the 1950s and 1960s, putting many people in the industry out of work.<ref name="APobit"/><ref name="GoldenAge"/> Hanna-Barbera was key in the development of [[limited animation]],<ref name="Wells"/>{{rp|75}}<ref name="Thompson"/>{{rp|54}} which allowed television animation to be more cost-effective,<ref name="HeraldObit"/><ref name="TelegraphObit"/><ref name="CBSobit"/> but also reduced quality.<ref name="NYTvision"/> Hanna and Barbera had first experimented with these techniques in the early days of ''Tom and Jerry''.<ref name="BarberaAutoBio"/>{{rp|74, 115}} 

To reduce the cost of each episode, shows often focused more on character dialogue than detailed animation.<ref name="APobit"/><ref name="NYTvision"/> The number of drawings for a seven-minute cartoon decreased from 14,000 to nearly 2,000, and the company implemented innovative techniques such as rapid background changes to improve viewing.<ref name="GoldenAge"/> Reviewers criticized the change from vivid, detailed animation to repetitive movements by two-dimensional characters.<ref name="NYTvision"/> Barbera once said that their choice was to adapt to the television budgets or change careers.<ref name="Wells">{{cite book |last=Wells |first=Paul |title=Animation and America |publisher=Rutgers University Press |location=New Brunswick, NJ |isbn=0-8135-3160-8 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8YAXkfe__H8C&q=Animation+and+America |access-date=August 23, 2008 |year=2002}}</ref>{{rp|75}}<ref name="Thompson">{{cite journal |last=Thompson |first=Kirsten Moana |date=January 12, 2004 |title=Animation and America by Paul Wells |journal=Film Quarterly |publisher=University of California Press |volume=58 |issue=2}}</ref>{{rp|54}} The new style did not limit the success of their animated shows, enabling Hanna–Barbera to stay in business, providing employment to many who would otherwise have been out of work.<ref name="GoldenAge"/> Limited animation became the standard for television animation, and continues to be used today in television programs such as ''[[The Simpsons]]'', ''[[SpongeBob SquarePants]]'', and ''[[South Park]]''.<ref name="IrishObit">{{cite news |url=http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/obituaries/2001/0331/01033100098.html |title=William Hanna |last=Hogan |first=Sean |date=March 23, 2001 |newspaper=The Irish Times |page=16 |access-date=August 17, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121020141718/http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/obituaries/2001/0331/01033100098.html |archive-date=October 20, 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="NYTvision"/>

In 1966, Hanna-Barbera Productions was sold to Taft Broadcasting (renamed Great American Communications in 1987) for $12&nbsp;million.<ref name="BarberaAutoBio"/>{{rp|162, 235–236}} Hanna and Barbera remained at the head of the company until 1991.<ref name="Scotsman">{{cite news |title=William Hanna, animator and cartoon creator |last=Alasdair |first=Steven |date=March 28, 2001 |work=The Scotsman}}</ref>{{rp|16}}<ref name="CoHist">{{cite book |title=International Directory of Company Histories |publisher=St. James Press |location=Farmington Hills, MI |year=1998 |volume=23 |url=http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/HannaBarbera-Cartoons-Inc-Company-History.html |access-date=August 19, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080724183008/http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/HannaBarbera-Cartoons-Inc-Company-History.html |archive-date=July 24, 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Variety">{{cite news |title=William Hanna |last=Natale |first=Richard |author2=Phil Gallo |date=March 21, 2001 |work=Variety}}</ref>{{rp|151}} At that point, the company was sold to the Turner Broadcasting System for an estimated {{Nowrap|$320 million}},<ref name="TOwife">{{cite web |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article758281.ece |title=Joseph Barbera |date=December 20, 2006 |work=The Times |location=UK |access-date=September 20, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110903004352/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article758281.ece |archive-date=September 3, 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> which itself merged with [[Time Warner]], owners of Warner Bros., in 1996.<ref name="MuseumTV"/> This began a close association with the [[Cartoon Network]]. Hanna and Barbera continued to advise their former company and periodically worked on new Hanna-Barbera shows, including ''[[The Cartoon Cartoon Show]]'' series and hit silver screen versions of ''[[The Flintstones (film)|The Flintstones]]'' (1994) and ''[[Scooby-Doo (film)|Scooby-Doo]]'' (2002).<ref name="Collectibles"/><ref name="CNNobit"/><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/ent/stories/121906dnentbarberaobit.1e1b331.html |title=Cartoon creator Joe Barbera dies |access-date=August 16, 2008 |date=December 18, 2006 |agency=Associated Press |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080706194721/http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/ent/stories/121906dnentbarberaobit.1e1b331.html <!--Added by H3llBot--> |archive-date=July 6, 2008}}</ref>

