Joseph Benson Hardaway (May 21, 1895 â€" February 5, 1957) was an
American storyboard artist, animator, voice actor, gagman, writer and
director for several American animation studios during The Golden Age
of Hollywood animation. He was sometimes credited as J. B. Hardaway,
Ben Hardaway, Buggsy Hardaway and B. Hardaway.He started his animation
career working for the Kansas City Film Ad Service. He later worked
for the Walt Disney Animation Studios and the Ub Iwerks Studio. He was
hired by the Leon Schlesinger studio as a gagman for the Friz Freleng
unit. He was promoted to director for seven Buddy animated shorts.
Afterwards he resumed working as a gagman and storyman. Storymen
started receiving film credits in 1937. His writing credits include
Daffy Duck & Egghead and The Penguin Parade.While at the
Schlesinger/Warner Bros. 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 two-year exodus
to MGM. Leon Schlesinger needed a replacement for Freleng, and
Hardaway's previous experience in the job resulted in his promotion.
In 1938, Hardaway co-directed Porky's Hare Hunt, the first film to
feature a rabbit. This as yet unnamed, embryonic rabbit was later
named in an early model sheet as "Bugs' Bunny".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.
American storyboard artist, animator, voice actor, gagman, writer and
director for several American animation studios during The Golden Age
of Hollywood animation. He was sometimes credited as J. B. Hardaway,
Ben Hardaway, Buggsy Hardaway and B. Hardaway.He started his animation
career working for the Kansas City Film Ad Service. He later worked
for the Walt Disney Animation Studios and the Ub Iwerks Studio. He was
hired by the Leon Schlesinger studio as a gagman for the Friz Freleng
unit. He was promoted to director for seven Buddy animated shorts.
Afterwards he resumed working as a gagman and storyman. Storymen
started receiving film credits in 1937. His writing credits include
Daffy Duck & Egghead and The Penguin Parade.While at the
Schlesinger/Warner Bros. 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 two-year exodus
to MGM. Leon Schlesinger needed a replacement for Freleng, and
Hardaway's previous experience in the job resulted in his promotion.
In 1938, Hardaway co-directed Porky's Hare Hunt, the first film to
feature a rabbit. This as yet unnamed, embryonic rabbit was later
named in an early model sheet as "Bugs' Bunny".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.
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