Joseph Barbera | |
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 Barbera in 1993 | |
| Born | Joseph Roland Barbera (1911-03-24)March 24, 1911 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | December 18, 2006(2006-12-18) (aged 95) Studio City, Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Burial place | Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, California |
| Other names | Joe Barbera |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1930–2006 |
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| Spouses | |
| Children | 4 |
Joseph Roland Barbera (/bɑːrˈbɛərə/bar-BAIR-ə;[1][2]Italian:[barˈbɛːra]; March 24, 1911 – December 18, 2006) was an American animator and cartoonist. He co-founded the animation studioHanna-Barbera alongsideWilliam Hanna.
Born toItalian immigrants in New York City, Barbera hesitantly joinedVan Beuren Studios in 1932 and subsequentlyTerrytoons in 1936.[3] In 1937, he moved to California, and while working atMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Barbera met Hanna. The two men began a collaboration that was at first best known for producingTom and Jerry.
In 1957, after MGM dissolved its animation department, they co-founded Hanna-Barbera, which became the most successful television animation studio in the business, producing programs such asThe Flintstones,Yogi Bear,Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?,Top Cat,The Smurfs,Huckleberry Hound, andThe Jetsons. In 1967, Hanna-Barbera was sold toTaft Broadcasting for $12 million, but Hanna and Barbera remained heads of the company. In 1991, the studio was sold toTurner Broadcasting System,[4] which merged withTime Warner, owners ofWarner Bros., in 1996; Hanna and Barbera stayed on as advisors.
Hanna and Barbera directed sevenAcademy Award-winning films and won eightEmmy Awards. Their cartoon shows 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 million people in the 1960s and have been translated into more than 28 languages.
Joseph Roland Barbera was born at 10Delancey Street in theLittle Italy,Lower East Side section ofManhattan, New York, toItalianSicilian immigrants[5] Vincenzo Barbera (1884–1969), born inCastelvetrano and Francesca Calvacca (1892–1974), born inSciacca. Joseph Barbera's grandmother, also named Francesca, was born in Sciacca as well, as stated in his autobiography,My life in 'toons, in which he also described himself as Sicilian.[6]: 17–18, 19, 34, 58, 61, 128, 208 [7][5][a][9][10][11][12][excessive citations] He grew up speakingItalian, he had two brothers, Larry (1909–1982) and Ted (1919–1994), both of whom served inWorld War II. As a member of theUnited States Army, Larry participated in theinvasion of Sicily. Ted was a fighter pilot with theUnited States Army Air Forces and served in theAleutian Islands Campaign.[6]: 91–95 Barbera's father, Vincent, was the prosperous owner of threebarbershops who squandered the family fortunes on gambling.[6]: 19 By the time Barbera was 15, his father had abandoned the family, and his maternal uncle Jim had become a father figure to him.[6]: 22–24
Barbera displayed a talent for drawing as early as the first grade.[6]: 25–26 He graduated fromErasmus Hall High School in Brooklyn in 1928.[6]: 23 [13] While in high school, Barbera won severalboxing titles. He was briefly managed by World Lightweight Boxing ChampionAl Singer's manager but soon lost interest in boxing.[6]: 30–32 In 1935, Barbera married his high school sweetheart, Dorothy Earl. In school, they had been known as "Romeo and Juliet".[6]: 28
Barbera and his wife briefly separated when he went toCalifornia. They reunited but were on the verge of another separation when they discovered that Dorothy was pregnant with their first child. They had four children: two sons, Neal and an infant boy who died two days after his birth, and two daughters, Lynn and Jayne, who has been a producer in her own right.[14] The marriage officially ended in 1963.[6]: 58, 61, 66, 90, 129 Shortly after his divorce, Barbera met his second wife, Sheila Holden, sister of British rock and roll singerVince Taylor, at Musso & Frank's restaurant, where she worked asbookkeeper and cashier. Unlike Dorothy, who preferred to stay at home with the children, Sheila enjoyed theHollywood social scene that Barbera often frequented.[6]: 137–139, 147 [4]
During high school, Barbera worked as a tailor's delivery boy.[6]: 28 In 1929, he became interested in animation after watching a screening ofWalt Disney'sThe Skeleton Dance.[15] During theGreat Depression, he tried unsuccessfully to become acartoonist forThe NY Hits Magazine. He supported himself with a job at a bank and continued to pursue publication for his cartoons. His magazine drawings of single cartoons, not comic strips, began to be published inRedbook,The Saturday Evening Post, andCollier's—the magazine with which he had the most success.[6]: 35–36 Barbera also wrote toWalt Disney for advice on getting started in theanimation industry.[16]: 105 Disney wrote back, saying he would call Barbera during an upcoming trip to New York, but the call never occurred.[6]: 38 [17]
