Les Clark
Leslie James "Les" Clark (November 17, 1907 – September 12, 1979) was an American animator and the first of Disney's Nine Old Men. Joining Disney in 1927, he was the only one to work on the origins of Mickey Mouse with Ub Iwerks.
Les Clark | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Leslie James Clark November 17, 1907 Ogden, Utah, U.S. |
| Died | September 12, 1979 (aged 71) |
| Occupation | Animator |
| Known for | One of Disney's Nine Old Men |
| Spouse(s) | Miriam Lauritzen (m. ?; div. 1952) Georgia Vester (m. 1967) |
| Children | 2 |
Early life
Les Clark was born in Ogden, Utah in 1907, the eldest of 12 children to James Clark, a carpenter,[1] and Lute Wadsworth.[2] By 1910, the family lived in Salt Lake City[1] and by 1920, they lived in Twin Falls, Idaho.[3] By 1930, they lived in Los Angeles,[4] where Les attended Venice High School. During high school, he worked a summer job at an ice cream shop near Walt Disney Studios in Hollywood. Walt and Roy Disney were frequent patrons at the shop, and Walt had once complimented Les on his lettering job of the menus. Eventually, Les got the courage to ask Walt for a job. He recalled Walt's reply:
...[Walt said] 'Bring some of your drawings in and let's see what they look like.' So, I copied some cartoons and showed them to Walt. He said I had a good line, and why don't I come to work on Monday.[5]
Les reported to the studio the Monday after he graduated high school for a temporary position in 1927.[6][5]
He and his wife Miriam had a son, Richard,[7] and a daughter, Miriam.
Career at Disney Studio
Les started work at the studio first as a camera operator and doing ink and paint on the animations. He moved on to work under the guidance of Ub Iwerks. During the development of the character Mickey Mouse, Clark was promoted to the position of inbetweener where he worked on a scene for the upcoming Steamboat Willie. Les was then promoted to animator and was tasked to work on the Silly Symphony The Skeleton Dance. After Ub Iwerks left Disney, Clark was given the position as lead animator on Mickey Mouse. He continued honing his craft, attending art classes while working at the studio. As he improved, he was given the task of animating the Seven Dwarfs in the upcoming film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. In particular, Clark worked on the scene where Snow White dances with each of the seven dwarfs. He would go on to animate the iconic Disney characters Pinocchio, Cinderella, Alice and Tinkerbell.[6]
Animation Style
Les Clark was known for his skill in timing his animation to musical scores, as well as his ability to convey emotion in his work.[6]
Death
Les Clark died of cancer in Santa Barbara, California on September 12, 1979.
Complete filmography
| Year | Title | Credits | Characters |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1927 | Alice's Picnic | Animator | |
| Alice in the Big League | Animator | ||
| Alice's Medicine Show | Animator | ||
| Alice's Channel Swim | Animator | ||
| Alice the Beach Nut | Animator | ||
| Alice the Whaler | Animator | ||
| Trolley Troubles | Animator | ||
| All Wet | Animator | ||
| 1928 | Poor Papa | Animator | |
| Steamboat Willie | Animator | ||
| 1929 | El Terrible Toreador | Animator | |
| The Skeleton Dance | Animator | ||
| The Plowboy | Animator | ||
| Ozzie of the Mounted | Animator | ||
| The Barn Dance | Animator | ||
| 1930 | Winter | Animator | |
| Monkey Melodies | Animator | ||
| Pioneer Days | Animator | ||
| The Gorilla Mystery | Animator | ||
| The Chain Gang | Animator | ||
| The Fire Fighters | Animator | ||
| Night | Animator | ||
| Frolicking Fish | Animator | ||
| Midnight in a Toy Shop | Animator | ||
| Cannibal Capers | Animator | ||
| Autumn | Animator | ||
| Summer | Animator | ||
| The Picnic | Animator | ||
| Playful Pan | Animator | ||
| 1931 | The Ugly Duckling | Animator | |
| Mother Goose Melodies | Animator | ||
| The Barnyard Broadcast | Animator | ||
| The Delivery Boy | Animator | ||
| Mickey Cuts Up | Animator | ||
| The Moose Hunt | Animator | ||
| The Castaway | Animator | ||
| Traffic Troubles | Animator | ||
| Blue Rhythm | Animator | ||
| Birds of a Feather | Animator | ||
| The Birthday Party | Animator | ||
| 1932 | Flowers and Trees | Animator | |
| Just Dogs | Animator | ||
| Mickey in Arabia | Animator | ||
| Mickey's Good Deed | Animator | ||
| Trader Mickey | Animator | ||
| Mickey's Revue | Animator | ||
| The Klondike Kid | Animator | ||
| The Mail Pilot | Animator | ||
| Mickey's Nightmare | Animator | ||
| The Whoopee Party | Animator | ||
| King Neptune | Animator | ||
| Bugs in Love | Animator | ||
| Babes in the Woods | Animator | ||
| Santa's Workshop | Animator | ||
| 1933 | The Mad Doctor | Animator | |
| Birds in the Spring | Animator | ||
| Mickey's Mellerdrammer | Animator | ||
| The Steeplechase | Animator | ||
| Building a Building | Animator | ||
| Puppy Love | Animator | ||
| Old King Cole | Animator | ||
| Giantland | Animator | ||
| The Night Before Christmas | Animator | ||
| 1934 | The Grasshopper and the Ants | Animator | |
| Gulliver Mickey | Animator | ||
| The Goddess of Spring | Animator | ||
| Camping Out | Animator | ||
| The Dognapper | Animator | ||
