Biography

Animator, gag writer, storyboard artist and director Ben Hardaway is fondly remembered for his important contributions to Leon Schlesinger Studios and as co-creator (with Walter Lantz) and voice (1944-1949) of Woody Woodpecker. Hardaway started out as a cartoonist for the Kansas City Star in 1910. He saw military service as an artillery sergeant under the command of Captain Harry S. Truman during World War I. During this time he acquired the nickname 'Bugs'. After demobilization, he resumed working for various mid-West newspapers. In 1922, Hardaway was hired by the Kansas City Film Ad Company and became closely acquainted with the famous pioneer animator Ub Iwerks. Iwerks eventually moved to Hollywood, and, in 1931, employed Hardaway as a story writer. He stayed on for two years, then had a brief spell with Walt Disney Productions. Eventually, he settled at Leon Schlesinger's animation factory at Warner Bros., a studio which permitted artists substantially greater artistic freedom.

The superb humor and satirical quality of his writing (for example, Confederate Honey (1940), a hilarious send-up of Gone with the Wind (1939), featuring Elmer Fudd as 'Nett Cutler' romancing 'Crimson O'Hairoil') ensured Hardaway's rapid advancement to head of the story department. He also filled in as co-director of several Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies episodes during Friz Freleng's three-year long stint at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Cartoon Studios. Many of these featured Porky Pig. One of them, Porky's Hare Hunt (1938), had as chief protagonist an unnamed white rabbit created by Robert Clampett. It looked nothing like Bugs Bunny and sounded and acted rather like Daffy Duck. Before long, the rabbit reappeared in Hare-um Scare-um (1939) -- now in familiar colors, but with relatively short ears, wide buck teeth (and still sounding suspiciously like Daffy). On a corner of the model sheet with the original drawing by Charles Thorson, Hardaway wrote the name 'Bugs'. It stuck ,and thus the famous rabbit got its name -- albeit officially only after the release of A Wild Hare (1940). Hardaway found himself demoted after Freleng's return from MGM and departed Warner Brothers to head up the story department for Walter Lantz Productions working on Andy Panda and Woody Woodpecker cartoons.
- IMDb mini biography by: I.S.Mowis

After animator Charles Thorson completed the model sheet for the prototype Bugs rabbit character to be used in Hare-um Scare-um (1939), he handed it in to be given to Mr. Hardaway with "Bug's Bunny" written on it. Thus did the famous cartoon rabbit get his name (Bugs Bunny).

Director Shamus Culhane thought Hardaway's humor was crude and formulaic, but their collaboration worked. Animation aficionados believe the Woody Woodpecker cartoons they made together (1944 to 1946) represent the character at his peak.

Interred at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles, CA, Enduring Faith section, Lot 4093, Space 1.

Served in the US Army as an artillery sergeant during World War I. He left the service with the NCO appointment of Sergeant Major.