Barbera took art classes at theArt Students League of New York and thePratt Institute and was hired to work in theink and paint department ofFleischer Studios. In 1932, he joined the Van Beuren Studios as an animator andstoryboard artist.[6]: 38–42 He worked on cartoon series such asCubby Bear andRainbow Parades and an earlierTom and Jerry. ThisTom and Jerry series starred two humans; it was unrelated to Barbera's later cat-and-mouse series, although both of these cartoons adopted the name coined inLife in London, a 1821 British novel written byPierce Egan.[18] When Van Beuren closed in 1936, Barbera moved toPaul Terry's Terrytoons studio.[6]: 53–54
In 1935, Barbera created his first solo-effort storyboard about a character namedKiko the Kangaroo. The storyline was of Kiko in an airplane race with another character calledDirty Dog. Terry declined to produce the story. In his autobiography, Barbera said of his efforts: "I was, quite honestly, not in the least disappointed. I had proven to myself that I could do a storyboard, and that I had gained the experience of presenting it. For now, that was enough." The original storyboard, passed down through the Barbera family, went on sale at auction in November 2013.[19][20]
Lured by a substantial salary increase, Barbera left Terrytoons and New York for the newMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer cartoon studio in California in 1937.[6]: 58–59 [16]: 106 He found that Los Angeles suffered just as much from the Great Depression as Brooklyn and almost returned to Brooklyn.[6]: 201
Barbera's desk was opposite that ofWilliam Hanna. The two quickly realized they would make a good team.[21]: Foreword By 1939, they had solidified a partnership that would last over 60 years.[22][23] Barbera and Hanna worked alongside animatorTex Avery, who had createdDaffy Duck and co-createdBugs Bunny forWarner Bros. and directedDroopy cartoons at MGM.[21]: 33 [24]: 18
In 1940, Hanna and Barbera jointly directedPuss Gets the Boot, which was nominated for anAcademy Award for Best (Cartoon) Short Subject.[25][26] The studio wanted a diversified cartoon portfolio, so despite the success ofPuss Gets the Boot, Barbera and Hanna's supervisor,Fred Quimby, did not want to produce more cat and mouse cartoons, believing that those were already enough.[6]: 75–76 Surprised by the success ofPuss Gets the Boot, Barbera and Hanna ignored Quimby's resistance[21]: 45 and continued developing the cat-and-mouse theme.
By this time, Hanna wanted to return to working forRudolf Ising, to whom he felt very loyal. Barbera and Hanna met with Quimby, who discovered that although Ising had taken sole credit for producingPuss Gets the Boot, he never worked on it. Quimby, who wanted to start a new animation unit independent from Ising, then permitted Hanna and Barbera to pursue their cat-and-mouse idea. The result was their most famous creation,Tom and Jerry.[6]: 78–79
Modeled after thePuss Gets the Boot characters with slight differences, the series followed Jerry, the pesky rodent who continuously outwitted his feline foe, Tom.[27][28] Hanna said they settled on this cartoon's cat and mouse theme because "we knew we needed two characters. We thought we needed conflict, chase, and action. And a cat after a mouse seemed like a good, basic thought."[29] The revamped characters first appeared in 1941'sThe Midnight Snack.[21]: 46 Over the next 17 years, Barbera and Hanna worked exclusively onTom and Jerry,[25] directing more than 114 popular cartoon shorts.[30] During World War II, they also made animated training films.[6]: 92–93
Tom and Jerry relied mostly on motion instead of dialog.[23] Despite its popularity,Tom and Jerry has often been criticized as excessively violent.[31]: 42 [32]: 134 The series won its first Academy Award for the 11th short,The Yankee Doodle Mouse (1943)—a war-time adventure.[27]Tom and Jerry was nominated for 14 Academy Awards, winning seven,[33] more than any other animated series featuring the same characters.[22][34] Tom and Jerry also made guest appearances in several of MGM's live-action films, includingAnchors Aweigh (1945) and,Invitation to the Dance (1956) withGene Kelly, andDangerous When Wet (1953) withEsther Williams.[34][35][36]
In addition to his work in animated cartoons, Barbera andTom and Jerry layout artistHarvey Eisenberg moonlit to run a comic book company named Dearfield Publishing.[37] Active from 1946 to 1951, Dearfield's titles included"Red" Rabbit Comics,Foxy Fagan, andJunie Prom.[38][39]
