George O'Hanlon

American actor and writer (1912–1989)

George O'Hanlon (November 23, 1912 – February 11, 1989) was an American actor, comedian and writer. He was best known for his role as Joe McDoakes in the Warner Bros.' live action Joe McDoakes short subjects from 1942 to 1956 and as the voice of George Jetson in Hanna Barbera's 1962 prime time animated television series The Jetsons and its 1985 revival.

George O'Hanlon was born on November 23, 1912, in Brooklyn, New York.

From the early 1940s, O'Hanlon was a character actor in feature films, usually playing the hero's streetwise, cynical friend. He appeared in features for various studios while continuing the Joe McDoakes role for Warner Bros. After the McDoakes series lapsed in 1956, O'Hanlon returned to character work, mostly in television (two rare post McDoakes movie appearances are in Bop Girl Goes Calypso and Kronos, both from 1957).

In the 1953–54 season, O'Hanlon appeared several times on NBC's The Dennis Day Show. In 1957, he played Charlie Appleby on an I Love Lucy episode, "Lucy and Superman". O’Hanlon played a character listed as “Caldwell” in a 1958 episode of Maverick, entitled “Rope of Cards”, S1 E17. In 1958, O'Hanlon played a New York publicist for a fashion model in How to Marry a Millionaire. In 1962–63, he voiced one of his most prominent characters, George Jetson in the original The Jetsons, a role he would reprise over 20 years later in two additional seasons from 1985 to 1987. In the autumn of 1964, he appeared as a cab driver in the 13 episode CBS drama The Reporter. In 1966, O'Hanlon appeared opposite Jackie Gleason as Ralph Kramden's loudmouthed "bum brother in law", on Gleason's first TV show of the 1966 67 season. He also made various appearances on ABC's Love, American Style, a series for which he wrote the teleplays and also directed several episodes. In 1971, O'Hanlon appeared as a bear trainer on The Partridge Family, season 2, episode 6, "Whatever Happened to Moby Dick? ", a drunk in The Odd Couple, season 2, episode 6, "Murray the Fink" and a drunk in Adam 12, season 4 episode 1, "Extortion".

Apart from acting, he wrote screenplays and also wrote the storyboard for nearly all of the Joe McDoakes shorts. He wrote stories for television series in the 1960s such as Petticoat Junction, 77 Sunset Strip, and wrote episodes for Hanna Barbera's The Flintstones. He also auditioned for the role of Fred Flintstone, but lost to Alan Reed; however, he was remembered when it was time to cast The Jetsons and Morey Amsterdam, the original choice to voice the lead male role, was unavailable due to sponsor conflicts. He once said: "George Jetson is an average man, he has trouble with his boss, he has problems with his kids, and so on. The only difference is that he lives in the next century."

O'Hanlon was married to Inez Witt from 1932 to 1948. After divorcing her, he married actress Martha Stewart in 1949; they divorced in 1952. O'Hanlon and his third wife, Nancy, had two children, George O'Hanlon Jr., and daughter Laurie O'Hanlon. They remained married until his death. On February 11, 1989, just after recording dialogue for Jetsons: The Movie, According to Andrea Romano, who was Hanna Barbera's casting director at the time, O'Hanlon found it difficult to read and hear, and in the end, he died doing what he loved. The film was dedicated to him, along with Jetsons co star Mel Blanc who died nearly five months later. Jeff Bergman was hired to finish the remaining dialogue for both actors for the movie.

Year Title Role Notes 1932 The Death Kiss Bystander / Man Sitting on Curb Uncredited 1933 High Gear Reporter / Spectator in Grandstand Uncredited 1934 Beggar's Holiday Bellhop Uncredited 1935 The Girl Friend Chorus Boy in Play Uncredited 1937 Hollywood Hotel Casting Assistant Uncredited 1938 Blondes at Work Third Newsboy Uncredited Women Are Like That Page Uncredited My Lucky Star Student in Girls of Hampshire Hall Skit Uncredited Secrets of an Actress Flowers Delivery Boy Uncredited Brother Rat Orderly Uncredited 1939 The Adventures of Jane Arden Crapshooter Uncredited Daughters Courageous Dancer Uncredited Hell's Kitchen Usher Uncredited Dust Be My Destiny Man at Bank After Robbery Uncredited Off the Record Messenger Boy Uncredited A Child Is Born Young Husband Uncredited Swanee River Ticket Taker Uncredited 1940 The Fighting 69th Eddie Kearney Uncredited Saturday's Children Office Worker at Party Uncredited Sailor's Lady Sailor The Bride Wore Crutches Copy Boy Uncredited City for Conquest Newsboy Uncredited Spring Parade Peasant Uncredited 1941 The Great Awakening Peppi Navy Blues Sailor Uncredited Moon Over Her Shoulder Bellboy Uncredited 1942 Man from Headquarters Weeks, Reporter Yokel Boy Teller Uncredited A Gentleman After Dark Hotel bellboy Uncredited Remember Pearl Harbor Radio Operator Uncredited Criminal Investigator Powers 1942–1956 Joe McDoakes Joe McDoakes Short film series 1943 Ladies' Day Bond Buyer Uncredited Action in the North Atlantic Navy Pilot Uncredited All by Myself Buck Uncredited Two Tickets to London Sailor Uncredited Hers to Hold Coast Guardsman with Tommy Gun Uncredited Corvette K 225 RCAL Wireless Operator Uncredited Nearly Eighteen Eddie 1944 Resisting Enemy Interrogation American Pilot at Headquarters Uncredited 1947 The Hucksters Freddie Callahan Uncredited The Spirit of West Point Joe Wilson Heading for Heaven Alvin Ponacress 1948 Are You with It? Buster The Counterfeiters Frankie Dodge June Bride Scott Davis 1949 Joe Palooka in the Big Fight Louie Zamba Marvin 1951 The Tanks Are Coming Sergeant Tucker 1952 Room for One More Minor Role Uncredited The Lion and the Horse 'Shorty' Cameron Park Row Steve Brodie Cattle Town Shiloh 1953 So You Want to Learn to Dance Joe McDoakes Short film 1956 Battle Stations Patrick Mosher 1957 Kronos Dr. Arnold Culver Bop Girl Goes Calypso Barney 1958 The Vanishing Duck George (voice) Short filmUncredited 1971 The Million Dollar Duck Parking Attendant 1972 Now You See Him, Now You Don't Ted 1973 Charley and the Angel Harry, Police Chief 1976 Rocky TV Commentator #2 1990 Jetsons: The Movie George Jetson (voice) Released posthumously, final film role; dedicated in memory, character finished by Jeff Bergman