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Ben Hardaway is a Actor, Director and Scriptwriter American born on 21 may 1895

Ben Hardaway

Ben Hardaway
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Birth name Joseph Benson Hardaway
Nationality USA
Birth 21 may 1895
Death 5 february 1957 (at 61 years)

Joseph Benson "Ben/Bugs" Hardaway (May 21, 1895 – 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 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. 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.

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 three cartoon appearances: Knock Knock, Woody Woodpecker, and The Screwdriver.)

Hardaway was also the writer for "The Adventures of Pow Wow" cartoon series that aired as part of the Captain Kangaroo TV show.

Best films

Wet Blanket Policy (1948)
(Actor)

Usually with

Mel Blanc
Mel Blanc
(19 films)
Cal Dalton
Cal Dalton
(13 films)
Walter Lantz
Walter Lantz
(4 films)
Source : Wikidata

Filmography of Ben Hardaway (32 films)

Display filmography as detailed form
YearNameJobRoles
2012Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Volume 2Director
1963Philbert (Three's a Crowd)Director
1948Wet Blanket PolicyActor, StoryWoody Woodpecker (voice)
1941Pantry PanicActor, StoryWoody Woodpecker (voice)
1941Scrub Me Mama with a Boogie BeatStory
1941Woody WoodpeckerStory
1940Busy BakersDirector
1940Confederate HoneyStory
1939Hare-um Scare-umDirector
1939Gold Rush DazeDirector
1939Bars and Stripes ForeverDirector
1939It's an Ill WindActor, DirectorDizzy Duck
1939Sioux MeDirector
1939Porky and TeabiscuitDirector
1939Porky the Giant KillerDirector
1938Porky's Hare HuntDirector
1938The Penguin ParadeStory
1938Daffy Duck & EggheadStory
1938Count Me OutDirector
1938Porky the GobDirector
1938Katnip KollegeDirector
1938Love and CursesActor, Director
1936Milk and MoneyStory
1935Buddy in AfricaDirector
1935Buddy's Pony ExpressDirector
1935Buddy of the LegionDirector
1935Buddy's TheatreDirector
1934Buddy of the ApesDirector
1934Buddy's AdventuresDirector
1934Buddy the DentistDirector
1934How Do I Know It's SundayScriptwriter
1934Rhythm in the BowDirector