Quimby accepted each Academy Award forTom and Jerry without inviting Barbera and Hanna onstage. The cartoons were also released with Quimby listed as the sole producer, following the same practice for which he had condemned Ising.[6]: 83–84 Quimby once delayed a promised raise to Barbera by six months.[6]: 82 When Quimby retired in late 1955, Hanna and Barbera were placed in charge of MGM's animation division.[17][22] As MGM began to lose more revenue on animated cartoons due to television,[40][41] the studio soon realized that re-releasing old cartoons was far more profitable than producing new ones.[6]: 2–3, 109 In 1957, MGM ordered Barbera and Hanna's business manager to close the cartoon division and lay off everyone by phone.[6]: 2–3, 109 Barbera and Hanna found the no-notice closing puzzling becauseTom and Jerry had succeeded.[34]
In 1957, Barbera reteamed with his former partner Hanna to produce cartoon films for television and theatrical release.[28] The two brought their different skills to the company as they had at MGM. 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.[6]: 120 [17][21]: 77, 146 Acoin toss gave Hanna precedence in the naming of the new company[21]: Foreword first called H-B Enterprises but soon changed toHanna-Barbera Productions.[17][41] Barbera and Hanna's MGM colleagueGeorge Sidney, the director ofAnchors Aweigh, became the third partner and business manager in the company and arranged a deal for distribution and working capital withScreen Gems, the television division ofColumbia Pictures, who took part ownership of the new studio.[21]: 81–83
The first offering from the new company wasThe Ruff & Reddy Show,[28] a series which detailed the friendship between a dog and a cat.[42] 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 andThe Yogi Bear Show. A 1960 survey showed that half of the viewers ofHuckleberry Hound were adults. This prompted the company to create a new animated series,The Flintstones.[36][43] A parody ofThe Honeymooners, the new show followed a typicalStone 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.[36][42][44]Fred Flintstone's signature exclamation,"yabba dabba doo", soon entered everyday usage,[8][36] and the show boosted the studio to the top of the TV cartoon field.[35] The company later produced a futuristic version ofThe Flintstones, known asThe Jetsons. Although both shows reappeared in the 1970s and 1980s,The Flintstones was far more popular.[42]
By the late 1960s, Hanna-Barbera Productions was the business's most successful television animation studio. The Hanna-Barbera studio produced over 3,000 animated half-hour television shows.[36] Among the more than 100 cartoon series they produced wereThe Quick Draw McGraw Show,Top Cat,Jonny Quest,The Magilla Gorilla Show,The Atom Ant/Secret Squirrel Show,Scooby-Doo,Super Friends, andThe Smurfs.[28][34][45] The company also produced animated specials based onAlice in Wonderland,Jack and the Beanstalk,Cyrano de Bergerac, and feature-length filmsCharlotte's Web andHeidi's Song.[6]: 228–230
As popular as their cartoons were with 1960s audiences, they were disliked by artists.[46] 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.[23][43] Hanna-Barbera was key in developing of an animation technique known aslimited animation,[47]: 75 [48]: 54 which allowed television animation to be more cost-effective but often reduced quality.[28][34][45][49] Hanna and Barbera had first experimented with these techniques in the early days ofTom and Jerry.[6]: 74, 115 To reduce the cost of each episode, shows often focused more on character dialogue than detailed animation.[23][46]
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.[43] Critics criticized the change from detailed animation to repetitive movements by two-dimensional characters.[46] Barbera once said that they chose to adapt to the television budgets or change careers.[47]: 75 [48]: 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.[43] Limited animation paved the way for future animated series such asThe Simpsons,SpongeBob SquarePants, andSouth Park.[46][50]
In December 1966, Hanna-Barbera Productions was sold to Taft Broadcasting, renamed Great American Communications in 1987, for $12 million.[6]: 162, 235–236 Barbera and Hanna remained at the head of the company until 1991.[51]: 16 [52][53]: 151 The company was sold to the Turner Broadcasting System for an estimated $320 million.[4] Turner began using Hanna-Barbera's television catalog as material for its newCartoon Network cable channel in 1992, and by the mid-1990s, Hanna-Barbera was producing several original series for Cartoon Network, among themDexter's Laboratory andThe Powerpuff Girls.[42] In 1996, Turner merged with Time Warner, owners of Warner Bros., who would eventually absorb Hanna-Barbera intoWarner Bros. Animation.[54]
