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Birth/Death

Birth: 17 November, 1907

Death: 12 September, 1979

Occupation/Title

Animator, Director, the first of Walt’s “Nine Old Men”

Bio Summary

Les Clark was born in Ogden, Utah, in 1907. He attended the elementary school there until his parents decided to move to Los Angeles. It was there that he graduated from Venice Highschool, 4 days before he began working for Walt Disney. He joined the ink and paint department in 1929 and had also started inbetweening. He won his first animation on Disney’s first Silly Symphonies “The Skeleton Dance.” Les became the key person in the development of Mickey Mouse. He started with Mickey’s debut film “Steamboat Willie”, then began creating his most memorable mickey scene’s such as Mickey in the Sorcerer’s apprentice. Les animated and directed on over 20 features which include “101 Dalmations,” “Dumbo,” Cinderella,” Alice in Wonderland,” “Peter Pan,” and many others as well as over 100 shorts. Les soon became director for television specials and educational films such as “Donald in Mathmagic Land,” and “Donald and the Wheel.” He retired from Disney in 1976 then later died of cancer in 1979.

Early Life/Family

Les Clark married Mirian Clark and had one biological daughter, Miriam Leslie Clarke Weible. They adopted Richard.

Education/Training

Went to elementary school in Twin Falls Idaho. Graduated from Venice Highschool in Los Angeles.

Career Outline

Clark entered animation at a pivotal time and participated in events that shaped not only Disney’s future but the history of the art form itself. When he arrived, the Alice series was winding down and a series starring a new character named Oswald the Lucky Rabbit was beginning. Ub Iwerks, who became Clark’s mentor, was the studio’s top animator, capable of turning out large numbers of cleverly animated drawings each day.

Before working at the Disney Studios, Walt Disney had complimented Les on the lettering he made for the menus on the mirrors at a candy store. Two years later in 1927, about to graduate from Venice High School, Clark got up the nerve to ask Walt for a job. “Bring some of your drawings in and let’s see what they look like,” he recalled Walt saying. At the Hyperion studio in the Silver Lake area east of Hollywood, Clark showed his samples, which he admitted were freehand copies of cartoons in College Humor, but Walt admired his “swift, deft” graphic line and hired him.

Clark graduated from high school on a Thursday and jubilantly reported to work the following Monday, February 23, 1927 though Walt warned him “it might just be a temporary job.” The “temporary” job lasted nearly half a century. By the time he retired in 1975, Les Clark was a senior animator and director, and the “longest continuously employed member of Walt Disney Productions.”

One of his earliest jobs was in-betweening for Ub Iwerks on Steamboat Willie. Les Clark’s debut as an animator came in the first Silly Symphony, The Skeleton Dance (delivered on May 10, 1929). He animated a scene of a skeleton playing the ribs of another skeleton like a xylophone.

Disney’s job offer changed Clark’s life. Throughout his lengthy career he repaid Walt with loyalty and a dogged striving to improve his work. In return, he gained a knowledge of the animation business from the ground up. During Clark’s first year at the studio, he happily toiled in the industry’s lowest entry-level positions: for his first six months he operated the animation camera, then spent a subsequent six months as an inker-painter.

Over the span of 48 years Les Clark animated and Directed a copious amount of films, as well as more than 100 short films. After serving as sequence director for “Sleeping Beauty” Les was asked by Walt to direct television specials and educational films. Les was the longest continuously employed member to Walt Disney. He was employed from February 23, 1927 to September 30, 1975.

Comments On Style

Influences

Trained by Ub Iwerks.

Personality

Les really did not have an art background, but because of his sheer determination and desire, he ended up being the principle animator for the iconic character, Mickey Mouse. His own personality was very similar to Mickey Mouse in fact. Les Clark was one of the more shy animators. He wasn’t one to boast about himself.

