PROJECTIONIST DIES AT 81 40-YEAR VETERAN HATCH LEARNED SKILLS FROM FATHER.

Byline: HOLLY J. ANDRES Staff Writer

Longtime motion picture and television studio projectionist James ``Rod'' Hatch died after a lengthy illness June 25 at his home in Burbank. He was 81.

Hatch worked as a projectionist for 40 years, learning the trade partly from his father and on-the-job training at movie theaters in Coronado and Pasadena.

His first film studio job was with Technicolor, and Hatch went on to work at studios including Hanna Barbera, Lorimar, MGM and Warner Bros.

``He loved it. He never had a bad day at work,'' said his widow, Janet Hatch. ``He trained projectionists. He loved meeting the people in the industry. He met a few stars and he was most impressed by (actress) Luise Rainer.''

Not surprisingly, Hatch also loved watching movies. Among his favorites were ``The Red Shoes,'' ``Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House'' and ``Casablanca.''

Hatch was a member of Projectionists Local 165, where he was vice president for 10 years. He was also a member of Sound Local 695 and Editors Local 700. He retired in 1988.

``He was funny, he had a dry sense of humor. He was handsome and had a good physique. He had excellent memory recall ... he could read something and tell you word for word what was on the page,'' said sister-in-law Esther Baker.

``He was honest and patriotic. I think he will be remembered for his kindness and generosity.''

James Rodney Hatch was born May 15, 1925, in Burbank. He attended Lankershim Elementary and North Hollywood High schools. In 1943, he left before graduating high school to join the U.S. Navy during World War II.

He served on the USS Laffey destroyer in Hawaii as a radio communications officer and also served in the Navy in Imperial Beach, San Diego.

Hatch enjoyed reading, politics, history, watching sports on TV, attending Dodger games, doing crossword puzzles and exploring the desert. As a young man, he enjoyed playing tennis and baseball.

He was active in the North Hollywood High School alumni organization and was a member of the Keystone Seniors Club that meets at the Jocelyn Adult Center in Burbank. He also was a member of the Franciscan Club that meets at St. Francis Xavier Roman Catholic Church in Burbank and was a member of the Warner Brothers Retirees Club.

Hatch is survived by his second wife, Janet Hatch; a son, Steven Rodney Hatch Dillon; a twin brother, Forrest Hatch; three grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

A funeral service was held at Pierce Brothers Valhalla Funeral Home in North Hollywood on Friday. Hatch is buried at Pierce Brothers Valhalla Memorial Park.

holly.andres(at)dailynews.com

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