FILM

Joseph Barbera (1911-2006) Starting his career in the banking industry, Barbera switched trades to work as a scriptwriter and animator, when his illustrations were accepted for publication. At MGM, he met William Hanna and their first collaboration was an animated short film that became the first feature in the Tom and Jerry series. They worked together on the series for 17 years, earning seven Academy Awards for Best (Cartoon) Short Subject. When MGM closed its animation division, the two teamed up to form Hanna-Barbera Productions, producing for television Huckleberry Hound, Quick Draw McGraw, The Flintstones, The Yogi Bear Show, The Jetsons, and Scooby Doo, among many others. The Flintstones was the first animated sitcom, featuring celebrity guest voices. Hanna-Barbera cartoon characters became cultural icons and have influenced future generations of animators. In 1994, Barbera published his biography, My Life in Toons, and he was inducted into the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences' Hall of Fame, along with his business partner, William Hanna.

Frank Capra (1897-1991) After a series of jobs and two years in the army during World War I, Capra begin his career in film by writing and directing silent films. In 1934, his film It Happened One Night, won five Oscars – including Best Picture and Best Director. Subsequent films, Mr. Deeds Goes To Town, You Can’t Take it With You, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, and It’s a Wonderful Life, garnered numerous Oscar nominations and two more Best Director Awards. It’s a Wonderful Life is said to be loosely based on Amadeo Pietro Giannini, the banker who risked lending money to those who needed it, and wound up establishing the banking system in America. Capra’s movies are loved for portraying characters with intrinsic qualities of kindness, goodness, and diligence.