==Death==
Hanna died of [[esophageal cancer]] at his home in [[North Hollywood]], [[Los Angeles, California]] on March 22, 2001, at the age of 90.<ref name="CalGraves">{{cite book |last=Brooks |first=Patricia |author2=Jonathan Brooks |title=Laid To Rest In California |publisher=Insider's Guide |location=Guilford, CT |year=2006 |isbn=0-7627-4101-5 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gbxZvgAACAAJ |access-date=December 22, 2022 |page=224}}</ref> After his death, [[Cartoon Network]] aired a 20-second segment with black dots tracing Hanna's [[portrait]] with the words "We'll miss you&nbsp;– Cartoon Network" fading in on the right-hand side. This same type of tribute happened for [[Chuck Jones]] in 2002 and Hanna's partner, [[Joseph Barbera]] in 2006, when each of them died. However, Barbera, unlike the other two, had an audio clip of his voice playing in his Cartoon Network promotional tribute. Hanna is buried at Ascension Cemetery in [[Lake Forest, California]].

==Legacy==
Most of the cartoons Hanna and Barbera created revolved around close friendship or partnership; this theme is evident with [[Yogi Bear]] and Boo Boo, [[Fred Flintstone]] and [[Barney Rubble]], Ruff and Reddy, ''The Jetsons'' family, and the friends in ''Scooby-Doo''. These may have been a reflection of the close business friendship and partnership that Hanna and Barbera shared for almost 60 years.<ref name="Meshing"/><ref name="AutoBiog"/>{{rp|214}} Professionally, they balanced each other's strengths and weaknesses very well,<ref name="IrishObit"/><ref name="NYTt&j"/><ref name="CNNobit"/> but Hanna and Barbera traveled in completely different social circles. Hanna's personal friends primarily included other animators. Barbera tended to socialize with Hollywood celebrities.<ref name="AutoBiog"/>{{rp|52–53}} 

Their division of work roles complemented each other but they rarely talked outside of work, since Hanna was interested in the outdoors and Barbera liked beaches, good food and drink.<ref name="BarberaAutoBio"/>{{rp|120–121}} In their long partnership, in which they worked with over 2,000 animated characters, Hanna and Barbera rarely exchanged a cross word.<ref name="TelegraphObit"/> Barbera said: "We understood each other perfectly, and each of us had deep respect for the other's work."<ref name="DreamTeam"/>

Hanna is considered one of the all-time great animators and on a par with [[Tex Avery]].<ref name="BBCobit"/> Hanna and Barbera were among the most successful animators on the cinema screen and successfully adapted to the change television brought to the industry.<ref name="USAToday">{{cite web |url=https://www.usatoday.com/life/2001-03-22-hanna-obit.htm |title=Cartoon pioneer William Hanna dead at 90 |date=March 23, 2001 |work=USA Today |access-date=August 19, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090227071520/http://www.usatoday.com/life/2001-03-22-hanna-obit.htm |archive-date=February 27, 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref> [[Leonard Maltin]] says the Hanna–Barbera team "[may] hold a record for producing consistently superior cartoons using the same characters year after year—without a break or change in routine. Their characters are not only animated superstars, but also a very beloved part of American pop culture".<ref name="CNNobit"/><ref name="superior">{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2006/dec/19/usa.media |title=Joe Barbera, creator of cartoon classics, dies at 95 |last=Glendinning |first=Lee |date=December 19, 2006 |work=The Guardian |location=UK |access-date=August 4, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307205000/http://www.theguardian.com/world/2006/dec/19/usa.media |archive-date=March 7, 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref> They are often considered as [[Walt Disney]]'s only rivals as cartoonists.<ref name="TelegraphObit"/><ref name="Aussie">{{cite news |title=Cat and mouse game fathered TV cartoon empire |last=Juddery |first=Mark |date=March 29, 2001 |work=The Australian |page=12}}</ref>

