Hal Geer obit

Hal Geer Has Died

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Hal Geer, retired cartoon executive, dies at 100

Hal Geer, a retired Warner Bros. Cartoons executive and World War II combat cameraman, passed away in Simi Valley, California on Thursday, January 26. He was 100 years old.

Born Harold Eugene Geer on September 13, 1916 in Oronogo, Missouri, Mr. Geer lived through most of the twentieth century and into the twenty-first. He married his sweetheart Nancy Walker in 1939 and enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1941, two weeks after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. As a combat cameraman in World War II he survived 86 missions flying over China with the Flying Tigers, sometimes doubling as a gunner on B-24 and B-25 planes while shooting images for newsreels. He received his battlefield commission as second lieutenant from the legendary General Claire Chennault, leader of the Flying Tigers.

After the war ended, the entertainment industry beckoned and Hal and Nancy Geer moved to Hollywood where Mr. Geer spent the next four decades working as a film editor, writer, director and producer for Walt Disney, Warner Bros. and independent production companies. He worked on 25 feature films, more than 500 television shows, 400 commercials and 100 short-subject films. Most of his career was spent at Warner Bros. working with his beloved cartoon characters Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Road Runner, Wile E. Coyote and their Looney Tunes cohorts. In 1985 Mr. Geer spearheaded a successful campaign to give Bugs Bunny his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. A year later, at age 70, he announced his retirement as vice president and executive producer of Warner Bros. Cartoons.

Six years prior to his retirement , Mr. Geer's wife Nancy had passed away in 1980. He later met and in 1983 married Carol Jones, who also worked at Warner Bros. They spent the first dozen years of their retirement seeing the world from cruise ships where Mr. Geer was on the lecture circuit.

At the age of 99, Mr. Geer wrote and published his memoirs in a book entitled The Life, Times and Tales of Hal Geer. He presented personalized copies of his book to each of the more than 60 guests who attended his 100th birthday celebration held on September 11, 2016. In his memoirs he wrote:

"I don't know what the purpose of life is. We try to do the best we can while we exist. My purpose was to make the world a better place. I know I made some people happy. I want to be remembered for the things I've done: combat photographer, newsreels and historical films. I hope I also entertained people and brought some laughter into their lives."

Hal Geer is survived by his wife Carol, daughter Nancy Matthews, son Wally Geer and stepdaughter Brenda Lee Jones, grandchildren Christo Kuzmich and Jamie Jones, and great- grandchildren Matthew Jones, Savannah Jones, Whitney Kuzmich and Sylvia Kuzmich, who will all remember him for making them happy and bringing laughter into their lives.

The memorial service will be Saturday, February 11, at 10:00 am at Pierce Brothers Valley Oaks Memorial Park, 5600 Lindero Canyon Road, Westlake Village, California. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Simi-Conejo Valley Chapter of the Military Association of America, P.O. Box 940482, Simi Valley, CA 93094-0482.

 

Producer

The Bugs Bunny/Looney Tunes Comedy Hour (1985)

The Bugs Bunny/Looney Tunes Comedy Hour

8.3

TV Series

executive producer (1985)

1985–1986

 

Mel Blanc in Daffy Duck's Movie: Fantastic Island (1983)

Daffy Duck's Movie: Fantastic Island

6.9

executive producer

1983

 

Ounce of Prevention (1982)

Ounce of Prevention

7.8

Short

producer

1982

 

Bugs Bunny's Mad World of Television (1982)

Bugs Bunny's Mad World of Television

6.5

TV Movie

executive producer

producer

1982

 

Mel Blanc in The Looney, Looney, Looney Bugs Bunny Movie (1981)

The Looney, Looney, Looney Bugs Bunny Movie

7.1

executive producer

1981

 

Bugs Bunny: All American Hero (1981)

Bugs Bunny: All American Hero

7.7

TV Movie

executive producer

1981

 

Daffy Duck's Thanks-for-Giving Special (1980)

Daffy Duck's Thanks-for-Giving Special

6.2

TV Movie

executive producer

1980

 

