John Fredrick Hannah (January 5, 1913 – June 11, 1994) was an American animator, writer and director of animated shorts. He worked for Disney and Walter Lantz.
Biography Hannah was born on January 5, 1913, in Nogales, Arizona. After attending grammar school in Nogales, Arizona and high school in National City, California, he moved to Los Angeles in 1931 to study at the Art Guild Academy. One of his first jobs was designing movie posters for Hollywood theaters for the advertising firm Foster & Kleiser. In 1933, during the Great Depression, Hannah dropped off his portfolio at Walt Disney Studios, and soon afterward was hired as an in-between and clean-up artist, working on Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Silly Symphony cartoons.
Hannah's career as an animator commenced with the short Modern Inventions (released on May 29, 1937). After thirteen films in that capacity, he was assigned to the story department writing cartoon short continuities, beginning with Donald's Nephews (released on April 15, 1938). He received writing credit on 21 Disney cartoon shorts.
In 1942, he collaborated with Carl Barks on the first two comic books Barks worked on, Pluto Saves the Ship and Donald Duck Finds Pirate Gold. Hannah in subsequent years did a handful of other Donald Duck comic book storiesJack Hannah but, unlike Barks, he stayed at the studio and eventually was given a chance to be a director. The short Donald's Off Day (released on December 8, 1944) was the first of 94 films he would direct. These include most of the shorts featuring Donald Duck in the post-war era along with all starring Chip 'n' Dale and Humphrey the Bear; he also directed some shorts starring Goofy, Mickey Mouse, Pluto and some minor Disney characters such as Lambert the Sheepish Lion.
After Disney stopped producing animated shorts, Hannah did 14 episodes of the Walt Disney anthology television series (composed of footage from the classic cartoons along with new linking material) and fulfilled his ambition to direct live-action by handling Walt Disney's introductions for the episodes. Hannah hoped to segue into a career in live-action but "Walt had me pegged as an animation director so he balked at the suggestion. We had a few heated discussions and I became aware that I had come to an impasse." Hannah eventually left for Walter Lantz Productions in 1960 and directed a number of films featuring Woody Woodpecker; most of the Woody Woodpecker, Chilly Willy, and Dynamo Doc shorts directed by Hannah had music by former Warner Bros. Cartoons composer and songwriter Eugene Poddany, who composed the shorts from 1960 to 1962, replaced by Darrell Calker, who composed from 1961 to 1964, and Clarence Wheeler who composed for Lantz from 1950 to 1967, and one short directed by Jack Hannah had Walter Greene as composer and Charles Mintz veteran Sid Marcus as director entitled Greedy Gabby Gator (released on January 1, 1963) and some minor characters. Besides directing shorts, Hannah also was assistant director for the television series The Woody Woodpecker Show, which began airing on October 3, 1957. "I did more or less the same thing that I did with Walt Disney in directing live-action except Lantz was better at taking direction." For his final days at Lantz, his shorts needed animation by Art Davis until he left in April 1963. His last directing effort was the short Charlie's Mother in Law (released on April 16, 1963). He retired shortly thereafter and replaced by Sid Marcus, who co-directed the Woody Woodpecker short Greedy Gabby Gator, released in 1963 with Jack Hannah as co-director with Sid Marcus, who directed at Lantz until 1967.
In 1975, Hannah was one of the co-founders, along with T. Hee, of the Character Animation program at the California Institute of the Arts.
Hannah was honored as a "Disney Legend" in 1992. Jack Hannah is often credited with developing, if not creating, the personality of the animated version of Donald Duck. It is for this reason Disney historian Jim Korkis has dubbed him "Donald Duck's Other Daddy." Despite that, Hannah has often been noted for being responsible for Donald's most formulaic period, where constantly paired Donald with pint-sized antagonists. The most famous of these antagonists are Chip 'n Dale, but other characters included Spike the Bee, Bootle Beetle and a colony of ants. These vermin became the focus of their shorts, relegating Donald to a supporting foil role with a consequent personality diminution.
Hannah died from cancer in Burbank, California on June 11, 1994, at age 81. He is survived by his wife and two children.
