Michael Richard Lah (September 1, 1912 – October 13, 1995) was an Americananimator ofSlovene origin. He is best remembered for his work at theMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer cartoon studio, primarily as a member ofTex Avery's animation unit. He first worked onTom and Jerry shorts before going to work on Droopy/Tex Avery shorts.
Lah was born inIllinois. He worked briefly atWalt Disney Studios before joining theHarman-Ising studio in the mid-1930s. He later worked forMGM as an animator and director, remaining until the studio closed in 1957. During his MGM tenure, he animated for both theWilliam Hanna/Joseph Barbera andTex Avery units, and co-directed at various times withPreston Blair and Avery. He was promoted to the post of full-time director after Hanna and Barbera were made studio producers.
After he left MGM, he briefly rejoined Hanna and Barbera at theirHanna-Barbera television cartoon studio as an animator onThe Huckleberry Hound Show and various other shows, then joined Quartet Films, a commercial animation studio that created television commercials forKelloggs andGreen Giant Foods. Some characters that Lah designed include Tony the Tiger, the Jolly Green Giant, Snap, Crackle and Pop, the Hamm's Beer Bear, and the Baltimore Orioles.[1]
He was an active member ofASIFA-Hollywood, serving on the board for several years. In 1984, Lah received theWinsor McCay Award for his lifetime of work in the animation field.
He was married to Alberta Wogatzke, the twin sister of Violet Wogatzke (William Hanna's wife).[2] Lah died on October 13, 1995, inLos Angeles,California.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