Barbera and Hanna continued to advise their former company. They periodically worked on new Hanna-Barbera shows, including shorts for the seriesThe Cartoon Cartoon Show and feature film versions ofThe Flintstones (1994) andScooby-Doo (2002).[36][55] In a newTom and Jerry cartoon produced in 2000,The Mansion Cat, Barbera voiced the house owner.[56]
Ten days before Hanna's death from throat cancer in March 2001, Hanna-Barbera was absorbed intoWarner Bros. Animation, with the unit dedicated to the Cartoon Network original series spun off intoCartoon Network Studios. Barbera remained active as an executive producer for Warner Bros. on direct-to-video cartoon features and television series such asWhat's New, Scooby-Doo? andTom and Jerry Tales.[56][57] He also wrote, co-storyboarded, co-directed, and co-producedThe Karate Guard (2005), the return ofTom and Jerry to the big screen.[58][59] His final animated project was the direct-to-video featureTom and Jerry: A Nutcracker Tale (2007).[60]
On December 18, 2006, Barbera died ofnatural causes at his home inStudio City,Los Angeles,California, aged 95, ending a seventy-year career in animation.[61] His wife Sheila was at his side at the end;[61] he was also survived by three children from his first marriage: Jayne (who worked for Hanna-Barbera), Lynn, and Neal.[6]: 105–107 He is buried atForest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California.
Most of the cartoons Barbera and Hanna created revolved around close friendship or partnership; this theme is evident with Fred and Barney, Wilma Flintstone and Betty Rubble, Dick Dastardly and Muttley, Tom and Jerry, Scooby and Shaggy, Ruff and Reddy, Jake Clawson/Razor and Chance Furlong/T-Bone, The Jetson family and Yogi & Boo-Boo. These may have reflected the close business friendship and partnership that Barbera and Hanna shared for over 60 years.[21]: 214 Professionally, they balanced each other's strengths and weaknesses very well,[22][35][36][50] but Barbera and Hanna traveled in entirely different social circles. Hanna's circle of personal friends primarily included other animators. Barbera socialized with Hollywood celebrities—Zsa Zsa Gabor was a frequent visitor to his house.[21]: 52–53, 137–139, 147, 222–224
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 drinks.[6]: 120–121 In their long partnership, in which they worked with over 2,000 animated characters, Barbera and Hanna rarely exchanged a cross word.[28] Barbera said: "We understood each other perfectly, and each of us had a deep respect for the other's work."[25] Hanna once said that Barbera could "capture mood and expression in a quick sketch better than anyone I've ever known."[57]
Barbera and Hanna were also among the first animators to realize the enormous potential of television.[49][62]Leonard Maltin says the Hanna–Barbera team "held 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".[36][63] They are often considered Walt Disney's only rivals in cartoon animation.[28][64]
Barbera and Hanna had a lasting impact on television animation.[51]: 16 Cartoons they created often make thegreatest lists.[42][65] Many of their characters have appeared in films, books, toys, and other media.[55] Their shows had a worldwide audience of over 300 million people in the 1960s and have been translated into more than 20 languages.[43] The works of Barbera and Hanna have been praised not only for their animation but for their music.The Cat Concerto (1946) andJohann Mouse (1952) have both been called "masterpieces of animation" largely because of their classical music.[22][31]: 34 [32]: 133
The Hanna–Barbera team won seven Academy Awards and eight Emmy Awards,[66][67]: 32 including the 1960 award forThe Huckleberry Hound Show, which was the first Emmy awarded to an animated series.[36][42] They also won these awards: Golden Globe for Television Achievement (1960),[66] Golden IKE Award – Pacific Pioneers in Broadcasting (1983), Pioneer Award –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 MusicUniversity of Cincinnati (1989), stars on theHollywood Walk of Fame (1976), severalAnnie Awards,[21]: 170 several environmental awards, and were recipients of numerous other accolades before their induction into theTelevision Hall of Fame in 1994.[21]: 171 [36][42] 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.[68]
In 1992, Barbera met with pop musicianMichael Jackson, an avid cartoon fan, in an unsuccessful attempt to arrange for Jackson to sing inTom and Jerry: The Movie. Barbera drew five quick sketches ofTom and Jerry for Jackson and autographed them. Jackson autographed a picture of himself and his niece Nicole for Barbera with the words: "To my hero of yesterday, today, and tomorrow, with many thanks for all the many cartoon friends you gave me as a child. They were all I had. – Michael"[6]: 236–237
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