Les Clark

Leslie James Clark (November 17, 1907 – September 12, 1979) was an American animator and the first of Disney's Nine Old Men, joining Walt Disney Productions in 1927.
== Biography ==
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=== 1907–1927: Early life ===
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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 Clark attended Venice High School. During high school, he worked a summer job at an ice cream shop near the Walt Disney Studio. Walt and Roy Disney were frequent patrons at the shop, and Walt had once complimented Les on his lettering job of the menus. Eventually, Clark asked 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]
=== 1927–1954: Animator ===
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In 1927, Clark began working the Monday after he graduated high school for a temporary position,[5][6] first as a camera operator and later as an ink and paint artist.[7] At the time, the studio were finishing the Alice Comedies and starting work on Oswald the Lucky Rabbit.[8] In 1928, Disney traveled to New York to renegotiate their contract with Charles Mintz. Disney refused to accept a less acceptable contract leaving the character to Mintz, who held the character's copyrights.[9][7] On the way back to Los Angeles, Disney and Ub Iwerks co-created Mickey Mouse as a replacement. Iwerks mainly animated the first Mickey Mouse cartoons Plane Crazy (1928), The Gallopin' Gaucho (1928), and Steamboat Willie (1928) in which Clark worked as an inbetweener.[10] A year later, Clark made his debut as an animator for the first Silly Symphony short The Skeleton Dance (1929). He drew the scene of a skeleton playing on another skeleton's ribcage like a xylophone.[8]
In 1930, Iwerks left Disney to form his namesake studio. Clark then became the official animator for Mickey Mouse.[11] Most notably, Clark animated the character in the 1935 short The Band Concert.[12] On the Silly Symphony short The Goddess of Spring (1934), Clark used his sister Marceil as a reference model for the character Persephone. After watching his finalized animation, Clark remembered: "I was very disappointed in my effort and I told Walt so."[13][14]
On Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), Clark animated several scenes of the dwarfs during the "Silly Song" sequence, including Dopey smashing his face with a cymbal, Doc playing a horn, and Doc and Happy running from Sneezy's loud sneeze.[15] He also animated the scene of the three dwarfs dancing with Snow White, a moment first filmed in live-action that used as a visual reference for the animators.[16] Clark then animated Mickey Mouse in The Sorcerer's Apprentice segment for Fantasia (1940). Clark animated the scenes in which Mickey "puts the hat on and starts bringing the brooms to life—the dance up the stairs and the water vats—until he exits over the water."[17][18] Clark also animated the Sugar Plum Fairies for The Nutcracker Suite segment.[19]
Meanwhile, Clark animated a few scenes of the title character in Pinocchio (1940), most particularly when Pinocchio turns around when Geppetto inspects him before leaving for school.[20] He next animated the train sequence to Baia in The Three Caballeros (1945). Andreas Deja complimented Clark's animation, writing it is "charming, as it chugs along to an energetic musical beat through a landscape that is reminiscent of a children's illustration."[21]
For Song of the South (1946), Clark handled the animation interacting with Uncle Remus (portrayed by James Baskett) during the "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" musical number.[20] A year later, he animated the Singing Harp for the Mickey and the Beanstalk segment in Fun and Fancy Free (1947).[22] Melody Time (1948) soon followed, in which Clark animated the bumblebee for the Bumble Boogie segment.[22]
On Cinderella (1950), Clark animated the title character, sharing the role with Eric Larson and Marc Davis.[23] He also animated the title character in Alice in Wonderland (1951), most particularly the scene when she enlarges herself at the White Rabbit's house.[24][25] Clark then reteamed with Davis again on the character Tinker Bell for the 1953 film Peter Pan.[26] For Lady and the Tramp (1955), Clark animated the scenes of Lady as a puppy.[20]
=== 1955–1975: Directing career ===
