John Joseph Haley III (October 25, 1933 – April 21, 2001), known as Jack Haley Jr., was an American director, producer, and writer, and a two-time

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...

recipient. His credits include directing the 1974 compilation film ''

That's Entertainment! ''That's Entertainment!'' is a 1974 American compilation film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to celebrate the studio's 50th anniversary. The success of the retrospective prompted a 1976 sequel, the related 1985 film ''That's Dancing!'', and ...

''. On September 15, 1974 Haley married

Liza Minnelli Liza May Minnelli ( ; born March 12, 1946) is an American actress, singer, and dancer. Known for her commanding stage presence and powerful alto singing voice, Minnelli has received numerous accolades including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, ...

, the daughter of

Judy Garland Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10, 1922June 22, 1969) was an American actress and singer. Possessing a strong contralto voice, she was celebrated for her emotional depth and versatility across film, stage, and concert performance. ...

. Garland starred with his father,

Jack Haley John Joseph Haley Jr. (August 10, 1898 – June 6, 1979) was an American actor, comedian, dancer, radio host, singer, drummer and vaudevillian. He was best known for his portrayal of the Tin Man and his farmhand counterpart Hickory in the 193 ...

, in ''

The Wizard of Oz ''The Wizard of Oz'' is a 1939 American Musical film, musical fantasy film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). Based on the 1900 novel ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' by L. Frank Baum, it was primarily directed by Victor Fleming, who left pro ...

''.

Early life

Haley was born on October 25, 1933, in Los Angeles, the son of Florence and

, an actor and comedian. He attended

Loyola Marymount University Loyola Marymount University (LMU) is a private Jesuit and Marymount research university in Los Angeles, California. LMU enrolls over 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students, making it the largest Catholic university on the west coast of the ...

, and later studied filmmaking at USC and

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Its academic roots were established in 1881 as a normal school then known as the southern branch of the C ...

Career

With David Wolper, Haley produced the original run of ''

Biography A biography, or simply bio, is a detailed description of a person's life. It involves more than just basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death; it portrays a person's experience of these life events. Unlike a profile or curri ...

'' from 1961 to 1962. He co-wrote, directed and produced

Hollywood and the Stars Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...

, which was broadcast on NBC during the 1963-1964 television season. As a producer, Haley was responsible for compilations and documentaries about film history, including ''

'' (1974), ''

That's Dancing! ''That's Dancing!'' is a 1985 American compilation film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer that looked back at the history of dancing in film. Unlike the '' That's Entertainment!'' series, this film not only focuses specifically on MGM films, but ...

'' (1985) and ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: 50 Years of Magic'' (1990), narrated by

Angela Lansbury Dame Angela Brigid Lansbury (October 16, 1925 – October 11, 2022) was an Irish-British and American actress, producer, and singer. In a career spanning 80 years, she played various roles on stage and screen. Among her numerous accolades wer ...

. Haley's other credits include producer and executive producer of

Academy Awards The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence in ...

presentation shows. He directed the 1970 film '' Norwood'' and the 1971 film '' The Love Machine''. Unreleased footage shot while he was married to

is featured in the 2024 documentary, '' Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story''.

Death

Haley died of

respiratory failure Respiratory failure results from inadequate gas exchange by the respiratory system, meaning that the arterial oxygen, carbon dioxide, or both cannot be kept at normal levels. A drop in the oxygen carried in the blood is known as hypoxemia; a r ...

on April 21, 2001, in Santa Monica, California. He is buried in Culver City's Holy Cross Cemetery. After his death, his former wife stated, "Jack was the first one to remind the general public of our heritage. America's royalty is our entertainers, who have given so much to the world."Jones, Kenneth, Jack Haley Jr., Directed 'That's Entertainment!,' Dead at 67, ''Playbill'', April 23, 2001
/ref>

Awards and honors

Peabody Award

Primetime Emmy Awards

Directors Guild of America

NAACP Image Awards

Monte-Carlo Television Festival

Venice Film Festival

Western Heritage Awards

Western Writers of America

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Haley, Jack Jr. 1933 births 2001 deaths 20th-century American male writers Film directors from Los Angeles American film historians American male non-fiction writers Burials at Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City Primetime Emmy Award winners WFUV people Historians from New York (state)