Anecdotes

Miscellaneous

Filmography

Animator

The Skeleton Dance 1929(Animator: “Xylophone scene)(uncredited)
The Barn Dance 1929(Animator: “Mickey Mouse”)
Frolicking Fish 1930(Animator)
The Goddess of Spring 1934(Animator)
The Dognapper 1934(Animator)
Two-Gun Mickey 1934(Animator)(uncredited)
The Band Concert 1935(Animator: “Mickey Mouse”)
Orphan’s Picnic 1936(Animator)
Mickey’s Grand Opera 1936(Animator)
The Country Cousin 1936(Animator)
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs 1937(Animator: “Silly Song Sequence”)
Pinocchio 1940(Animator: “Pinocchio”)
Fantasia 1940(Animator)(segments “Nutcracker Suite”, “the Dewdrop Fairies” and “ the Sorcerer’s Apprentice”)
Dumbo 1941(Animator)
Der Fuehrer’s Face 1942(Animator)
The Three Caballeros 1944(Animator: “Train to Baia”)
Make Mine Music 1946(Animator)
Song of the South 1946(Animator: minor animals)
Fun and Fancy Free 1947(Directing Animator: “Lulubelle”)
Melody Time 1948(Directing Animator: “Bumble Boogie” sequence)
Plutopia 1951(Animator)
Alice in Wonderland 1951(Directing Animator)
Lady and the Tramp 1955(Directing Animator: “Lady” as puppy)
So Dear to My Heart 1949(Animator)
Peter Pan 1953(Directing Animator)
Disneyland 1954(Tv Series)(Animator: Tinker Bell”)(Director)(episode “ An Adventure in Color/Mathmagic Land”)
One Hundred and One Dalmations 1961(Character Animator)
The Mickey Mouse Anniversery Show 1968 (Animator:Mickey Mouse)
A Symposium on Popular Songs 1962(Animator)
Fantasia/2000 1999 (Animator)(segment “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice”)
Mickey Mouse Disco 1979 (Animator)

Director

You the Human Animal 1955(Director)
Paul Bunyan 1958(Director)
Sleeping Beauty 1959(Sequence Director)
Donald the Mathmagic Land 1959(Sequence Director)
Freewayphobia # 1 1965(Director)
Donald’s Fir Survival Plan 1965(Director)
Goofy’s Freeway Troubles 1965 (Director)
I’m No Fool with Electricity 1970 (Director)
VD Attack Plan 1973 (Director)
Man, Monsters and Mysteries 1973 (Director)

Choreographer:

You Were Meant for Me 1948(Choreographer)

Inbetween Artist:

Steamboat Willie 1928 (Inbetween Artist)

Honors

Winsor McCay Award 1992

Disney Legend 1989

Related Links

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Clark

http://legends.disney.go.com

http://www.www.imdb.com/Name?Clark, Les (I)

http://www.http://www.disneylandtoday.com/Legends/lesclark.htm

Bibliographic References

Canemaker, John. (2001). Walt Disney’s Nine Old Men and the Art of Animation. New York, NY: Disney Editions. ISBN 0-7868-6496-6

Contributors To This Listing

Josh Heisie

To make additions or corrections to this listing, please click on COMMENTS below…

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This posting is a stub. You can contribute to this entry by providing information through the comments link at the bottom of this post. Please organize your information following the main category headers below….

Birth/Death

Born: March 19, 1933

Occupation/Title

Director, Animator, Producer

Bio Summary

Richard Williams is a triple Oscar winner. He has won over 250 international awards including 3 British Academy Awards, 3 Oscars and an Emmy. His films include Who Framed Roger Rabbit, The Return of the Pink Panther, The Charge of the Light Brigade, A Christmas Carol and The Little Island. People he has worked with include Ken Harris, Art Babbitt, Milt Kahl, Grim Natwick, Frank Thomas, Ollie Johnston, Andreas Deja, Eric Goldberg, Simon Wells, Emery Hawkins, Cliff Nordberg, Abe Levitow, and Chuck Jones.

Early Life/Family

Richard Williams’ parents were divorced when he was five, his mom Kathleen, as well as his other family of artists encouraged him to draw. At fifteen, Richard went down to Burbank and stayed at the YMCA. There he toured the Disney Studio, where he aspired to to be Walt’s Top Idea Man. For work, he drew for some ads for the Disney Advertising Department. At a young age Richard Williams moved to from his native Canada to Spain to paint and study.

Education/Training

Ontario College of Art, Canada

Career Outline

In 1955 Williams had an idea for an animated film. England was the nearest English-speaking country and he figured if he was going to animate he had better move there. He spent the next three years making that film (The Little Island). This short won him instant recognition as a major talent. Other films followed such as “Love Me Love ME” and the Academy Award winning “A Christmas Carol” along with his commercials and animated segments for feature films that cemented his reputation for creating high quality inventive animation.