Filmography Films Year Title Credits Notes1934 Servants' Entrance animator Gulliver Mickey animator 1936 Toby Tortoise Returns animator Donald and Pluto animator The Country Cousin animator 1937 Don Donald animator Woodland Café animator Modern Inventions animator The Old Mill animator Donald's Ostrich animator 1938 Self Control animator Donald's Better Self story and animation Donald's Nephews story and animation Donald's Golf Game animator Good Scouts animator 1939 Sea Scouts animator Donald's Penguin animator Donald's Lucky Day story and animation The Hockey Champ story and animation Donald's Cousin Gusstory Beach Picnic story 1940 Mr. Duck Steps Outstory Donald's Vacation story and animation Window Cleaners story Fire Chief story 1941 Timber story Golden Eggs story Early to Bed story Truant Officer Donald story Old MacDonald Duck story Chef Donald story 1942 Sky Trooper story The Army Mascot story Donald Gets Drafted story Donald's Snow Fight animator Bellboy Donald story Donald's Garden animator Out of the Frying Pan and into the Firing Line animator 1943 Home Defense story The Old Army Game story 1944 Trombone Trouble story Donald Duck and the Gorilla story Commando Duck story Last WWII Donald Duck cartoon. The Plastics Inventor story Donald's Off Day director The first theatrical cartoon to be directed by Jack Hannah. 1945 The Eyes Have It director No Sail director 1946 Double Dribble director Squatter's Rights director A Knight for a Day director Lighthouse Keeping director Frank Duck Brings 'em Back Alive director 1947 Clown of the Jungle director Bootle Beetle director Straight Shooters director Chip an' Dale director Foul Hunting director 1948 They're Off director Last Goofy cartoon to be directed by Jack Hannah. Daddy Duck director Inferior Decorator director Soup's On director Three for Breakfast director Tea for Two Hundred director 1949 All in a Nutshell director Slide, Donald, Slide director Honey Harvester director Donald's Happy Birthday director Winter Storage director The Greener Yard director Sea Salts director Toy Tinkers director 1950 Lion Around director Debut of Louie the Mountain Lion. Crazy Over Daisy director Jack Hannah's only such cartoon to feature Daisy Duck. Trailer Horn director Hook, Lion and Sinker director Bee at the Beach director Out on a Limb director 1951 Chicken in the Rough director Dude Duck director Test Pilot Donald director Corn Chips director Lucky Number director Out of Scale director Bee on Guard director 1952 Two Chips and a Miss director Lambert the Sheepish Lion director Donald Applecore director Let's Stick Together director Uncle Donald's Ants director Trick or Treat director Pluto's Christmas Tree director 1953 Don's Fountain of Youth director The New Neighbor director Rugged Bear director Jack Hannah's first cartoon starring Humphrey the Bear. Working for Peanuts director Canvas Back Duck director 1954 Spare the Rod director Dragon Around director Grin and Bear It director Debut of Ranger J. Audubon Woodlore. The Flying Squirrel director 1955 No Hunting director and voice (of Moose) Jack Hannah's first cartoon in CinemaScope, as well as his only CinemaScope cartoon without Humphrey involved. Bearly Asleep director Beezy Bear director Final pairing with Donald and Humphrey in the Golden age of American animation. Up a Tree director Last Donald Duck cartoon to be directed by Jack Hannah, as well as Jack Hannah's last Disney cartoon not filmed in CinemaScope.Jack Hannah's last cartoon starring Chip 'n' Dale. 1956 Hooked Bear director First solo Humphrey cartoon. 3D Jamboree director the "Working for Peanuts" short In the Bag director Jack Hannah's last Disney cartoon, as well as his last one to be filmed in CinemaScope.Second and last solo Humphrey cartoon. 1959 Bric's Stew story Only UPA cartoon ever written by Jack Hannah. 1960 Donald Duck and his Companions story and animation Freeloading Feline director and story Jack Hannah's first cartoon made at Walter Lantz Productions. First solo Doc cartoon ever produced. Hunger Strife director Debut of Fatso the Bear. Jack Hannah's first cartoon to feature Inspector Willoughby, though he was characterized as a park ranger. Southern Fried Hospitality director First Woody Woodpecker cartoon to be directed by Jack Hannah. Debut of Gabby Gator. Jungle Medics director and story 1961 Poop Deck Pirate director Eggnapper director Last time that Inspector Willoughby was defined as a park ranger. Jack Hannah's last cartoon starring Inspector Willoughby. Gabby's Diner director Clash and Carry director First Chilly Willy cartoon to be directed by Jack Hannah. Jack Hannah's first cartoon starring Wally Walrus. Bear and the Bees director Last appearance of Fatso the Bear. The only time that Fatso appeared without Inspector Willoughby. Franken-Stymied director Jack Hannah's second and last Woody Woodpecker cartoon without Gabby Gator in it. Tricky Trout director Jack Hannah's last cartoon starring Wally Walrus. Tin Can Concert director and story Only Doc cartoon without Champ in it. Doc's Last Stand director Woody's Kook-Out director 1962 Rock-a-Bye Gator director Pest of Show director Mackerel Moocher directorJack Hannah's first Chilly Willy cartoon without Wally Walrus in it. Fowled-Up Birthday director Rocket Racket director Mother's Little Helper director Voo-Doo Boo-Boo director Last Woody Woodpecker cartoon to be directed by Jack Hannah. Punchy Pooch director Corny Concerto director Last time where Doc appeared in. 1963 Fish and Chips director Jack Hannah's last theatrical cartoon, as well as his only one to feature Smedley Dog.
TV series Disneyland (1954–79) The Donald Duck Story (director and story; 1954) Adventures of Mickey Mouse (director; 1955) At Home with Donald Duck (director; 1956) The Great Cat Family (segment director; 1956) Where Do the Stories Come From? (director; 1956) On Vacation (director; 1956) A Day in the Life of Donald Duck (director;1956) Duck for Hire (director; 1957) Donald's Award (director; 1957) All About Magic (sequence director; 1957) Your Host, Donald Duck (director;1957) From All of Us to All of You (director; 1958) Four Tales on a Mouse (director: Christmas sequence; 1958) Donald's Weekend (director; 1958) Highway to Trouble (director;1959) Duck Flies Coop (director; 1959) Two Happy Amigos (director;1960) This Is Your Life Donald Duck (director;1960) Kids Is Kids (segment director; 1961) A Square Peg in a Round Hole (segment director; 1963) The Ranger of Brownstone (sequence director; 1968) Baseball Fever (director; 1979) (archive footage only) The Woody Woodpecker Show (1957–58) Matty's Funday Funnies (TV series) (1962; story)
References
External links
Jack Hannah Remembers Pirate Gold at Mouse Planet Donald Duck's Other Daddy (Part One)