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Joseph Barbera.

Joseph Roland Barbera

Joseph Barbera — Animator
Born New York City, United States
Died Los Angeles, United States
Citizenship United States
Would Be 115 yr If Living

11 min read

Reading time

2,134

Words

Published

14

Film credits

1

Book

4

Awards

TL;DR

Joseph Barbera co-founded Hanna-Barbera Productions in 1957 with William Hanna. He co-created Tom and Jerry in 1940, earning seven Academy Awards for MGM. Barbera produced The Flintstones, Huckleberry Hound, and Scooby-Doo, shows that defined television animation.

Identity & family.

KIN · 3

Names, aliases, and relatives of Joseph Barbera — birth name, kin, and personal ties.

Native Name Joseph Roland Barbera
Nicknames Joe
Aliases Hanna Barbera, Joe Barbera, Joseph R. Barbera, Hanna Barbera Productions, Hanna Barbera Prods Inc., Joseph Roland
Spouses
Sheila Constance Holden Dorothy Allen Earl
Children
Brandon Sawyer

At a glance.

STATS

Joseph Barbera by the numbers — life, work, and family.

95 Years lived
14 Film credits
1 Book
4 Awards
2 Marriages
1 Child

Who was Joseph Barbera?

BIOGRAPHY

Joseph Barbera — early life, career, personal life, and legacy.

Early life

Born in Little Italy, Manhattan, in 1911 to Sicilian immigrants, Joseph Barbera grew up in Brooklyn after his father Vincent abandoned the family in 1926. His father’s gambling addiction drained the family savings. Barbera was raised by his uncle Jim Calvacca in Flatbush.

At Erasmus Hall High School, Barbera worked as a tailor’s delivery boy and excelled in boxing, winning several titles but choosing not to turn professional. After graduating in 1928, he took odd jobs and art classes at the Art Students League and Pratt Institute. His interest in animation was sparked by Walt Disney’s The Skeleton Dance in 1929, prompting him to become a freelance cartoonist. His work appeared in Redbook, The Saturday Evening Post, and Collier’s.

Career

Barbera started at Fleischer Studios in 1932 as an inker and colorist, then moved to Van Beuren Studios to work on Cubby Bear and Rainbow Parades. In 1937 he joined MGM. Two years later, he teamed with William Hanna on a cat-and-mouse duo. The first short, Puss Gets the Boot 1940, introduced Tom and Jerry. It was a hit, but studio head Fred Quimby resisted a series. Only after other projects underperformed did Hanna and Barbera get their own production unit.

Over 114 Tom and Jerry shorts, they won seven Academy Awards from 1940 to 1957. When MGM closed its animation unit in 1957, Barbera briefly worked with Robert D. Buchanan on Colonel Bleep before reuniting with Hanna to form Hanna-Barbera Productions. Their first TV series, The Ruff & Reddy Show 1957, led to The Huckleberry Hound Show and The Yogi Bear Show, which drew adult viewers. In 1960, The Flintstones became the first prime-time animated sitcom, establishing their leadership in television animation.

In 1966, Taft Broadcasting bought Hanna-Barbera for $12 million. Barbera and Hanna stayed on as heads until 1991, when Turner Broadcasting purchased it for $320 million. Barbera worked into his 90s, co-directing The Karate Guard 2005 and contributing to Tom and Jerry: A Nutcracker Tale 2007 before his death.

Personal life

Barbera married Dorothy Allen Earl on December 28, 1934. They had three children: Neal, Jayne, and Lynn. The marriage ended in divorce in 1963. On September 25, 1964, he married Sheila Constance Holden. They had one son, Brandon Sawyer, and remained together until his death.

Barbera had two younger brothers, Lawrence and Theodore. His father Vincent left the family in 1926. His mother Francesca died in 1969. Barbera never retired and worked at Hanna-Barbera until he died at age 95 from natural causes in Studio City, California.

Legacy

Barbera and William Hanna were inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1994. They received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6753 Hollywood Boulevard. His studio produced over 100 television series, including The Flintstones, Scooby-Doo, Yogi Bear, and Huckleberry Hound, which remain popular decades later.

