“Hal Geer, my great mentor at Warner Brothers Animation, has passed away at age 100,” writes Geer’s fellow animator Jack Enyart in a recent e-newsletter.
As Enyart recalls, “I was in my 20s when Hal brought me into the department. On his desk, each time he faced me with his sly Bugs Bunny grin, rested a plaque:
Age and cunning will always defeat youth and enthusiasm.
“He didn’t mean it. He was in fact the kindest, wisest, and most subtly encouraging boss I ever had.
“He kept Looney Tunes going. He held the fort, when WB might have shut down the department altogether.
“He dealt skillfully with great talents (and egos) like Chuck Jones, Friz Freleng, Bob Clampett and Mel Blanc. I watched… and I learned.
“To my younger colleagues, collaborators, and students: I wish you someone such as Hal.”
Thank you, Jack, for this.
Hal Geer obituary in Variety here.