2001 TV News Archives

March 26, 2001: Animation Legend William Hanna Dead at 90

William Hanna Source: LOS ANGELES (Reuters)
Author: Arthur Spiegelman

Animation legend William Hanna, who with partner Joseph Barbera turned television into their own personal cartoon world, creating such characters as Huckleberry Hound, Yogi Bear and the Flintstones, died on Thursday, a spokesman for Warner Brothers said.

Hanna, the co-chairman and co-founder of Hanna Barbera Studios, died at his home in North Hollywood, Warner Bros. spokesman Scott Rowe said. He was 90 years old. The cause of death was not immediately released.

Hanna and Barbera, who used to do five five-minute Tom and Jerry film cartoons a year for MGM, were doing up to 11 half hour shows on TV a week at the height of their fame.

Ultimately they produced 3,000 half-hour shows creating such characters as Huckleberry Hound, Scooby-Doo, Yogi Bear, the Jetsons, Atom Ant, Jonny Quest, Quick Draw McGraw, Top Cat, Magilla Gorilla, Pixie and Dixie, Josie and the Pussycats and, of course, Boo Boo, the sidekick and conscience of Yogi Bear who warned, "Mr Ranger is not going to like that."

[Hanna-Barbera also produced the highly successful "Super Friends" cartoons which aired between 1973 and 1986.]

Among their most famous shows was "The Flintstones" a "modern stone age family" whose head of the house, Fred Flintstone, a character with Jackie Gleason girth and overtones, was famed for the shout of "Yabba-dabba-doo."

The Hanna-Barbera studio has been owned by Warner Bros., a unit of AOL Time Warner Inc., since 1996.

The duo received a star on the Hollywood walk of fame in 1976 and were inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1993.

Hanna was involved with the studio until his death. He was also a charter member of the Boy Scouts of America and remained active in the organization throughout his life.

Hanna is survived by wife, Violet, two children, and seven grandchildren.



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