A couple of years back, we had a visit from the family of Clair Weeks. They brought along several portfolios full of beautiful drawings, mostly from Bambi that they plan to sell. Over the next few weeks, they will be allowing us to digitize the material for inclusion in our database. They also promise to write a Biopedia Page for Weeks. Here is the "Readers’ Digest version" of Weeks’ career…
A missionary’s son, Clair Weeks was born in 1912 in India. He lived there until the early 1930s, when he relocated to America. In 1936, he joined the staff of the Walt Disney Studio and set to work as an assistant on Snow White. He went on to assist Marc Davis on Bambi, CInderella and Peter Pan, taking a brief break from animation to serve in the military during WW2.
In the early 50s, Weeks left the studio travel the world. He eventually settled in Bombay, India, where he headed up a government owned studio that produced animated shorts. Weeks’ impact on Indian animation was immense. The people he trained were the pioneers who established the Indian animation industry.
The treasure I’m presenting today dates to August of 1952… It’s the scrapbook given to Weeks upon his departure from Disney. I won’t spoil the fun by telling you what’s in it. Click on the images and prepare to be amazed! (Thanks to Hans Perk for the identifications!)
Members of the “9 Old Men”: Marc Davis (Weeks was his assistant), Ollie Johnston, Frank Thomas, Milt Kahl, Eric Larson / Assistant Animators: Bob McCrea, Clarke Mallery, Iwao Takamoto, Julius Svendsen, Bill Eigle (?)
Ben Sharpsteen (Director) / Hazel George (Studio Nurse) / Hal Adelquist (Asst. Director) / Oliver Wallace (Music) / Koneta Roxby (Library) / Bob Gibeaut (Cutting) / Jo Sears (Ink & Paint / Production)
Layout Artists: Lance Nolley, Al Zinnen, Don Griffith, Ken Anderson, Ken O’Connor, Mike Holoboff, MacLaren Stewart, Basil Davidovich, Tom Codrick, Charles Philippi / Background Artists: Jimi Trout, Hugh Hennesy, Ray Huffine, Art Riley, Dick Anthony, Ralph Hulett, Al Dempster, Claude Coats, Art Landy / Art Directors: Thor Putnam, John Hench / Directors: Jack Kinney, Charles “Nick” Nichols, Gerry Geronimi, Wilfred “Jaxon” Jackson / Asst Directors: Bee Selck, Lou Debney, Toby Tobelman (?) / Directors’ Secretary: Marie Dasnoit / The Man: Walt Disney / Tom Jekel (?)
Animators: Bob Youngquist, Jack Campbell, Les Clark (9 Old Men), Hugh Fraser, John Lounsbery (9 Old Men), Harry Holt, Art Stevens, George Nicholas / Asst Animators: Walt Stanchfield, Lou Appet, Bob Ogle, Dale Barnhart
Don DaGradi (Art Director)
Animators / Assistants: Dick Lucas / Al Wilson / Jim Steele / Eric Cleworth / Ambrozy Paliwoda / Jerry Hathcock / Charlie “Chuck” Downs / Bob Carlson / Woolie Reitherman (9 Old Men) / Ed Soloman / Wathel Rogers
Bonar Dyer (Personnel) / Mary Flanigan (Notary) / Bunny Venable (Production or Legal)
Mostly Effects Animators: Retta Davidson, Dwight Carlisle, Joe Nunez, Sandy Strother, Dan MacManus, Al Severns, George Rowley, Marion Mahnken, Jack “Buck” Buckley, Frank Onaitis, Ed Parks, Jane Fowler
Ed Aardal (Animator) / Harvey Orr (Print Shop) / Johnny Bond (Head of Clean Up)
Ken Peterson (Animator / Prod. Mgr. / Scheduling) / Andy Engman (Effects Animator / Prod. Mgr.) / Esther “Esta” Haight (Front Office File Room / Western Union) / Anne Meyer (Production?)
Thanks to the family of Clair Weeks for sharing this with us!
Stephen Worth
Director
Animation Resources
This posting is part of the online Encyclopedia of Cartooning under the subject heading, Animation.
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