The Bugs Bunny Mystery Special (1980)

The Bugs Bunny Mystery Special

7.2

TV Movie

executive producer

1980

 

Mel Blanc in Daffy Duck's Easter Show (1980)

Daffy Duck's Easter Show

5.6

TV Movie

executive producer

1980

 

The Chocolate Chase (1980)

The Chocolate Chase

5.5

TV Short

executive producer (uncredited)

1980

 

The Yolks on You (1980)

The Yolks on You

5.9

TV Short

executive producer (uncredited)

1980

 

Daffy Flies North (1980)

Daffy Flies North

6.0

TV Short

executive producer (uncredited)

1980

 

Bugs Bunny's Looney Christmas Tales (1979)

Bugs Bunny's Looney Christmas Tales

6.9

TV Short

executive producer

1979

 

Fright Before Christmas (1979)

Fright Before Christmas

6.3

TV Short

executive producer (uncredited)

1979

 

Freeze Frame (1979)

Freeze Frame

6.6

TV Short

executive producer (uncredited)

1979

 

Bugs Bunny's Christmas Carol (1979)

Bugs Bunny's Christmas Carol

6.7

TV Short

producer

1979

 

Bugs Bunny's Holiday Diet (1979)

Bugs Bunny's Holiday Diet

6.4

TV Movie

executive producer

1979

 

The Bugs Bunny Mother's Day Special (1979)

The Bugs Bunny Mother's Day Special

7.0

TV Movie

executive producer

1979

 

Bugs Bunny's Cupid Capers (1979)

Bugs Bunny's Cupid Capers

6.5

TV Movie

executive producer

1979

 

How Bugs Bunny Won the West (1978)

How Bugs Bunny Won the West

7.5

TV Movie

executive producer

1978

 

The Daffy Duck Show

7.5

TV Series

executive producer

1978

 

The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Show (1978)

The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Show

8.3

TV Series

executive producer

1978–1985

 

Bugs Bunny's Howl-oween Special (1977)

Bugs Bunny's Howl-oween Special

6.8

TV Movie

executive producer

1977

 

Bugs Bunny in Space (1977)

Bugs Bunny in Space

7.1

TV Movie

executive producer

1977

 

Bugs Bunny's Easter Special (1977)

Bugs Bunny's Easter Special

6.8

TV Special

executive producer

1977

 

Camera and Electrical Department

Chimp & Zee (1968)

Chimp & Zee

4.8

Short

animation camera (uncredited)

1968

 

3 Ring Wing-Ding (1968)

3 Ring Wing-Ding

4.9

Short

animation camera (uncredited)

1968

 

See Ya Later Gladiator (1968)

See Ya Later Gladiator

4.9

Short

animation camera (uncredited)

1968

 

Feud with a Dude (1968)

Feud with a Dude

5.0

Short

animation camera (uncredited)

1968

 

Skyscraper Caper (1968)

Skyscraper Caper

5.9

Short

animation camera (uncredited)

1968

 

Big Game Haunt (1968)

Big Game Haunt

4.4

Short

animation camera (uncredited)

1968

 

Norman Normal (1968)

Norman Normal

5.8

Short

animation camera (uncredited)

1968

 

Hocus Pocus Powwow (1968)

Hocus Pocus Powwow

4.6

Short

animation camera (uncredited)

1968

 

Fiesta Fiasco (1967)

Fiesta Fiasco

5.6

Short

animation camera (uncredited)

1967

 

Merlin the Magic Mouse (1967)

Merlin the Magic Mouse

4.6

Short

animation camera (uncredited)

1967

 

Cool Cat (1967)

Cool Cat

4.8

Short

animation camera (uncredited)

1967

 

Go Away Stowaway (1967)

Go Away Stowaway

5.7

Short

animation camera (uncredited)

1967

 

Rodent to Stardom (1967)

Rodent to Stardom

5.6

Short

animation camera (uncredited)

1967

 

Speedy Ghost to Town (1967)

Speedy Ghost to Town

5.4

Short

animation camera (uncredited)

1967