A turning point for him came when he and his staff went to see The Jungle Book in 1968. They had been taking character animation for granted and were blown away by what they saw. He was most impressed with the animation of Shere Khan done by Milt Kahl. He promptly wrote Milt and invited him to visit the studio. This was the beginning of their long friendship and the start of his effort to seek out some of the “Old Timers” to learn from and even employ. Art Babbit came to his studio to work and to teach his now legendary animation classes to the staff.

Working on the Thief and The Cobbler (It went by many names over the years) was partly a learning exercise for him and his staff. It’s footage also landed them the Roger Rabbit gig. Williams made one other feature before Roger Rabbit; “Raggedy Ann and Andy”. He was original hired as supervisor and Abe Levitow was to direct. When Abe got sick, Williams was contractually obligated to take over directing. He made the best of the material he was given, but they wouldn’t let him drop any of the 20 songs in the film. He was going over time and budget so the film was finished hastily for him by 20th Century Fox.

Williams most well know film is Who Framed Roger Rabbit where he served as animation director. This film is widely considered to be the film that started the second golden age of animation. Since then, he has taught and hosted his famous animation master classes in San Francisco, Hollywod, London, Denmark, as well as all over the world. Currently, Williams lives in Wales with his fourth wife and two children. Williams also has four children from two of his three previous marriages, including animator Alex Williams and painter Holly Williams-Brock.

Comments On Style

Influences

Walt Disney, Art Babbit, Ken Harris, Milt Kahl

Personality

Helpful, hot-headed, hard-headed, determined, supportive

Anecdotes

Miscellaneous

Filmography

The Little Island 1958 (Director, Producer, Story)
The Sunday Break [04/12/60] 1960 Dick Williams’ Band
Love Me, Love Me, Love Me 1962 (Director, Animator, Producer)
A Lectrue On Man 1962 (Director)
The Dermis Probe 1965 (Director, Story, Editor)
What’s New Pussycat? 1965 (Title Animation and Design)
A Funny Thing Happened On The WAY To The Forum 1966 (Titles)
The Spy With A Cold Nose 1966 (Titles)
Casino Royale 1967 (Titles/Montage Effects and Design)
The Charge Of The Light Brigade 1968 (Titles and animation sequences)
Prudence And The Pill 1968 (Titles)
Every Home Should Have One 1970) (Title Designer)
A Christmas Carol 1971 (Director, Producer)
Gawain And The Green Knight 1973 (Titles and Graphics)
Murder On The Orient Express 1974 (Title Designer)
The Return Of The Pink Panther 1975 (Animation and Titles)
The Pink Panther Strikes Again 1976 (Animation and Titles)
Raggedy Ann & Andy: A Musical Adventure 1977 (Director, Production Supervisor)
Ziggy’s Gift 1983 (Director)
Who Framed Roger Rabbit 1988 (Director of Animation, Voice Actor: Droopy)
Tummy Trouble 1989 (Voice Actor: Droopy)
The Thief And The Cobbler (aka: Arabian Knight) 1995 (Director, Producer, Story, Animator)

Honors

Annie Award: Winsor McCay Award 1984
Academy Award: Best Animated Short "A Christmas Carol" 1972
Emmy Award: Best Animated Program "Ziggy’s Gift" 1982
Academy Award: Best Effects, Visual Effects "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" 1989
Academy Award: Special Achievement for Animation Direction And Character Creation "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" 1989

Related Links

Wikipedia Entry: Richard Williams
Thief & The Cobbler Page
Thief and the Cobbler DVD Petition
Culture Dose’s review of “The Animator’s Survival Kit.

Bibliographic References

WILLIAMS, Richard, The Animator’s Survival Kit, 2001
The Animated Raggedy Ann and Andy: An Intimate Look at the Art of Animation: Its History, Techniques, and Artists, 1977
Masters of Animation, 2001
Animato! Issue 35, Summer 1996
fps Magazine #9 Spring 1995
BIO-AAA-269

Contributors To This Listing

Nicolas Martinez

To make additions or corrections to this listing, please click on COMMENTS below…

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