Ben Hardaway
Encyclopedia
Joseph Benson "Ben/Bugs" Hardaway (1897 - 1957) was a storyboard
artist, animator, voice actor, gagman, writer, and director
for several American animation
studios during the The Golden Age of Hollywood animation. He was sometimes credited as J.B. Hardaway, Ben Hardaway, Buggsy Hardaway, and B. Hardaway.
While at the Schlesinger/Warner Bros. studio
studio during the late 1930s, Hardaway served as a storyman, and co-directed several Looney Tunes
and Merrie Melodies
shorts with Cal Dalton
during Friz Freleng
's three-year exodus to MGM. In 1938, Hardaway co-directed the first film to feature a rabbit in. This, as yet unnamed, embryonic rabbit had been created by Bob Clampett
after a weekend of drawing which is described in great detail in the interview published by Michael Barrier in the now defunct magazine Funnyworld issue #12 (1970).
A new drawing of a redesigned rabbit had been requested by the story department as described by Virgil Ross, the animator of A Wild Hare
in an interview published in Animato magazine issue #19.
Animator Ben "Bugs" Hardaway inadvertently christened him when "his casual sketch of a proposed rabbit character" was labeled "Bugs's Bunny" by a fellow employee, as described in the Encyclopædia Britannica
.
When Freleng returned to Warner Bros. in 1939, Hardaway was demoted back to storyman, while Tex Avery eventually created his own rabbit
which would later replace Hardaway's Rabbit. In 1940, Hardaway joined the staff of Walter Lantz Productions, where he helped Walter Lantz
in creating the studio's most famous character, Woody Woodpecker
. Hardaway wrote or co-wrote most of the stories for the 1940-1949 Woody Woodpecker shorts, as well as supplying Woody's voice during this period as well (Mel Blanc
voiced Woody for the woodpecker's first four cartoon appearances: Knock Knock, Woody Woodpecker
, The Screwdriver
, and Pantry Panic
).
Hardaway was also the writer for the "Pow Wow the Indian Boy" cartoon series that aired as part of the Captain Kangaroo
TV show.
Storyboard
Storyboards are graphic organizers in the form of illustrations or images displayed in sequence for the purpose of pre-visualizing a motion picture, animation, motion graphic or interactive media sequence....
artist, animator, voice actor, gagman, writer, and director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
for several American animation
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
studios during the The Golden Age of Hollywood animation. He was sometimes credited as J.B. Hardaway, Ben Hardaway, Buggsy Hardaway, and B. Hardaway.
While at the Schlesinger/Warner Bros. studio
Warner Bros. Cartoons
Warner Bros. Cartoons, Inc. was the in-house division of Warner Bros. Pictures during the Golden Age of American animation. One of the most successful animation studios in American media history, Warner Bros. Cartoons was primarily responsible for the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies theatrical...
studio during the late 1930s, Hardaway served as a storyman, and co-directed several Looney Tunes
Looney Tunes
Looney Tunes is a Warner Bros. animated cartoon series. It preceded the Merrie Melodies series and was Warner Bros.'s first animated theatrical series. Since its first official release, 1930's Sinkin' in the Bathtub, the series has become a worldwide media franchise, spawning several television...
and Merrie Melodies
Merrie Melodies
Merrie Melodies is the name of a series of animated cartoons distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures between 1931 and 1969.Originally produced by Harman-Ising Pictures, Merrie Melodies were produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions from 1933 to 1944. Schlesinger sold his studio to Warner Bros. in 1944,...
shorts with Cal Dalton
Cal Dalton
Cal Dalton was a cartoon director at Warner Brothers. Dalton's first commercial animation work was on an animated short version of The Wizard of Oz that was produced by Ted Eshbaugh's independent animation studio in 1933. Afterwards, Dalton left to work at the Warner Brothers animation studio,...
during Friz Freleng
Friz Freleng
Isadore "Friz" Freleng was an animator, cartoonist, director, and producer best known for his work on the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons from Warner Bros....