Barbera’s characters appeared in films, TV specials, and merchandise. After his death in 2006, he was entombed at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale. Warner Bros. continued producing series and movies based on his creations. He co-created Tom and Jerry, a cartoon duo that remains popular.

Filmography.

FILMS · 14

The complete filmography of Joseph Barbera — every film, TV show, and documentary credit, ranked by popularity.

  1. TV Poster for Spider-Man

    Spider-Man

  2. Movie Poster for The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas

    The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas

  3. TV Poster for MGM: When the Lion Roars

    MGM: When the Lion Roars

  4. Movie Poster for I Yabba-Dabba Do!

    I Yabba-Dabba Do!

  5. Movie Poster for Cartoon Network Christmas: Yuletide Follies

    Cartoon Network Christmas: Yuletide Follies

  6. TV Poster for Scooby-Doo! Mystery Cases

    Scooby-Doo! Mystery Cases

  7. Movie Poster for Scooby-Doo, Where Are You Now!

    Scooby-Doo, Where Are You Now!

  8. Movie Poster for Hanna-Barbera's 50Th

    Hanna-Barbera's 50Th

  9. Movie Poster for The Mansion Cat

    The Mansion Cat

  10. Movie Poster for Tom & Jerry's 50Th Birthday Bash

    Tom & Jerry's 50Th Birthday Bash

  11. Movie Poster for Fine Feathered Friend

    Fine Feathered Friend

  12. Movie Poster for Pitcher and the Pin-Up

    Pitcher and the Pin-Up

  13. Movie Poster for The Flintstones' 25Th Anniversary Celebration

    The Flintstones' 25Th Anniversary Celebration

  14. Movie Poster for Tom & Jerry: Deluxe Anniversary Collection

    Tom & Jerry: Deluxe Anniversary Collection

Awards & honors.

AWARDS · 4

Every award, honor, and recognition received by Joseph Barbera — Grammys, hall-of-fame inductions, civic honors, lifetime achievements.

  • Primetime Emmy Award
  • star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
  • Daytime Emmy Award
  • Winsor McCay Award

Bibliography.

BOOKS · 1

Joseph Barbera's bibliography — every authored, edited, and co-written book, ranked by edition count.

  1. Cover for My Life in 'Toons

    My Life in 'Toons

    by Joseph Barbera

Notable quotes.

QUOTES · 39

A wall of memorable lines from Joseph Barbera — lyrics, interviews, and off-the-cuff remarks captured over a lifetime.

Did you know?

FACTS · 11

Little-known facts about Joseph Barbera — origins, oddities, and behind-the-scenes details from a public life.

  1. He co-created Tom and Jerry, Huckleberry Hound, and The Flintstones, and also contributed to The Smurfs.

  2. After MGM closed its animation department, Barbera and William Hanna departed to found Hanna-Barbera Studios.

  3. Barbera began his animation career at Van Beuren Studios; after it closed, he worked for Paul Terry’s Terrytoons in Rochester. He later moved to California when MGM offered a significant pay raise.

  4. He maintained a decades-long professional partnership with William Hanna.

  5. He had two younger brothers: Lawrence Barbera and Theodore Barbera.

  6. From his first marriage, he had three children: Neal, Jayne, and Lynn.

  7. Before becoming an animator, he worked in banking and as a magazine illustrator. He also tried amateur boxing and playwriting, and sold a sketch to Collier’s which encouraged him to become a cartoonist.

  8. He and William Hanna were awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Television at 6753 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California.

  9. He was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame with his creative partner William Hanna in 1994.

  10. In 1957, Hanna-Barbera formed their own production company and sold their first new cartoon, Rough and Ready, to television.

  11. Following his death, he was entombed inside a mausoleum crypt at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California. His passing occurred four months prior to his 96th birthday.

You wanted to know.

FAQ · 30

Quick answers to the questions readers ask most about Joseph Barbera.

Audited & updated by

Olivia Brooks

Senior Staff Writer & Biography Editor

Olivia has 6 years of experience writing biographical profiles and still approaches every subject like it's the first one. She covers everyone from debut musicians to Hall of Fame athletes to novelists most people have never heard of. She finds something worth reading in all of them. Her drafts tend to come in already clean, which her editor appreciates. She says good writing is just good thinking written down. Hard to argue with that.

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