George Sidney (October 4 1916 - May 5 2002) was an American film director who worked primarily at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
Born in Long Island City, New York, Sidney began his career as an assistant at MGM until being assigned to direct the Our Gang comedies, which MGM had just acquired from Hal Roach, in 1938. Sidney, then age 21, was the youngest Our Gang senior director ever, and was only nine years older than the eldest Our Gang kid, Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer's brother Harold.
After a year of working on Our Gang shorts, Sidney moved on to the Crime Does Not Pay series. He soon graduated to features, including The Harvey Girls (1946), The Three Musketeers (1948), Annie Get Your Gun (1950), Kiss Me, Kate (1953), Jupiter's Darling (1955), The Eddy Duchin Story (1956), Pal Joey (1957), Jeanne Eagels (1957), Bye Bye Birdie (1963), and Elvis Presley's Viva Las Vegas (1964). His last film was Half a Sixpence (1967).
Sidney had helped MGM colleagues William Hanna and Joseph Barbera bankroll their side company Hanna-Barbera Productions in 1944 and was associated with them for ten years. Hanna and Barbera's Jerry Mouse appeared alongside Gene Kelly in Sidney's film Anchors Aweigh (1945); he later featured Fred Flintstone and Huckleberry Hound in Bye Bye Birdie, when the animators had moved to Screen Gems, the television division of Columbia Pictures.
Sidney was nominated for the Directors Guild of America Award four times. In 1958 he was presented with a Golden Globe Award for Best World Entertainment Through Musical Films. For his work in the art of cinema, he was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He died of complications from lymphoma in Las Vegas, Nevada at the age of 85.
Motion picture actor George Sidney (1876-1945, born Samuel Greenfield) was his uncle.
His second wife Jane Robinson (II) was the widow of actor Edward G. Robinson.
His father was a prosperous Broadway producer, his mother and uncle also stage performers. He was a child actor, who appeared in vaudeville but started his film career at MGM as a messenger.
Was an innovator who paired live actors like Gene Kelly (I) on screen with animated characters like cartoon mouse Jerry in Anchors Aweigh (1945).
First recipient of the DGA president's award, 1998.
Financed and founded Hanna-Barbera Productions in 1944 and was president for 10 years.
Son of Hazel Mooney and nephew of the actor George Sidney (I).
(1951-1959) President of the Screen Directors Guild.
(1961-1967) President of the Directors Guild of America (DGA).
Biography in: John Wakeman, editor. "World Film Directors, Volume One, 1890-1945". Pages 992-997. New York: The H.W. Wilson Company, 1987.
Started at MGM directing the "Our Gang" (Little Rascals) comedies in the early 30s.
