Research Guru / Moderator
Posted:
Apr 28, 2008, 3:56 PM
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Emmy-winning TV writer Jack Hanrahan dead at 75
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Television writer Jack Hanrahan, an Emmy winner who turned homeless and destitute, died Monday morning in a nursing home on Cleveland's West Side. He was 75.
Hanrahan, a scriptwriter for such TV cartoon shows as Inspector Gadget and The Care Bears, was suffering from heart problems and other complications, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported.
The winner of an Emmy for Rowan & Martin's Laugh In, he grew up in Cleveland. His work in cartoon writing went all the way back to Frankenstein, Jr. and the Impossibles (1966) and Birdman and the Galaxy Trio and Fantastic 4 (both 1967).
In 1993, he shared an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming One Hour or Less) for the TV special Inspector Gadget Saves Christmas.
Hanrahan became part of the Hollywood scene, writing for such famed 1960s and 1970s TV shows as Get Smart, Police Woman, The Waltons and The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour.
But in March 2007, he was found destitute, living in a Cleveland homeless shelter, and fighting mental problems.
After the Plain Dealer exposed his plight, old friends and the staff at the homeless shelter helped him get admitted to a Veterans Affairs hospital and, later, to the nursing home.
A disheveled, penniless Hanrahan arrived in Cleveland from California by bus in December 2006, smoking hand-rolled cigarettes. His matted hair hung to his shoulders.
Hanrahan had only the clothes on his back, a bag of tobacco and rolling papers.
His false teeth -- and his Emmy -- had been kept by his landlady in California after he accidentally set the garage ablaze with a cigarette. Eventually, his Emmy was pawned.
Hanrahan had seen much better days. Raised in a big Irish family (the second-youngest of 11 children) on Cleveland's West Side, Hanrahan studied at a Catholic seminary.
He drew editorial cartoons for the Cleveland Press. He also wrote for the Mike Douglas Show, then located in Cleveland.
Later, he worked as a cartoonist for American Greetings. In the early 1960s, Hanrahan wrote and drew for his own greeting card company in New York. There, he met Phil Hahn, a writer for Hallmark cards.
The two -- daring Clevelander Hanrahan and cautious Kansan Hahn -- would team up to work for Mad magazine. That was the beginning.
Soon, big-time Hollywood producers approached them, and they were writing for Get Smart. By November 1967, they were creating a TV show called Laugh In.
Hanrahan's life became too fast and too furious. Involved with drugs and alcohol -- and those who could supply them -- he partied with the stars in Malibu mansions.
Hanrahan moved to Eureka, California in 1992 with his second wife; he no longer had contact with his first wife, fellow Clevelander Rosemarie Donovan, and their six children. Three years ago, his second wife died, and he became known as a lovable eccentric.
The streets and shelters of Cleveland were his home for about three months in the winter of 2006-07. When not seeking handouts, he went to daily Mass downtown at St. John's Cathedral.
Although Hanrahan tried to get in touch with relatives in the city, his state made this impracticable, a nephew said.
Chambers Funeral Home in suburban North Olmsted is handling the funeral arrangements. There will be no services for Hanrahan, it said.
Jack Hanrahan in 1969.
A much older Hanrahan in Cleveland.
(This post was edited by eminovitz on Apr 28, 2008, 4:04 PM)
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Directing Animator / Contributor
Posted:
Apr 28, 2008, 5:09 PM
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Re: Emmy-winning TV writer Jack Hanrahan dead at 75
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Sad...and very sobering to read how far down he had fallen towards the end of his life.
(This post was edited by artytoons on Apr 28, 2008, 5:09 PM)
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Research Guru / Moderator
Posted:
Apr 28, 2008, 11:20 PM
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Re: Emmy-winning TV writer Jack Hanrahan dead at 75
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Maybe this isn't my best choice of words, but there is some consolation in the fact that Jack Hanrahan found a home -- in his beloved Cleveland -- in his last year.
His output as a television writer was enormous, even if you just consider cartoon series. Besides those I mentioned earlier, these included:
The Mouse Factory (1971); The All-New Popeye Hour (1978); The New Adventures of Tom and Jerry and Heathcliff (both 1980); Spider-Man (1981); Snorks and Heathcliff & the Catillac Cats (both 1984); Popples (1986); The New Archies, Hello Kitty's Furry Tale Theater and Beverly Hills Teens (all 1987); Tom and Jerry Kids Show (1990); Gadget Boy and Heather (1995); and Gadget Boy's Adventures in History (1998).
He also wrote individual episodes of The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! (1989) and The Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog (1993), not to mention 1979's The Popeye Valentine Special.
Although much of his work was in animation, I'll remember him best for his side-splitting Laugh In sketches featuring old folks Tyrone F. Horneigh and Gladys Ormphby (Arte Johnson and Ruth Buzzi) on the park bench. The two characters were later made into an animated Saturday-morning children's show, Baggy Pants & The Nitwits.
The best way I could think of paying some sort of tribute to Jack would be to reclaim his Emmy, with the assistance of the Writers Guild of America if necessary. It needs a proper home, too.
Perhaps the New York City headquarters (or the Beverly Hills branch) of the Museum of Television and Radio? Or, better yet, somewhere in the Mistake on the Lake?
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Intern
Posted:
May 1, 2008, 6:27 AM
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Re: Emmy-winning TV writer Jack Hanrahan dead at 7
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Dear Eminovitz,
That's a wonderful idea!
Mr.Hanrahan's emmy's should be found and
donated to The TV Hall Of Fame and to the Museum
Of Cartoon Art.
Hopefully?
Those awards and the other bi products of his
career(At least those that were not destroyed in that
fire)can be found and maintained in a proper museum.
And his tv work can be shown at a screening to
honor this talented craftsman's efforts as one of tv's
most creative and prolific writers.
4CK
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Newbie
Posted:
May 1, 2008, 2:06 PM
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Re: Emmy-winning TV writer Jack Hanrahan dead at 7
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A slight correction. Jack was married three times, or 3-1/2, as he liked to tell it. Second wife was Robin. He was "almost" married to Mimi Hines. Third wife Linda died a few years back.
I was the last of Jack's writing partners. "Partners for life!" Jack always said. "Maybe longer." I had the pleasure of working and laughing with him for many years. I am also, according to Jack, the only partner who emerged from the partnership without facial tics.
When you look for the Emmy, it's the dented one. She may still be dressed in Barbie clothes. Jack always liked to dress her up for special occasions. (The secret was using velcro in back, to get the dress over the globe, according to him.)
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Newbie
Posted:
May 5, 2008, 5:36 PM
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Re: Emmy-winning TV writer Jack Hanrahan dead at 7
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This is sad news :(.........jack was my great uncle, never got to meet him sadly. I live in the cleveland area but when he came back here my dad didn't think it would be a good idea for me to try and see him. I really wanted to meet him tho and get a chance to see his humourus side everyone is always talking about. I've been checking out alot of his work and its really ironic because I aspire to write childrens books and greeting cards, and Im always writing funny little songs!!! If anyone has any more memories of jack.......post them here, because sadly, memories is all that are left.
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