's three-year exodus to MGM. In 1938, Hardaway co-directed the first film to feature a rabbit in. This, as yet unnamed, embryonic rabbit had been created by Bob Clampett
Bob Clampett
Robert Emerson "Bob" Clampett was an American animator, producer, director, and puppeteer best known for his work on the Looney Tunes animated series from Warner Bros., and the television shows Time for Beany and Beany and Cecil...
after a weekend of drawing which is described in great detail in the interview published by Michael Barrier in the now defunct magazine Funnyworld issue #12 (1970).
A new drawing of a redesigned rabbit had been requested by the story department as described by Virgil Ross, the animator of A Wild Hare
A Wild Hare
A Wild Hare is a 1940 Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies animated short film. It was produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions, directed by Tex Avery, and written by Rich Hogan. It was originally released on July 27, 1940...
in an interview published in Animato magazine issue #19.
Animator Ben "Bugs" Hardaway inadvertently christened him when "his casual sketch of a proposed rabbit character" was labeled "Bugs's Bunny" by a fellow employee, as described in the Encyclopædia Britannica
Encyclopædia Britannica
The Encyclopædia Britannica , published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., is a general knowledge English-language encyclopaedia that is available in print, as a DVD, and on the Internet. It is written and continuously updated by about 100 full-time editors and more than 4,000 expert...
.
When Freleng returned to Warner Bros. in 1939, Hardaway was demoted back to storyman, while Tex Avery eventually created his own rabbit
Bugs Bunny
Bugs Bunny is a animated character created in 1938 at Leon Schlesinger Productions, later Warner Bros. Cartoons. Bugs is an anthropomorphic gray rabbit and is famous for his flippant, insouciant personality and his portrayal as a trickster. He has primarily appeared in animated cartoons, most...
which would later replace Hardaway's Rabbit. In 1940, Hardaway joined the staff of Walter Lantz Productions, where he helped Walter Lantz
Walter Lantz
Walter Benjamin Lantz was an American cartoonist, animator, film producer, and director, best known for founding Walter Lantz Productions and creating Woody Woodpecker.-Early years and start in animation:...
in creating the studio's most famous character, Woody Woodpecker
Woody Woodpecker
Woody Woodpecker is an animated cartoon character, an anthropomorphic acorn woodpecker who appeared in theatrical short films produced by the Walter Lantz animation studio and distributed by Universal Pictures...
. Hardaway wrote or co-wrote most of the stories for the 1940-1949 Woody Woodpecker shorts, as well as supplying Woody's voice during this period as well (Mel Blanc
Mel Blanc
Melvin Jerome "Mel" Blanc was an American voice actor and comedian. Although he began his nearly six-decade-long career performing in radio commercials, Blanc is best remembered for his work with Warner Bros...
voiced Woody for the woodpecker's first four cartoon appearances: Knock Knock, Woody Woodpecker
Woody Woodpecker (cartoon)
Woody Woodpecker is the first animated cartoon short subject in the Woody Woodpecker series. Released theatrically on July 7, 1941, the film was produced by Walter Lantz Productions and distributed by Universal Pictures.-Plot:...
, The Screwdriver
The Screwdriver
The Screwdriver is the second animated cartoon short subject in the Woody Woodpecker series. Released theatrically on August 11, 1941, the film was produced by Walter Lantz Productions and distributed by Universal Pictures....
, and Pantry Panic
Pantry Panic
Pantry Panic is the third animated cartoon short subject in the Woody Woodpecker series. Released theatrically on November 24, 1941, the film was produced by Walter Lantz Productions and distributed by Universal Pictures.-Plot:...
).
Hardaway was also the writer for the "Pow Wow the Indian Boy" cartoon series that aired as part of the Captain Kangaroo
Captain Kangaroo
Captain Kangaroo is a children's television series which aired weekday mornings on the American television network CBS for nearly 30 years, from October 3, 1955 until December 8, 1984, making it the longest-running children's television program of its day...
TV show.