Hanna and Barbera had a lasting impact on television animation.<ref name="Scotsman"/>{{rp|16}} Cartoons they created often make ''greatest'' lists.<ref name="MuseumTV"/><ref name="GreatestList">{{cite web |url=http://archives.cnn.com/2002/SHOWBIZ/TV/07/30/cartoon.characters/index.html |title=Bugs Bunny tops greatest cartoon characters list |date=July 30, 2002 |publisher=CNN |access-date=August 14, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080208043937/http://archives.cnn.com/2002/SHOWBIZ/TV/07/30/cartoon.characters/index.html |archive-date=February 8, 2008}}</ref> Many of their characters have appeared in film, books, toys, and other media.<ref name="Collectibles"/> During the 1960s their TV shows had a worldwide audience of over 300&nbsp;million people and have since been translated into more than 20 languages.<ref name="GoldenAge"/> The works of Hanna and Barbera also have been recognized for their music, such as ''[[The Cat Concerto]]'' (1946) and ''[[Johann Mouse]]'' (1952), called "masterpieces of animation" in part due to their use of classical music.<ref name="Meshing"/><ref name="Sennett"/>{{rp|34}}<ref name="Smoodin"/>{{rp|133}}

In all, the Hanna–Barbera team won seven Academy Awards and eight [[Emmy Award]]s,<ref name="AMawards">{{cite web |url=http://www.allmovie.com/cg/avg.dll?p=avg&sql=2:93352~T3 |title=William Hanna—Awards |publisher=[[allmovie]] |access-date=August 12, 2008|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060426195934/http://www.allmovie.com/cg/avg.dll?p=avg |archive-date=April 26, 2006}}</ref><ref name="IndVallanceB">{{cite news |title=Joseph Barbera: Animation pioneer whose creations with William Hanna included the Flintstones and Tom and Jerry |last=Vallance |first=Tom |date=December 20, 2006 |work=The Independent |location=London |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/joseph-barbera-429307.html |access-date=August 21, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131213024400/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/joseph-barbera-429307.html |archive-date=December 13, 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref>{{rp|32}} including the 1960 award for ''The Huckleberry Hound Show'', which was the first Emmy awarded to an animated series.<ref name="MuseumTV"/><ref name="CNNobit"/> They also won these awards: Golden Globe for Television Achievement (1960),<ref name="AMawards"/> Golden IKE Award—Pacific Pioneers in Broadcasting (1983), Pioneer Award—[[Broadcast Music, Inc.|Broadcast Music Incorporated]] (1987), Iris Award—NATPE Men of the Year (1988), Licensing Industry Merchandisers' Association Award for Lifetime Achievement (1988), Governors Award of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (1988), [[Jackie Coogan]] Award for Outstanding Contribution to Youth through Entertainment Youth in Film (1988), Frederic W. Ziv Award for Outstanding Achievement in Telecommunications—Broadcasting Division College—Conservatory of Music [[University of Cincinnati]] (1989), stars on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]] (1976), several [[Annie Award]]s,<ref name="AutoBiog"/>{{rp|170}} several environmental awards, and were recipients of numerous other accolades prior to their induction into the [[Television Hall of Fame]] in 1994.<ref name="AutoBiog"/>{{rp|171}}<ref name="MuseumTV"/><ref name="CNNobit"/> In March 2005 the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and Warner Bros. Animation dedicated a wall sculpture at the Television Academy's Hall of Fame Plaza in North Hollywood to Hanna and Barbera.<ref name="DailyVariety1">{{cite news |title=The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences on Wednesday unveiled a 1,200-pound bronze wall sculpture, dedicated to animators and show creators Joseph Barbera and the late William Hanna, at its Hall of Fame Plaza in North Hollywood |date=March 17, 2005 |publisher=[[Daily Variety]]}}</ref>

