Cultural Panel Denies Landmark Status to Hanna-Barbera Studios

The home of George Jetson and Scooby-Doo will not be named a Los Angeles city landmark despite pleas from cartoon fans who wanted the Hanna-Barbera Productions studio protected as an irreplaceable part of entertainment and California history.

The city Cultural Heritage Commission on Wednesday voted unanimously and, members said, “reluctantly” to deny cultural-historic monument status to the Cahuenga Boulevard studio of three green and yellow buildings next to the Hollywood Freeway.

Time Warner Inc., which acquired Hanna-Barbera last year, opposed landmark status, suggesting it would kill plans to sell the three-acre property to nearby Universal Studios. Although preservationists fear otherwise, Universal says it will use the campus for offices and has no intention to demolish the buildings. Hanna-Barbera artists and producers are scheduled to move next month to Warner Bros.’ offices in Sherman Oaks.

In Los Angeles, landmark designation can delay demolition for only a year. Still, commission members said they were intensely lobbied by Mayor Richard Riordan’s administration to support Warner’s position. “It’s been unbelievable pressure all the way,” said one commissioner, who requested anonymity.

The board concluded that the studio, located between Studio City and Hollywood, has cultural significance, but is not architecturally distinguished except for the decorative concrete screens that shade its street-side exterior. The colorful Jetson-like furniture in the offices and the many drawings mounted in the hallways will be moved to Sherman Oaks.

Wednesday’s vote came after a 90-minute hearing during which speaker after speaker referred to childhood memories and the worldwide allure of such Hanna-Barbera television cartoons as “The Flintstones,” “Yogi Bear” and “Huckleberry Hound.” Landmark advocates included representatives of the cartoonists union, the Los Angeles Conservancy, the Hollywood Heritage organization and former Hanna-Barbera executives.

“What building better represents 20th century L.A. than the H-B building? More than any other site I can think of, this building is our special heritage. It is the foundation of the very history of L.A.,” said Kara Vallow, a former producer of the “Johnny Bravo” series.

After the hearing, she said she was not surprised by the vote given what she described as “the political climate of pro-development, anti-preservation in this city right now.”

Warner Bros. representatives argued that the buildings at 3400 Cahuenga Blvd. did not deserve special honor because some of the earliest and most influential Hanna-Barbera cartoons were developed in the late ‘50s at the studio’s previous location in Hollywood.

(At one point, Warners consultant Steven Afriat antagonized animation experts in the audience even more by saying that his favorite Hanna-Barbera cartoon characters were Rocky and Bullwinkle. Those were created by Jay Ward Productions, not Hanna-Barbera.)

Mary George, commission president, said she appreciated all the sentiment for Hanna-Barbera shows but was not impressed with the building during a recent tour. “Except for the passion involved in preserving the characters, I don’t believe the building deserves monument status. That’s the bottom line,” she said.

Thomas Hunter Russell, commission vice president, said he thought Warner Bros. was wrong to argue that the studio had no cultural significance. But he added that, in this case at least, he would not vote against the wishes of an owner that had acquired the property before an employee requested landmark status. “Had it already been a designated site, then I would have fought tooth and nail to save the building,” Russell said.

William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, both in their 80s now, created the “Tom and Jerry” cartoons for MGM and then, in 1957, founded their own company. The baby boomers who originally enjoyed the shows as youngsters now have children who watch reruns on the Cartoon Network. The Hanna-Barbera studio has been through several corporate changes, including a 1991 sale to Turner Broadcasting System and Turner’s merger last year with Time Warner.

Reached by telephone, Warner spokesperson Barbara Brogliatti said the company appreciated the commission vote and stressed that Hanna-Barbera will be maintained as a creative division. “To us, the history and the culture of Hanna-Barbera are in the people and the cartoons and the brand. We will continue to cherish and preserve those,” she said.