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Walt Disney's Nine Old MenFamous Animators Worked On Disney Films, Snow White to The Rescuers
Who were Walt Disney's Nine Old Men? They were only some of the most influential animators of the 20th Century.
When Walt Disney produced Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 1937, he had already assembled a talented core of animators who would stick with him until his death in 1966. Together, they weathered World War II, a nasty animator's strike, and near-bankruptcy after box office failures like Fantasia and Sleeping Beauty. Over the decades, there also grew an inner circle, who were indispensable to Walt's operations. They were animators who had proved their worth so completely that Walt admitted that sometimes their instincts were even better than his. As a gesture of affection, he called them his 'Nine Old Men,' after Franklin Delano Roosevelt's name for his Supreme Court justices. Here are Walt Disney's Nine Old Men. Les ClarkLes Clark (November 17, 1907 - September 12, 1979) was not only the first of the Nine Old Men, but also the longest continuously-employed worker at the studio. Clark took over from Ube Iwerks in animating Mickey Mouse in 1930. He specialized in animating Mickey throughout the decades, drawing such classic sequences as "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" in Fantasia, and the "Mickey and the Beanstalk" sequence in Fun & Fancy Free. Marc DavisMarc Davis (March 30, 1913 - January 12, 2000) was Disney's "ladies' man," designing and animating Snow White, Cruella De Vil, Maleficient, and Cinderella. After finishing his work on 101 Dalmations, Davis started a new career: designing Disneyland attractions like the original Pirates of the Caribbean and Haunted Mansion. Ollie JohnstonOllie Johnston (October 31, 1912 - April 14, 2008) was the first half of the legendary "Frank and Ollie" character animation team. He gave his characters heart, and found the pathos and comedy within every scene. Johnston co-wrote, with Frank Thomas, iconic books like 1981's The Illusion of Life, 1987's Too Funny for Words: Disney's Greatest Sight Gags, 1990's Walt Disney's Bambi: The Story and the Film, 1992's The Jungle Book Portfolio, and 1993's The Disney Villain. Those texts influenced countless animators including Andreas Deja, Brad Bird, Glen Keane, Tim Burton and John Lasseter. Milt KahlMilt Kahl (March 22, 1909 - April 19, 1987) was a brilliant artist who, according to protegé Floyd Norman, "never made a bad drawing." He designed the title character in Peter Pan, Tramp in Lady and the Tramp, and Roger and Anita Radcliffe in 101 Dalmations. Ward KimballWard Kimball (March 4, 1914 – July 8, 2002) managed to combine his love of music and animation while working at Disney, leading the acclaimed jazz group The Firehouse Five Plus Two while animating the Crows in Dumbo; Tweedledum and Tweedledee, the Mad Hatter and the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland; Lucifer the Cat from Cinderella; and Jiminy Cricket from Pinocchio. Eric LarsonAlthough Eric Larson (September 3, 1905 – October 25, 1988) wasn't as recognizable or as successful as the other Nine Old Men, his influence was arguably the greatest. Recognizing that the studio's best animators were leaving, Larson developed Disney's Talent Program to mentor the next generation of animation talent. He eventually discovered and trained countless animators like Joe Ranft, Henry Selick, and Ron Clements and John Musker. John LounsberyJohn Lounsbery (March 9, 1911 - February 13, 1976) was a comic animator who mastered the essential technique known as "squash and stretch." His work can best be seen in the dancing alligator for the "Dance of the Hours" sequence in Fantasia, the militaristic elephants in The Jungle Book, and Sgt. Tibs the cat in 101 Dalmations. He co-directed Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too!, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh and The Rescuers. Wolfgang ReithermanWolfgang "Woolie" Reitherman (June 26, 1909 - May 22, 1985) created action sequences for films like Pinocchio, Fantasia and Sleeping Beauty, moving to the director's chair with 1961's 101 Dalmations. He also worked on many of the classic Goofy "How to . . ." shorts. Reitherman directed every Disney animated film from 1967's The Jungle Book to 1977's The Rescuers. Although Reitherman did his best with what he had, this period was seen as a serious decline in Disney Animation. Frank ThomasFrank Thomas (September 5, 1912 - September 8, 2004) was the other half of the "Frank and Ollie" character animation team, bringing Peter Pan's Captain Hook and The Jungle Book's King Louie to life. He also single-handedly created the hilarious "ice skating" sequence in Bambi. With Johnston, Thomas also passed on the Nine Old Men's groundbreaking techniques to future generations, via such landmark books as The Illusion of Life. Another legendary figure in 20th Century animation, Chuck Jones, called Thomas "the Lawrence Olivier of animation."
The copyright of the article Walt Disney's Nine Old Men in Vintage Animated Films is owned by Dominic von Riedemann. Permission to republish Walt Disney's Nine Old Men in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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