| Two-Gun Mickey | Animator | ||
| 1935 | Music Land | Animator | |
| Mickey's Kangaroo | Animator | ||
| The Band Concert | Animator | ||
| The Tortoise and the Hare | Animator | ||
| 1936 | The Country Cousin | Animator | |
| Mickey's Rival | Animator | ||
| Mickey's Grand Opera | Animator | ||
| Orphans' Picnic | Animator | ||
| 1937 | Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs | Animator | Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs |
| Mickey's Amateurs | Animator | ||
| Magician Mickey | Animator | ||
| 1938 | Mickey's Parrot | Animator | |
| Brave Little Tailor | Animator | ||
| 1939 | Society Dog Show | Animator | |
| The Practical Pig | Animator | ||
| 1940 | Pinocchio | Animator | Pinocchio |
| Fantasia | Animator (Segments "The Nutcracker Suite" and "The Sorcerer's Apprentice") | Sugar Plum Fairies and Sorcerer Mickey Mouse | |
| Mr. Duck Steps Out (Short) | Animator | ||
| 1941 | Dumbo | Animator | Dumbo and Timothy Q. Mouse |
| The Little Whirlwind (Short) | Animator | ||
| The Nifty Nineties (Short) | Animator | ||
| 1942 | Bambi | Animator | |
| Der Fuehrer's Face | Animator | ||
| Mickey's Birthday Party | Animator | ||
| Out of the Frying Pan Into the Firing Line | Animator | ||
| How to Play Baseball | Animator | ||
| All Together | Animator | ||
| 1943 | Saludos Amigos (Short) | Animator | |
| Victory Vehicles | Animator | ||
| Private Pluto | Animator | ||
| 1944 | The Three Caballeros | Animator (segment Aquarela do Brasil) | |
| Trombone Trouble | Animator | ||
| 1945 | Hockey Homicide | Animator | |
| 1946 | Make Mine Music | Animator (Segments: Casey at the Bat, The Martins and the Coys, Two Silhouettes, Johnny Fedora and Alice Blue Bonnet) | |
| Song of the South | Directing Animator | ||
| 1947 | Fun and Fancy Free | Directing Animator | Bongo, Lulubelle, Mickey Mouse, close up of Willie the Giant sleeping |
| 1948 | You Were Meant for Me | Choreographer | |
| Melody Time | Directing Animator (segments Blame It on the Samba, Bumble Boogie) | ||
| 1949 | So Dear to My Heart | Animator | |
| The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad | Animator | ||
| 1950 | Cinderella | Directing Animator | Cinderella |
| 1951 | Plutopia (Short) | Animator | |
| Alice in Wonderland | Directing Animator | Alice | |
| 1952 | The Little House (Short) | Animator | |
| 1953 | Peter Pan | Directing Animator | Peter Pan, Wendy Darling and Tinker Bell |
| Ben and Me (Short) | Animator | ||
| 1954 | The Magical World of Disney (TV Series) | Special Effects - 1 Episode | |
| 1955 | Lady and the Tramp | Directing Animator | |
| You the Human Animal (Short) | Director | ||
| Contrast in Rhythm (Short) | Animator | ||
| 1956 - 1958 | The Magical World of Disney (TV Series) | Animator - 3 Episodes | |
| 1958 | Paul Bunyan[8] (Short) | Director | |
| 1959 | Sleeping Beauty | Sequence Director | |
| Donald in Mathmagic Land (Short) | Sequence Director | ||
| 1961 | One Hundred and One Dalmatians | Character Animator | |
| Donald and the Wheel (Short) | Animator | ||
| 1961 - 1970 | The Magical World of Disney (TV Series) | Director - 3 Episodes (including Sequence Director: 1 Episode) | |
| 1962 | A Symposium on Popular Songs (Short) | Animator | |
| 1963 | The Sword in the Stone | Animator | |
| 1964 | The Restless Sea (TV Movie Documentary) | Director | |
| 1965 | Freewayphobia #1 (Short) | Director | |
| Steel and America (Short) | Director | ||
| Donald's Fire Survival Plan (Short) | Director | ||
| Goofy's Freeway Troubles (Short) | Director | ||
| 1967 | Family Planning (Short) | Director | |
| 1968 | The Mickey Mouse Anniversary Show | Animator | |
| 1969 | Physical Fitness and Good Health (Short) | Director | |
| The Social Side of Health (Short) | Director | ||
| The Project (Short) | Director | ||
| The Game (Short) | Director | ||
| The Fight (Short) | Director | ||
| Steps Towards Maturity and Health (Short) | Director | ||
| 1970 | New Girl (Short) | Director | |
| Lunch Money (Short) | Director | ||
| 1973 | VD Attack Plan (Short) | Director | |
| I'm No Fool with Electricity (Short) | Director | ||
| Robin Hood | Animator | ||
| 1974 | Man, Monsters and Mysteries (Short) | Director | |
| 1977 | The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh | Animator | |
| 1980 | Mickey Mouse Disco (Short) | Animator | |
| 1984 | DTV: Rock, Rhythm & Blues (Video) | Animator | |
| DTV: Pop & Rock (Video) | Animator | ||
| DTV: Golden Oldies (Short) | Animator | ||
| 2000 | Fantasia 2000 | Animator (Segment "The Sorcerer's Apprentice") | Sorcerer Mickey Mouse |
References
- 1910 United States Federal Census
- Utah, Birth Certificates, 1903-1911
- 1920 United States Federal Census
- 1930 United States Federal Census
- "Les Clark". D23. The Walt Disney Company. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
- "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2017-05-22. Retrieved 2017-04-08.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- 1940 United States Federal Census
- Wolfe, Jennifer (2012-12-31). "Animator Lee Hartman Dies at 82". Animation World Network. Retrieved 2013-01-06.
- Canemaker, John. (2001). Walt Disney's Nine Old Men and the Art of Animation. New York, NY: Disney Editions. ISBN 0-7868-6496-6