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After Lady and the Tramp (1955), Clark transitioned into becoming a director. He remembered Disney first approached him to direct in 1940, but he decided to remain an animator.[27] During the mid-1950s, he was asked again and accepted the offer. For the Disneyland television program, he directed and animated the opening titles with Tinker Bell.[24] Also, he directed the "Five Senses" animated inserts with Jiminy Cricket for The Mickey Mouse Club.[27] He made his feature directorial debut with Sleeping Beauty (1959), in which he directed the opening scene in which the townspeople arrive at the castle for Aurora's christening.[28] He returned to directing educational animated shorts, including Donald in Mathmagic Land (1959), in which he directed a sequence with a pool table.[29] His last project for Disney was Man, Monsters and Mysteries (1974).[28]
He retired from Disney on September 30, 1975.[24]
== Personal life ==
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During the late 1930s, Clark met Miriam Lauritzen, a set decorator and model, who had a son Richard from a previous marriage. Clark married Lauritzen and adopted Richard. In 1945, they had a daughter, Miriam. The couple divorced in 1952 due to Miriam's alcoholism.[15] In 1967, Clark married his second wife, Georgia Vester, after meeting at an arts exhibit.[24]
He died of lung cancer in Santa Barbara, California on September 12, 1979.[30]
== Filmography ==
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Year 	Title 	Credits 	Characters 	Notes
1937 	Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs 	Animator 	Snow White, Dopey, Sneezy, Doc, Happy, Grumpy, Bashful	
1940 	Pinocchio 	Animator 	Pinocchio 	
1940 	Fantasia 	Animator - Segments "The Nutcracker Suite" and "The Sorcerer's Apprentice"	Mickey, the Sugar Plum Fairies 	
1941 	Dumbo 	Animator 	 	
1943 	Saludos Amigos (Short) 	Animator 	 	
1945 	The Three Caballeros 	Animator 	Train 	
1946 	Make Mine Music 	Animator 	 	
1946 	Song of the South 	Directing Animator 	 	
1947 	Fun and Fancy Free 	Directing Animator 	Singing Harp 	
1948 	You Were Meant for Me 	Choreographer 	 	
1948 	Melody Time 	Directing Animator 	Bumblebee (Bumble Boogie) 	
1948 	So Dear to My Heart 	Animator 	 	
1949 	The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad 	Character Animator (uncredited) 	 	
1950 	Cinderella 	Directing Animator 	Cinderella 	
1951 	Plutopia (Short) 	Animator 	 	
1951 	Alice in Wonderland 	Directing Animator 	Alice 	
1952 	The Little House (Short) 	Animator 	 	
1953 	Peter Pan 	Directing Animator 	Tinker Bell, Tiger Lily 	
1953 	Ben and Me (Short) 	Animator 	 	
1954 	The Magical World of Disney (TV Series) 	Special Effects - 1 Episode 	 	
1955 	Lady and the Tramp 	Directing Animator 	Lady (as a puppy) 	
1955 	You the Human Animal (Short) 	Director 	 	
1955 	Contrast in Rhythm (Short) 	Animator 	 	
1956 - 1958	The Magical World of Disney (TV Series) 	Animator - 3 Episodes 	 	
1958 	Paul Bunyan[31] (Short) 	Director 	 	
1959 	Sleeping Beauty 	Sequence Director 	 	
1959 	Donald in Mathmagic Land (Short) 	Sequence Director 	 	
1961 	One Hundred and One Dalmatians 	Character Animator 	 	
1961 	Donald and the Wheel (Short) 	Animator 	 	
1961 - 1970	The Magical World of Disney (TV Series) 	Director - 3 Episodes 	 	
1962 	A Symposium on Popular Songs (Short) 	Animator 	 	
1963 	The Magical World of Disney (TV Series) 	Sequence Director - 1 Episode 	 	
1963 	The Sword in the Stone 	Character Animator (uncredited) 	 	
1964 	The Restless Sea (TV Movie Documentary) 	Director 	 	
1965 	Freewayphobia #1 (Short) 	Director 	 	
1965 	Steel and America (Short) 	Director 	 	
1965 	Donald's Fire Survival Plan (Short) 	Director 	 	
1965 	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 	 	
1969 	The Social Side of Health (Short) 	Director 	 	
1969 	The Project (Short) 	Director 	 	
1969 	The Game (Short) 	Director 	 	
1969 	The Fight (Short) 	Director 	 	
1969 	Steps Towards Maturity and Health (Short) 	Director 	 	
1970 	New Girl (Short) 	Director 	 	
1970 	Lunch Money (Short) 	Director 	 	
1972 	The Great Search: Man's Need for Power and Energy (Documentary short)	Director 	 	
1973 	VD Attack Plan (Short) 	Director 	 	
1973 	I'm No Fool with Electricity (Short) 	Director 	 	
1974 	Man, Monsters and Mysteries (Short) 	Director 	 	
1980 	Mickey Mouse Disco (Short) 	Animator 	 	
1984 	DTV: Rock, Rhythm & Blues (Video) 	Animator 	 	
1984 	DTV: Pop & Rock (Video) 	Animator 	 	
1984 	DTV: Golden Oldies (Short) 	Animator 	 	
2000 	Fantasia 2000 	Animator - Segment "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" 	 	Archive Footage
Category:1907 births
Category:1979 deaths
Category:20th-century American artists
Category:American animated film directors
Category:Animators from Utah
Category:Animators from California
Category:Burials in Tennessee
Category:Deaths from cancer in California
Category:Disney Legends
Category:Film directors from Utah
Category:Venice High School (Los Angeles) alumni
Category:Walt Disney Animation Studios people