Hanna's audio of [[Tom Cat]]'s screams and various vocal effects he provided for the cat and mouse from the original ''Tom and Jerry'' cartoons were reused in the 2006 direct-to-video film, ''[[Tom and Jerry: Shiver Me Whiskers]]'', ''[[Tom and Jerry Tales]]'' (2006–2008 TV series, several season 1 episodes), and ''[[The Tom and Jerry Show (2014 TV series)|The Tom and Jerry Show]]'' (2014–2021 TV series). Outside of ''Tom and Jerry'', his screams were modified for the Critters in ''[[Critters 2]]'' and ''[[Critters 3]]'', and were also used in the James Bond film ''[[For Your Eyes Only (film)|For Your Eyes Only]]'' and for the caveman in the video game ''[[Prehistorik Man]]''.

== See also == 
* [[Golden age of American animation]]
* [[Tom and Jerry filmography]]
* [[List of works produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions]]
* ''[[Peace on Earth (film)|Peace on Earth]]'' (remade by Hanna and Barbera as ''Good Will to Men'')
* [[Tom and Jerry#Filmography|''Tom and Jerry'' awards and nominations]]
* ''[[Tom and Jerry: The Movie]]''

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== Further reading ==
* {{cite book |last=Cawley |first=John |author2=Jim Korkis |title=The Encyclopedia of Cartoon Superstars: From a to (Almost Z) |year=1990 |publisher=Pioneer |location=Las Vegas, NV |isbn=1-55698-269-0}}
* {{cite book |last=Erickson |first=Hal |title=Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949–1993 |year=1987 |publisher=[[McFarland & Company]] |location=Jefferson City, NC |isbn=0-7864-0029-3}}
* {{cite book |author-link1=Maurice Horn |last=Horn |first=Maurice |title=The World Encyclopedia of Cartoons |year=1980 |publisher=Chelsea House Publishing |location=New York, NY |isbn=0-87754-088-8}}
* {{cite book |last=Lenburg |first=Jeff |title=William Hanna and Joseph Barbera: The Sultans of Saturday Morning |year=2011 |publisher=Chelsea House |location=New York, NY |isbn=978-1-60413-837-5}}
* {{cite book |last=Mallory |first=Michael |title=Hanna Barbera Cartoons |year=1997 |publisher=Universe |location=Englewood, NJ |isbn=0-88363-108-3}}
* {{cite book |last=Maltin |first=Leonard |title=Of Mice and Magic: A History of American Animated Cartoons |year=1987 |publisher=[[New American Library]] |location=New York, NY |isbn=0-452-25993-2}}

== External links ==
{{Spoken Wikipedia|Spoken_Wikipedia_William_Hanna.ogg|date=August 13, 2019}}
* {{commons category-inline}}
* [http://www2.warnerbros.com/web/hannabarbera/index.jsp Warner Brothers official Hanna–Barbera website]
* {{IMDb name|id=0360253|name=William Hanna}}

{{Navboxes
|title = Awards for William Hanna
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{{EmmyAward GovernorsAward}}
{{1994 Television Hall of Fame}}
{{Winsor McCay Award 1970s}}
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{{Hanna-Barbera}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Hanna, William}}
[[Category:1910 births]]
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[[Category:20th-century American artists]]
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[[Category:American animated film directors]]
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[[Category:American writers of Irish descent]]
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[[Category:American male voice actors]]
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[[Category:Animal impersonators]]
[[Category:Animation screenwriters]]
[[Category:Animators from New Mexico]]
[[Category:Compton High School alumni]]
[[Category:Daytime Emmy Award winners]]
[[Category:Deaths from esophageal cancer in California]]
[[Category:Deaths from throat cancer in California]]
[[Category:Directors of Best Animated Short Academy Award winners]]
[[Category:El Camino College Compton Center alumni]]
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