Hal Geer

{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2022}} {{Use American English|date=October 2022}} {{short description|American film producer (1916–2017)}} {{Infobox person | name = Hal Geer | image = Hal Geer.jpg | caption = | birth_name = Harold Eugene Geer | birth_date = {{birth date|1916|09|13}} | birth_place = Oronogo, Missouri, U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|2017|01|26|1916|09|13}} | death_place = Simi Valley, California, U.S. | spouse = {{plainlist| * {{marriage|Nancy Walker|1939|1980|end=died}} * {{marriage|Carol Jones|1983}} }} | children = 2 | occupation = Filmmaker, film producer, animator | years_active = 1950–1987 | movement = | works = ''Looney Tunes''<br/>''Merrie Melodies'' | resting_place = Pierce Brothers Valley Oaks Memorial Park }}

'''Harold Eugene Geer''' (September 13, 1916 – January 26, 2017) was an American producer, filmmaker and animator, noteworthy for his association with the ''Looney Tunes'' franchise.<ref>{{cite book|author1=Steven H. Scheuer|title=Who's Who in Television and Cable|date=1983|publisher=Facts on File Incorporated|isbn=0871967472|page=[https://archive.org/details/whoswhointelevis00sche/page/177 177]|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/whoswhointelevis00sche/page/177}}</ref>

==Military career== Prior to his career in the entertainment industry, Geer served as a combat cameraman with the 16th Combat Camera Unit, enlisting just two weeks after the attack on Pearl Harbor. As a sergeant he participated in several major projects, including the film documentary ''China Crisis''.{{cn|date=June 2023}} He received a field commission to lieutenant, and took part in 86 combat missions during World War II. He remained in the Army Reserves for 24 years, achieving the rank of major.<ref>{{cite web|last=Trossman Bien|first=Joan|title=World War II through combat photographers' lenses|url=http://www.vcreporter.com/cms/story/detail/?id=5290&IssueNum=146|publisher=Ventura County Reporter|access-date=October 23, 2011|date=October 18, 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120402002954/http://www.vcreporter.com/cms/story/detail/?id=5290&IssueNum=146|archive-date=April 2, 2012}}</ref> In addition to his flight duties, he also worked as a newsreel cameraman during the war, and his experience in this job helped him secure a position in the special effects department at Warner Bros. Cartoons after the war ended on September 2, 1945.

==Film career== [[File:Bugs Bunny Walk of Fame 4-20-06.jpg|upright|thumb|Bugs Bunny's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame]] Geer subsequently worked at Walt Disney Productions from 1950 to 1955 in the special effects department.<ref>{{cite web|last=Picarella|first=Michael|title=Pioneering animator celebrates a life of laughter|url=http://www.simivalleyacorn.com/news/2005-07-08/Community/016.html|publisher=Simi Valley Acorn|accessdate=October 23, 2011|date=July 8, 2005|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160408140329/http://www.simivalleyacorn.com/news/2005-07-08/Community/016.html|archive-date=April 8, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> Following his employment at Disney, Geer worked at a number of independent production companies before being brought back to Warner Bros. by producer William L. Hendricks in 1967, beginning a twenty-year association with ''Looney Tunes''. Initially he served as the film editor (which, in the animation industry, means sound effects editor) on the ''Looney Tunes'' and ''Merrie Melodies'' cartoons, which lasted until 1969, when Warner Bros. ceased production of their theatrical shorts. However, Geer was retained in order to assist in production of ''The Bugs Bunny Show'', and eventually elevated to co-producer of the show in 1975.<ref>{{cite web|title=Looney Tunes On Television|url=http://looney.goldenagecartoons.com/tv|publisher=Golden Age Cartoons|accessdate=October 23, 2011|author=McCorry, Kevin|author2=Cooke, Jon|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111008023810/http://looney.goldenagecartoons.com/tv/|archive-date=October 8, 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Following the retirement of Hendricks two years later, Geer took over his position and became the de facto head of the ''Looney Tunes'' series. In 1980, Warner Bros. officially re-established its cartoon studio as Warner Bros. Animation, with Geer installed as its first head. He was soon joined by veteran ''Looney Tunes'' director Friz Freleng, and together the two produced a number of compilation films and television specials, including ''The Looney Looney Looney Bugs Bunny Movie'' and ''Bugs Bunny's 3rd Movie: 1001 Rabbit Tales''. During his stewardship of the new animation studio, Geer spearheaded a campaign to give Bugs Bunny his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, which was granted in 1985.<ref>{{cite web|last=Trossman Bien|first=Joan|title=World War II through combat photographers' lenses|url=http://www.vcreporter.com/cms/story/detail/?id=5290&IssueNum=146|publisher=Ventura County Reporter|access-date=October 23, 2011|date=October 18, 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120402002954/http://www.vcreporter.com/cms/story/detail/?id=5290&IssueNum=146|archive-date=April 2, 2012}}</ref>

==Later career== Geer retired from both Warner Bros. and the film industry in 1987, and subsequently took on a career of lecturing aboard cruise ships.<ref>{{cite web|last=Trossman Bien|first=Joan|title=World War II through combat photographers' lenses|url=http://www.vcreporter.com/cms/story/detail/?id=5290&IssueNum=146|publisher=Ventura County Reporter|access-date=October 23, 2011|date=October 18, 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120402002954/http://www.vcreporter.com/cms/story/detail/?id=5290&IssueNum=146|archive-date=April 2, 2012}}</ref> He turned 100 on September 13, 2016<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.simivalleyacorn.com/news/2016-09-16/Neighbors/Retired_cartoon_man_celebrates_100_years_of_advent.html|title=Retired cartoon man celebrates 100 years of adventure|publisher=Simi Valley Acorn|author=Melissa Simon|date=September 16, 2016|accessdate=September 21, 2016|archive-date=September 25, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160925032909/http://www.simivalleyacorn.com/news/2016-09-16/Neighbors/Retired_cartoon_man_celebrates_100_years_of_advent.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> and died on January 26, 2017, in Simi Valley, California.<ref>[http://obits.dignitymemorial.com/dignity-memorial/obituary.aspx?n=Hal-Geer&lc=4800&pid=183865003&mid=7275699 Hal Geer obituary]</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * {{IMDb name|id=0311621|name=Hal Geer}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Geer, Hal}} Category:1916 births Category:2017 deaths Category:American animated film producers Category:American men centenarians Category:Film producers from Missouri Category:People from Jasper County, Missouri Category:United States Army personnel of World War II Category:Warner Bros. Cartoons people Category:Warner Bros. people